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Showbiz Tonight

Katherine Jackson Gets Full Custody; Katherine Jackson`s Take on Michael Jackson`s Death; Ryan O`Neal Hitting on His Own Daughter?; Roseanne Barr as Adolf Hitler; Samantha Burke`s Plea for Privacy; Kevin Costner`s Narrow Escape

Aired August 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, the brand-new big Michael Jackson showdowns in court today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there as Michael`s mom fights for his kids, fights for his money.

Plus, for the very first time, why even Michael`s mom is saying his death was suspicious.

Did Ryan O`Neal really hit on his own daughter, Tatum O`Neal, at Farrah Fawcett`s own funeral?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I guess her hair color varies. I think he was kind of shell-shocked at the funeral.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the absolutely bizarre story on why Ryan made a move on daughter Tatum and why she wasn`t surprised.

And Roseanne Barr baking cookies as Adolf Hitler? What the heck is she doing? The startling new controversy as TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.

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Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.

And tonight, the big Michael Jackson showdown. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, was right there today for a highly-anticipated and high-tensioned courtroom showdown over Michael Jackson`s three kids.

And I can tell you, it was a day of highs, a day of lows and it was a day of shocking, brand-new developments making big news right now.

There were literally dozens of lawyers packing a Los Angeles courtroom today as Michael Jackson`s mother, Katherine, was finally granted custody of Michael`s three kids. But why didn`t the judge give her all the money that she asked for?

There was also a big-time courtroom bombshell today. Michael Jackson`s dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein, makes a mysterious request in court to be a part of Michael`s children`s lives. It is only adding fuel to the fire of suspicion that he fathered two of Michael`s kids.

And adding fuel to the fire of suspicion surrounding Michael Jackson`s death, his mom Katherine now saying for the first time, she thinks that Michael`s death was suspicious.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got these explosive developments covered like no other entertainment news show. I want to begin with CNN`s Randi Kaye who`s in Los Angeles and covering this all day long.

So Randi, 100 percent full custody goes to Katherine Jackson, just as Michael wanted it in his will. How did that all play out in court?

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, in court today, she was granted permanent custody of the children as you said. And as you know, there was some debate as to whether or not Michael Jackson`s ex-wife, Debbie Rowe, would try and seek custody. But we know that on Friday, the two had agreed.

So this was really a formality to go before the judge to try and get this agreement approved, and indeed, it was. Katherine Jackson in court along with dozens of lawyers, but also some of her family members for support, two of her daughter, La Toya and Rebbie and her son, Randy Jackson.

But the deal, as we said, was announced Friday. The two oldest children, who are Debbie Rowe`s children, they actually signed the agreement and the judge went ahead and approved it as well.

But the real drama, A.J., I will say took place even before all that. That is when Dr. Arnold Klein, who happens to be Michael Jackson`s long- time dermatologist, also the former boss of Debbie Rowe, his ex-wife, had a lawyer in court for him go to the judge today and say that Dr. Arnie Klein wants to be involved in these children`s lives, wants to have some say in their medical care, some say in their education.

It was the strangest request because, as you know, there has been all this talk about whether or not Dr. Arnold Klein may have actually fathered these children.

HAMMER: Yes.

KAYE: He may be the biological father of these children. But his lawyer not commenting but also strange even though he`s said that, of course, to his knowledge, he`s not the father of these children.

HAMMER: Right. Yes, really, really strange. We`re going to get to more of that in just a moment. You`ve got to help me out with the value of the estate, though. Because we`ve heard Jackson`s estate is worth anywhere between $100 million and $2 billion. Did you get any indication, Randi, as to how much Jackson`s estate is really worth?

KAYE: Not yet. This estate hearing is really about Katherine Jackson getting a seat at the table. She wants a say in her son`s estate. She wants to know what`s going on. She was granted the right to this document, Michael Jackson`s contract with AEG, the tour promoter that would have been handling his final tour.

So that`s what she wanted. She agreed to keep that document confidential which is why there was a hold-up there because initially, apparently, her lawyers hadn`t. But in terms of the value of the estate, her lawyer has said recently that he thinks it`s worth $2 billion.

But the folks that I`m talking about very close to the estate dealings say it may be worth right now as little as $100 million. It doesn`t mean it couldn`t reach $2 billion with all that`s happening with the sales and things. But right now, not anywhere near that, I`m told.

HAMMER: All right. CNN`s Randi Kaye in Los Angeles for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much, Randi. And here to break it down for us and all the other big developments today, including that strange request by Michael`s dermatologist about the kids - in Hollywood is Carlos Diaz a correspondent for "Extra." And tonight, in New York, Lauren Lake, who is an attorney and author of the book, "Girl! Let Me Tell You."

All right. Carlos, I`m beginning with you. I want to talk about this first big showdown today. Do you think there was any doubt the judge would grant Michael`s 79-year-old mother, Katherine Jackson, custody of the kids?

CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": No. And that`s why they came to the agreement last week, you know, so that they could walk into court today and say, "OK. Look -" and the judge knew he had a lot to deal with today.

And so when you have something that all parties agree on, the judge isn`t going to ask any questions. He`s even going to say, "We`ve got a group of lawyers here. Let`s get this taken care of," because Katherine Jackson really wanted to focus on the estate today.

I think it`s ironic that you guys are talking about the value of Michael Jackson, whether it`s $100 million or $2 billion. I mean, $100 million is still $100 million. It`s still a lot of money that we`re talking about here. So they wanted to get the kids out of the way first and then move on to the estate, to focus on that.

HAMMER: Let`s talk about the money thing for a moment, because this really was the one kink that we saw throughout the whole day. And it`s kind of a mystery the judge for some reason refused to grant Katherine all of the money that she had requested to take care of the kids.

She was only given just over 80 percent of what she had asked for. The judge said there was one item that was a large amount and he didn`t think it was necessary.

Lauren, you`re the attorney on duty. Is what happened today normal as far as that`s concerned?

LAUREN LAKE, ATTORNEY: Well, that`s the judge`s job, to review requests and grant them based upon his reasoning that they, you know, fit within the law. And what - my understanding is that there were some duplicate requests, he said.

And so I think they granted almost 83.5, 85 percent of the money. So I mean, that goes to show that pretty much is in line with what he believes to be, you know, legal and appropriate under the circumstances.

But requests that are duplicate? No, it will not be granted because they need to preserve the estate and make sure debtors are paid off, et cetera, and then, also that the money has been, you know, taken care of so that the children can inherit some, and also his mom.

HAMMER: Well, there was another big showdown today with Debbie Rowe and the agreement being signed off on by the lawyer, as Carlos mentioned, that she would not be seeking custody. Katherine Jackson getting custody. She would have visitation.

And Debbie Rowe`s attorney held a little press conference after the hearing. Things were lovey-dovey among everybody there today between the Rowes and the Jackson people. And I couldn`t believe how buddy-buddy it all seemed. And the attorney really seemed to lay it on thick when he gave this press conference. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there to catch it. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ERIC GEORGE, ATTORNEY FOR DEBBIE ROWE: Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Mitch Beckloff approved an agreement making Katherine Jackson the children`s guardian and preserving Debbie Rowe`s parental rights giving her meaningful visitation with the children.

In particular, I want to applaud Debbie Rowe. And today`s agreement shows that she responded with heart, integrity and selflessness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes. It really painted Debbie Rowe there as a bit of a saint in all this. Of course, Debbie has had no part in the lives of 12-year-old Prince Michael and 11-year-old Paris. That said, Carlos, does this drama- free, easygoing custody agreement with Katherine tell you that Debbie Rowe does really have the kids` interest at heart? What do you think is going on here?

DIAZ: I think she does. And I think Debbie Rowe has gotten an unfair amount of flak in this situation. And you know, you can`t comment on the paparazzi until you`ve been in the middle of it.

And I think Debbie Rowe knew that if she fought for these kids or she got these kids in some way, her life would change so drastically - I mean, the paparazzi in her face 24 hours a day, everything changing about her life.

The way it is now, the kids want to be with Katherine. Katherine gets the kids and she still gets to see them, probably more than she`s ever seen them before. It works out for everyone, and that`s why they`re all being so nicey-nice.

HAMMER: Yes. This was really good news and you and I have talked about it from the very beginning, Carlos that this is how it should happen. And we didn`t think that Debbie Rowe was going to go after the kids.

All right. We have to move on to this other big showdown today, because this one comes from the bizarre category. In fact, I couldn`t have even seen this one coming - a real curveball, very bizarre.

Attorney for Michael Jackson`s dermatologist, Dr. Arnold Klein - remember him? The attorney appeared in court today with his own special little request that Dr. Klein wants to be involved in the kids` lives.

He told the judge that he wants to, quote, "in some way be involved in their education and medical care." Well, the judge said, "No way. Next." Now, for the uninitiated, I must remind you that Debbie Rowe met Michael while working for Dr. Klein.

And there is suspicion and has been for some time that Klein may have fathered some of Jackson`s kids. Lauren Lake, won`t this request today simply add to that speculation that Arnold Klein is the father? I mean, how can it not?

LAKE: Absolutely. I mean, if I could just break it down, it`s kind of like, "Dude, what do you have to do with it?" You know, I know the judge just wanted to say that. Now, you`ve said, to your knowledge, you did not donate any sperm and you`re not the father of the children.

But now you want standing in terms of being able to decide their educational and medical situations? This is absolutely ridiculous. And now, all of the beliefs and feelings and suspicions that people have seem a little bit more confirmed. This was weird. This was really weird.

HAMMER: Lauren, here`s another thing I want to ask you about because I found this a little odd, too. You certainly can`t have a showdown in a court without lawyers.

Well, there were over 16 lawyers who were recognized to speak today in court and there were 10 others in court just to watch what was going on. That`s a lot of lawyers in one room, Lauren. How many lawyers does it take to bring a Michael Jackson legal battle to an end? What`s going on there? Is that normal?

LAKE: You would be surprised, yes. With a case of this magnitude, can you imagine the amount of legal work? It has to be delegated and divided amongst lawyers that have expertise in different areas. And truthfully, you know, every side has got to have a team. And this is why you see so many lawyers in one courtroom.

HAMMER: Wow. I`d like to see the receipts for all of these billable hours. Thank you so much, Lauren Lake, Carlos Diaz.

Another big bombshell we`re talking about, Michael Jackson`s mother gives her very first public interview and says she thinks there was some fishy, suspicious, if you will, about Michael`s death. Michael`s mom`s death suspicions. We`ve got her interview and you do not want to miss it, coming up.

Carlos Diaz, Lauren Lake, we will come back to you in just a bit so we can dive into this explosive new revelation.

And as we move on today, I`ve got to tell you. I have covered some pretty bizarre and outrageous things right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. But this one could top them all. Did Ryan O`Neal really hit on his own daughter, Tatum O`Neal, at Farrah Fawcett`s funeral? That`s right.

As Ryan was laying the love of his life to rest, was he trying to make a move on his daughter?

All right. You know, Roseanne Barr is no stranger to controversy. Well, tonight, she is leaving people speechless with a brand-new set of photos posing as Adolf Hitler while baking cookies.

Also this -

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You know that great video of the couple dancing down the aisle during their wedding, the one seen by millions of people? Well, we don`t wish it on them. But what if they split? You have got to see this. Tonight, I`m playing the divorce dance for you. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - here are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

(CAPTION READS: Tom Cruise named best Hollywood vampire of all-time for "Interview with the Vampire.")

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

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HAMMER: People just can`t seem to get enough of this video, the Minnesota wedding where the wedding party, bride and groom and all, danced down the aisle to Chris Brown`s "Forever." Well, the happy couple, Jill and Kevin, are doing something that I just think is terrific.

On their Web site, they`re actually encouraging people to donate to the Sheila Wellstone Institute. This is a charity that was set up in the memory of the wife of a senator. She and her husband, Paul Wellstone, died in a plane crash.

Now, Sheila really worked in domestic violence. And as, of course, you know, Chris Brown admitted to beating Rihanna.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

OK. So we really do hope that Jill and Kevin have a lifetime of bliss, a lifetime of happiness. But what if forever wasn`t, well, forever and they ended up in divorce court? Did you see this? Tonight, it`s the divorce dance.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Oh, that`s fantastic. Really well done. But, wow, that`s harsh. The people over at "IndigoProd.com" say they`re just kidding. In fact, at the end of the video, they wish Jill and Kevin all the best.

As we move on with the Michael Jackson court battle going on today, we`re getting a lot of calls coming into "Showbiz on Call." Michael`s mom in court fighting for Michael`s kids and his estate. We got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Jean Ann in Ohio who thinks Katherine Jackson should be kept away from Michael`s money.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JEAN ANN, CALLER FROM OHIO: I don`t think Michael Jackson`s mother has any business controlling his assets. I think if she gets control, she`ll turn them over to Joe for his projects and the money will be squandered and Michael`s kids will be left with nothing.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: I appreciate your perspective and your call, Jean Ann. We also heard from Laurie in California. Laurie thinks Michael`s mom should get full custody of Michael`s three kids.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

LAURIE, CALLER FROM CALIFORNIA: I feel that Michael Jackson`s mother is the best fit for the children. Number one, the children are already entrenched with the family, having a lot of loved ones surrounding them. And whether she`s 89 or 209, it doesn`t matter. There`s love there. And they should stay.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: And there they will stay as she has received custody. Thank you, Laurie. You call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this or anything else.

The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. The number is 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Leave us a voice mail. We`ll play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We`re posting them, too, right there on our homepage. Just surf on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

Well, this next story is so unbelievable I can barely tell it, but I will. Did Ryan O`Neal really hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett`s funeral? I mean, really, Ryan doing that at the funeral at the love of his life? Unbelievable.

This, however, could be even more outrageous. You`ve got to see these brand-new pictures of Roseanne Barr dressed up as Hitler baking cookies that look like people. What the heck was she thinking?

Also breaking Michael Jackson news, late-breaking developments out of a California courtroom today - Michael`s mom fighting for custody, fighting for his money. And tonight, Michael`s mom speaks out for the very first time since her son`s death, why even she is saying his death was suspicious. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

(CAPTION READS: "Heroes" star Ali Larter weds Hayes McArthur in Kennebunkport, Maine. "Survivor" and "The Amazing Race" stars Rob and Amber become parents to a baby girl.)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: I want to send out a big congrats to Mark Wahlberg and his new wife. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can say that Mark and his longtime girlfriend Rhea Durham got married this past Saturday at the Good Shepherd Catholic Church in Beverly Hills, California.

Mark, who`s 38 and Rhea, who is 31, have been together for eight years now. They have three children together. It was a small ceremony, only about a dozen friends and family.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Well, Mark Wahlberg is a great actor, certainly. And of course, he got started out as a rapper - you know, Marky Mark back in the `90s. And now, he`s also one of the executive producers of HBO`s "Entourage" on which I, A.J. Hammer, appeared on Sunday night. Let`s play it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER (on camera): Box office news. Martin Scorsese`s "Gatsby" is at the top hauling in an impressive $37.8 million and earning rave reviews for its star, Vinny(ph) Chase.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Hey, look, it`s me on ESTV(ph). That`s pretty cool, right? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT featured on HBO`s "Entourage" on Sunday night. Great episode, too. And I would like to thank the entire staff of "Entourage" for including us in the show. Please feel free to call anytime. I`ll be happy to do it again.

If you missed the episode with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, well, it is replaying all this week on HBO.

Tonight, well, I can tell you that an "American Idol" judge has signed on the dotted line for another year on the show, but it is not Paula. Kara DioGuardi who was brought in on this past season is coming back. "Idol`s" creator says Kara is a breath of fresh air. No word on Paula Abdul. And auditions are about to start. Host Ryan Seacrest just signed a contract that`s going to pay him a reported $15 million per year.

Well, I want to head over to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page now. A lot of heated back-and-forths going on about "Jon & Kate Plus 8." Tonight, the first episode aired since Jon and Kate announced they were splitting up.

We heard from Gale S. who writes, "Jon and Kate are behaving `stupidly` and I do mean it! Give it a break - stop using your kids as a meal ticket."

Debbie M. says this about the fight Michael Jackson`s kids, "The children should stay with Katherine only if Joseph (Michael`s father) is not in the picture."

And I`d love to hear from you on Facebook. Also follow us on Twitter. You will get breaking entertainment news alerts. Just sign up for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook and Twitter pages simply by going to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

Now the SHOWBIZ lineup - this is what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Did Ryan O`Neal really hit on his own daughter, Tatum, during Farrah Fawcett`s funeral? I`ve got to tell you, I`m speechless about this.

Also another outrageous new star story. You`ve got to see these pictures of Roseanne Barr dressed up as Hitler baking cookies.

And I have got dramatic details of how Kevin Costner barely escaped death just as he was about to perform with his band in Canada. This is amazing. And this is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

(CAPTION READS: 40th anniversary Woodstock concert canceled due to costs and lack of sponsors. TV Critics Association names "Battlestar Galactica" program of the year.)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, did Ryan O`Neal really hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett`s funeral? Tonight, the disturbing story of how Ryan O`Neal flirted with Tatum O`Neal, and why she wasn`t even surprised.

Why is Roseanne Barr dressed like a Nazi? Brand-new controversy over this photo of Roseanne dressed up as Adolf Hitler. Why the heck did she do it? And does she regret it?

Michael Jackson`s mom speaks out for the first time since his death, why she thinks Michael`s death is suspicious.

Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."

TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.

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Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.

Tonight, Ryan O`Neal hit on his own daughter? Yes, we know that funerals can bring out odd displays of emotion. But I`ve got to tell you, this is pretty ridiculous. Ryan O`Neal making a shocking revelation about his behavior at the funeral of Farrah Fawcett who, of course, just died in June of cancer.

Get this - he tells "Vanity Fair" that he actually hit on his own daughter, actress Tatum O`Neal, at Farrah`s funeral. Sure, it was a case of mistaken identity. But still, it`s kind of creepy. And it`s certainly the latest sign that in Hollywood, which is full of dysfunctional families, Ryan O`Neal and his kids really do put the "strange" in estranged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

(voice-over): He`s fired a gun at one child, publicly feuded with almost all of his others. Now, as Ryan O`Neal mourns the death of his long-time love, Farrah Fawcett, he`s adding a doozy to his already questionable father of the year credentials.

In a new "Vanity Fair" article, O`Neal reveals that he`s so cut off from his children, he didn`t recognize his own daughter, actress Tatum O`Neal, at Farrah`s funeral. And he actually tried to flirt with her.

LESLIE BENNETTS, WROTE "VANITY FAIR" ARTICLE: Ryan was just telling me this as a funny story, I think.

HAMMER: "Vanity Fair`s" Leslie Bennett who interviewed O`Neal and his children for this explosive cover story, was blown away by O`Neal`s juicy anecdotes.

BENNETTS: My jaw was dropping over and over again.

HAMMER: In "Vanity Fair," Ryan describes that creepy little father- daughter moment. He says, quote, "I had just put the casket in the hearse and I was watching it drive away when a beautiful blonde woman comes up and embraces me. I said, `You have a drink on you? You have a car?` She said, `Daddy, it`s me, Tatum!`"

BENNETTS: I think he was kind of shell-shocked at the funeral.

HAMMER: Tatum O`Neal, who won an Oscar at age 10 for starring in "Paper Moon" opposite her father, confirms her dad`s funeral flirtations. She tells "Vanity Fair," quote, "It had been a few years since we`d seen each other, and he was always a ladies` man, a bon vivant."

BENNETTS: She said to me, "That`s my relationship with my father in a nutshell. Make of it what you will."

HAMMER: Tatum might be the only one taking that weird encounter in stride. This tongue-and-cheek "New York Post" headline reads, quote, "Ryan Tried to Get Tatum to Date `Im."

"The View`s" Joy Behar was shocked, too.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Who does he think he is? Woody Allen. I mean, come on.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, how in the world can a father`s relationship with his children get so bad he can mistake his own daughter for just another attractive blonde?

For that answer, we`ll have to take a look at the Ryan O`Neal family album. Tatum and Ryan haven`t been on the best of terms since Tatum wrote a tell-all book that, among other things, detailed her and her father`s extensive history with drugs and abuse.

BENNETT: He did call Tatum a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) when the subject of the book came up. He was very angry that she had written about the family.

HAMMER: Ryan has had an even worse relationship with his son, Griffin. He allegedly fired a gun at Griffin during a 2007 domestic argument.

RYAN O`NEAL, ACTOR: In the last couple of years, I love her more than I ever have loved her just by how she deals with this.

HAMMER: Now, Griffin is making a shocking new accusation about his father`s relationship with Fawcett which was documented in a heartbreaking documentary, "Farrah`s Story."

BENNETTS: Griffin accuses his father of only having helped Farrah at the end because he wanted her money. This is a charge that outraged Ryan.

HAMMER: Griffin tells "Vanity Fair" his father is, quote, "a narcissistic psychopath and a vulture presiding over a carcass." Ryan had Griffin banned from Farrah`s funeral. But Griffin showed up anyway and talked to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

GRIFFIN O`NEAL, RYAN O`NEAL`S SON: My dad thought that there was a big payday coming. I think he`s afraid of me because I know the truth about what happened in the end.

HAMMER: And finally, there`s O`Neal`s youngest son, Redmond, his only child with Farrah Fawcett and the only of his four children that he still talks to. Redmond is currently locked up on drug-related charges.

BENNETTS: I think Ryan feels a lot of guilt and a lot of responsibility for trying to help Redmond.

HAMMER: Now that his parental history includes fighting with one kid and hitting on another, O`Neal is acknowledging the obvious. He tells "Vanity Fair," quote, "I don`t think I was supposed to be a father. Just look around at my work - they`re either in jail or they should be."

BENNETTS: He said, "I used to be in touch with my kids and I was miserable. And now I`m not in touch with them, and I`ve never been happier."

HAMMER: Proof that the death of Farrah Fawcett is far from the only tragedy in Ryan O`Neal`s life.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

"Vanity Fair`s" interview with Ryan O`Neal and his children appears in the September issue. And be sure to check out the alternate cover story featuring Michael Jackson.

So does it get any stranger than Ryan O`Neal saying he hit on his own daughter at Farrah Fawcett`s funeral? I don`t think so.

Joining me tonight from Hollywood is Carlos Diaz, a correspondent for "Extra," and Lauren Lake, who`s an attorney and author of the book, "Girl! Let Me Tell You."

Now, I think we can certainly all agree that it is strange for Ryan O`Neal to be flirting with anyone, let alone his own daughter, at Farrah`s funeral.

Here`s what I don`t understand. This truly has me stumped. I`m going to you first, Lauren. Why on earth would Ryan admit to this thing in an interview with "Vanity Fair" magazine?

LAKE: I cannot believe he admitted to this. In conversation, and added on, "I put the hearse - I put the casket in the hearse, let it drive away. And then I started flirting with my own daughter."

Ryan, this is not a good look. You have issues. And I mean really, this is shocking. This is depressing. And I mean, it`s just sad all the way around for these kids to have a father that`s treating them this way.

HAMMER: And the fact that he`s talking about it, clearly, he does not care what people think about him. Carlos, obviously, this is mind-boggling. But the fact he couldn`t recognize his own daughter, Tatum, really does say a lot about the high level of his dysfunction with his own children. It really is sad, isn`t it?

DIAZ: Yes, A.J. It was a really unusual funeral going in. I mean, you had Griffin outside, you know, talking to the press about why he wasn`t let in. I was actually at the funeral. I was inside.

You know me, I`d love to make fun of this. I`d love to have a lot of fun with this. But in all honesty, after that happened and I saw it happen, Ryan O`Neal walked back behind a wall and sat down on a bench just totally by himself and had a moment where he kind of broke down by himself.

So I don`t want - he wasn`t like, "Hey, I`m hitting on everybody." I mean, he was still very hurt by the loss of Farrah. It was just one of those situations where - I don`t want to paint a picture of him being wild and crazy. He really was grief-stricken by the loss of Farrah at this funeral.

HAMMER: Yes. So tell me, Carlos, you witnessed Ryan O`Neal and this embrace with Tatum. Give us a little description of what that looked like.

DIAZ: But it wasn`t - there was media across the street. There was a lot of confusion going on. It was a private ceremony inside. But when we all walked out together, it was really pandemonium, people shouting from across the street. You`ve got cops everywhere, flashbulbs going off.

So obviously, you know, it wasn`t a situation where it was very calm, you know. There was a lot of confusion going on. So immediately after he did that, he sat down and had a moment by himself. So, you know, give the guy credit. I mean, cut him some slack here, I should say.

HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing. I mean, that gives really important perspective because, honestly, when you hear those words, how can you think it is anything but completely bizarre and, quite frankly, wacky? I mean, truly, and thank you for that perspective, Carlos.

I want to move on right now, because also making big news right now, Katherine Jackson`s very first interview since her son`s death. Just today, Katherine was named permanent guardian of Michael`s three children. But last night, she phoned into Geraldo Rivera`s show.

And for the first time, Katherine is now saying what a lot of other people are saying, and what we know investigators are looking into, that there is something suspicious about Michael Jackson`s death. Listen to this -

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

KATHERINE JACKSON, MOTHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: All I know is that my son is dead and I don`t think he just died of natural causes or whatever. He was too young for that, but something happened. I don`t know what it was, and I can`t say.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: "And I can`t say" - let`s not forget that while the official autopsy results are still a secret, the Jackson family did have a private autopsy done. Lauren, would you bet that she does know something that we don`t, at this point?

LAKE: Well, I feel like there is probably information circulating in the family that, of course, we don`t know yet. And her, you know, suspicions as a mother, I think, are well-founded in the sense that that`s her baby. And we know that she`s biased.

And so we know that she`s going to be looking for any other reason to make sure there`s nothing bad that happened to her child or no foul play. But whether or not this is going to be true or whether the evidence proves it to be true is yet to be seen.

HAMMER: And we are still waiting for that autopsy results. And it will be interesting to see if any of the Jackson family members speak about that private autopsy. Carlos Diaz, Lauren Lake, thanks so much, guys. I appreciate it.

I`ve got to say I`ve always thought Roseanne Barr is a funny lady. But I`ve got to tell you there is absolutely nothing funny about her brand- new photo as a Nazi.

Tonight, brand-new outrage over Roseanne`s controversial photo shoot as Adolf Hitler baking cookies shaped as people. I`ve got to tell you, people are absolutely fired up over this. Why did she do it and why Roseanne says she doesn`t regret it?

We`ve also got this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BURKE, MODEL: I just really would appreciate it if everybody can respect my privacy. It`s a hard time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Brand-new Jude Law baby drama. The model Jude Law got pregnant speaks out for the very first time. Tonight, why she`s defending Jude and telling the world, "Leave me alone."

And Kevin Costner`s dramatic brush with death. Brand-new details of how he survived the sudden stage collapse in Canada. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

Now, it`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

(CAPTION READS: Britney Spears` ex Kevin Federline spotted shooting new reality show pilot in Las Vegas. Dustin "Screech" Diamond`s "Saved by the Bell" tell-all to be published.)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

Tonight, the outrageous Roseanne-Hitler picture. Why in the world is Roseanne Barr posing as Hitler? Well, it`s just one of the brand-new stories breaking right now.

I want you to take a look at this outrageous photo. This is in the brand-new issue of the Jewish humor magazine called "Heeb." That`s Roseanne, posing as Hitler, mustache and all, holding a pan of burnt cookies the magazine calls Jew cookies.

And in another photo, the comedienne is actually taking a bite out of one of the cookies. I`ve got to wonder what the heck she`s thinking.

Also new, right now, hey, Jude Law, it`s your baby. The mother of Law`s fourth child is speaking out, holding her very own press conference and she is saying she wants her privacy back.

Joining me tonight in New York is Steven Smith who is a music and pop culture expert. Also in New York, Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."

Let`s begin with the brand-new pictures of Roseanne Barr. She`s Jewish. She`s posing as Hitler holding this pan of burnt cookies that the satire magazine, "Heeb," calls "Jew cookies." Well, in the next photo, Roseanne is wearing a swastika and she looks like she`s going to take a bite out of one of the cookies.

Carolina, to you first. Is any of this funny to you?

CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Not in any way, shape or form, A.J. This is a disgusting and tacky plea for attention. I don`t know who`s worse here - the magazine editors who allowed this to happen or Roseanne and her judgment for thinking this was, in any way, shape or form, funny.

I don`t find this humorous. I don`t find it educational. I don`t know where she was trying to go with this. And to be quite honest with you, I don`t understand how she can, as a Jewish woman herself, feel that she is bringing this to the forefront when there are millions of people who have been affected by this and who still feel that pain every single day. It`s disgusting.

HAMMER: Yes. Well, hold on just a moment, because she does, in her own strange way, try to justify it. I`ll read you that in just a moment.

The ladies of "The View" also fired up over Roseanne`s new picture this morning. And comedienne Joy Behar said that she thinks Roseanne did cross the line but not because she posed as Hitler. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BEHAR: The comedian needs to know the line to cross. She crossed it, because it`s not funny. That`s not funny. The other part is, with her with the mustache - that`s funny.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Steven, are you with Joy or do you think the whole thing is just damn offensive?

STEVEN SMITH, POP CULTURE AND MUSIC EXPERT: I`m with Joy because Mel Brooks has often made fun of Hitler. South Park has made fun of Hitler. A joke has to be taken in context. Roseanne`s context is just shock value. She didn`t do this to be funny. She did this to get her name back out in the news. That`s the only reason for it.

HAMMER: Yes. And I don`t think there`s any excuse for this. But as I said, Roseanne is defending her pictures. Let me read what she wrote in her brand-new blog on her Web site today. She says she`s being misunderstood.

This is what she`s saying, "I portray him being very proud of his burnt cookies, because in his last words, he was proudly congratulating himself for killing so many Jews. He killed my whole family, it is true, but he is also dead, and I a Jewish woman, still alive to make fun of him and I will continue to make fun of the little runt for the rest of my life!"

HAMMER: Now, the ladies of "The View" made a great point this morning about how Roseanne`s photo could actually open up a whole Pandora`s Box. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Sometimes people make fun of themselves. And I wouldn`t do anything like that. But she`s going, "I`m a Jew so I can do it."

BEHAR: Well, it`s acceptable that you can do it. And you are of that group.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": But it`s dangerous. Because what happens is that it opens the door. And we have this discussion before about, you know, kind of claiming your ethnicity or your ground and using it as a form of, you know, joke and laugh, may be fine. But what it does, then, I think is open up the door for other people to do the same who may not be in that group.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes. To Elisabeth`s point, Carolina, do you think that Roseanne would still find it funny if someone who wasn`t Jewish posed for the same pictures? I mean, come on.

BERMUDEZ: No way, no way. You would hear - she would on that blog faster than you could even turn your computer on. That`s the funny part about this. You know, Roseanne is - it`s almost like she`s been hypocritical about this. And I don`t think that there is anything humorous about this tragic event that happened in history at all. She crossed the line. Nothing funny about it. I don`t see where they`re going with this.

HAMMER: All right. Let`s move on to something completely different. It`s the news that superstar actor Jude Law`s gotten a model pregnant. Now, we just named - her name is Samantha Burke. In a brand-new press conference from Pensacola, Florida, Burke is coming forward with her attorney to defend the father of her unborn child. Take a look at this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SAMANTHA BURKE`S ATTORNEY: Samantha, her mom and her family can affirm that Jude has been responsive and supportive throughout the relationship and pregnancy, and know that he will remain so as a father once baby Sophia is born. Jude and Samantha remain committed to the health and well -being of this child.

BURKE: I really would appreciate it if everybody could respect my privacy. It`s a hard time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right. Separate from the request for privacy, Steven, what do you think? Are Jude and Samantha kind of paving the way, you know, for the right way to handle scandal? Everybody`s playing so nice here. It`s unprecedented.

SMITH: I think the best way to ask for privacy is to hold a press conference. Seriously, that was insane. And I don`t know if they`re paving the right way for scandal. I do think they`re paving the right way for more sex education in schools.

I mean, didn`t they know what they were doing when they got into this? I mean, it`s very simple. Roll it on, Jude. No, come on. Having a press conference for that kind of thing - that just draws attention to it.

HAMMER: All right. Sex education on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT courtesy of Steven Smith, thank you so much, and Carolina Bermudez. I appreciate you both being here.

Well, I`ve got to say Kevin Costner has to be thanking his lucky stars to be alive today. This is unbelievable. The "Dances with Wolves" star was actually about to take the stage during that dramatic stage collapse that happened up in Canada over the weekend. You`re not going to believe this story of Kevin Costner`s brush with death. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

(CAPTION READS: Steven Spielberg to direct remake of "Harvey" and will begin filming next year. Adam Sandler`s "Funny People" tops box office with estimated $23.4 million debut.)

And now, Hollywood`s A-List. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Hollywood`s biggest stars. This fall, George Lopez will become the very first Latino to host his own late-night talk show. Lopez tonight will be up against all the big late night talk shows. And that means George Lopez is on top of Hollywood`s A-List. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT his show will definitely be different.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

GEORGE LOPEZ, COMEDIAN: It is a place now, I think, for a talk show that is - encompasses - to be diverse, right? To be inclusive, to not to be edgy with what`s going on in the news. You know, Professor Gates - there`s almost like there`s so much that happened before November 9th with Barack and Hugo Chavez and Castro and Professor Gates and having a beer at the White House. I mean, those are gems. What am I doing on the sideline?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: "Lopez Tonight" debuts in November on TBS.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, Kevin Costner`s dramatic brush with death. On Saturday, Costner and his band, Modern West, were just moments away from stepping on the stage at a country music festival in Alberta, Canada when a severe storm passed through the area.

Well, suddenly, a giant gust of wind caused the stage to collapse. Look at that. 75 people were injured. One person was killed. Costner and his band were trapped under the debris. Luckily, Costner escaped uninjured and two of his band members escaped with only minor injuries.

Costner did stay at the event to see if other people were OK. And in a statement to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Costner`s spokesperson said, "We are so saddened by the loss of life and injury that occurred on a day that carried so much promise but turned so wicked so quickly. We hope to return to Alberta in the future to help with the healing."

Well, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" made its big return to TV tonight. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "`Jon and Kate Plus 8`: Should the show be canceled?" Not a lot of support for them here - 91 percent of you say yes, cancel it; nine percent say no.

Some of the E-mails we received includes one from Melissa from Rhode Island who writes, "Jon and Kate would not be putting their family first. By continuing on with the show, more damage will be done in the long run than good."

Liz from Texas writing, "The show should not be canceled. We live in the 21st century, not the 1950s. We don`t need to paint a pretty picture on TV. After all, `Jon & Kate Plus 8` is a reality show."

People are also weighing in on the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines. They`re saying the "Jon & Kate Plus 8" should be canceled.

Brenda from Tennessee says it`s just not a family show anymore.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

BRENDA, CALLER FROM TENNESSEE: I think the show should be canceled because the family`s not together anymore, and it`s not really a family setting, a show that I enjoy to watch. So I think they should, since they`re going their separate ways. Please give the kids a break.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: Thanks, Brenda. We also got a call from Donna in Ohio who says the divorce just ruins the show.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

DONNA, CALLER FROM OHIO: As far as Jon and Kate, the show should be canceled. It`s no longer Jon and Kate. They`re getting a divorce. We deserve to see what is real, as far as a happy family, which they`re supposed to be. I don`t watch them anymore.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

Thank you for your call. And thank you for watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And keep in mind, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and we`re on in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN.

END