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Showbiz Tonight

John Edwards`s New Baby Drama; Is Jessica Simpson Having a Bad Year?; Jennifer Aniston-Megan Fox Smackdown; Paula Abdul and Kate Gosselin Smackdown; Beyonce`s Tear-Jerking Tribute to a Girl with Leukemia; How Heidi Klum Rocked the Emmys

Aired September 21, 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: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the unbelievable Jennifer-Megan smackdown - Jennifer Aniston, Megan Fox. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the incredible true story of why both of them may have woken up this morning thinking, "What the heck hit me?" And how did that happen?

John Edwards`s brand new baby drama. A startling new report that says Edwards may finally fess up to being the daddy of a love child. And the incredible connection between Edwards` affair and a brand-new blockbuster TV show. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with today`s brand new, jaw-dropping claims in the John Edwards baby drama.

Plus, Heidi Klum, eight months pregnant and the talk of the Emmys. How Heidi rocked the red carpet.

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, stranger than fiction. Talk about timing. We were all on pins and needles today waiting to find out if John Edwards was really going to finally admit he is the father of the baby born to his mistress.

There`s an explosive new report Edwards is going to finally fess up. And it comes just one day before CBS introduces a new primetime drama called "The Good Wife." The show is all about a politician who`s also caught with his pants down, so to speak and how his wife handles it.

And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that the timing of the show and the new report about Edwards led to big news breaking today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS NOTH, ACTOR (as Peter Florrick): I need to atone to my personal failings with my wife, Alicia, and my two children.

HAMMER (voice-over): This week we are seeing the debut of "The Good Wife," a TV drama about a couple torn apart by a politician husband`s sex scandal.

NOTH: Hey, you`re a good wife.

HAMMER: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this TV drama has nothing on the real-life sex scandal of former presidential candidate John Edwards.

KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": What`s going on in real life with politicians is actually a lot juicier especially considering the news about John Edwards that`s just coming out this week.

HAMMER: What does the Edwards drama have that this TV drama doesn`t? Well, how about a paternity issue that, according to brand-new reports, is about to explode again and a betrayed wife who is dying of cancer.

And according to new reports, even the Dave Matthew`s band is involved.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the John Edwards scandal shows us when it comes to a good sex scandal, Hollywood can`t touch real life.

SERAFIN: They always say art imitates life and this is a prime example of that.

HAMMER: Various reports over the weekend suggest John Edwards is very close to finally admitting that the baby born to Rielle Hunter, the woman Edwards had an affair with during his presidential campaign, is really his child.

JOHN EDWARDS, FORMER PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE: In 2006, two years ago, I made a very serious mistake.

HAMMER: Last year, when he finally confessed to the affair on "Nightline" after spending months denying it, Edwards said there`s no way the baby could be his.

J. EDWARDS: I know it`s not possible that this child could be mine because of the timing of events. So I know it`s not possible.

HAMMER: To make matters even worse, a recent "New York Times" article features a jaw-dropping claim about Edwards` affair with Hunter. In a book proposal, a former aide to Edwards claims that during their affair, Edwards promised Hunter he`d marry her after his wife, Elizabeth, died and that the Dave Matthews band would play at their wedding.

SERAFIN: I`m not sure how Dave Matthews and the Dave Matthews Band feels about being pulled into all of this.

HAMMER: Kim Serafin of "In Touch Weekly" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, that Dave Matthew`s allegation, whether true or not, strikes a chord with those who have been following the Edwards` drama.

SERAFIN: It just seems to typical of a cheating guy, "Oh, I`ll make it up to you. I`ll buy you a diamond ring. I`ll buy you roses. You can take my credit card and go shopping. The Dave Matthews band will play at our wedding."

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You know what I don`t get? Why you stood by him. I would have stuck a knife in his heart.

HAMMER: On "The Good Wife," the husband`s scandal forces Julianna Margulies` character to go back to work.

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Hey, I`ve seen very prominent (INAUDIBLE). But hey, if she can do it, so can you.

HAMMER: But in the Edwards` drama, Elizabeth Edwards in a more desperate situation. She`s battling terminal cancer.

ELIZABETH EDWARDS, WIFE OF JOHN EDWARDS: I think it is a betrayal. And I think John thinks that it is.

HAMMER: On "LARRY KING LIVE," back in May, Larry King asked Elizabeth Edwards why she stays with her husband.

E. EDWARDS: A marriage is - we all know this. It`s hard work. You put it together and you work very hard on it. And parts that come in, good and bad, include, for John, that he is an extraordinarily good man.

JULIANNA MARGULIES, ACTRESS: So quick to judge these women. I know I was.

HAMMER: On "Regis and Kelly" this morning, the star of "The Good Wife," Julianna Margulies, expressed sympathy for political wives in Elizabeth Edwards` situation.

MARGULIES: Until you`re in their shoes, you don`t know. And I think you forget also there`s children involved and a family. And we have no idea who goes on behind closed doors.

HAMMER: Which is the biggest difference between "The Good Wife" and the Edwards scandal. Only one of them involves real people and real heartache.

SERAFIN: It`s just really sat and it`s a real tragedy, not a comedy, not a primetime drama. It`s just a tragedy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes, sad indeed. While there are a lot of connections between the Edwards baby drama and "The Good Wife," not everything`s the same.

Joining me in Hollywood tonight is Carlos Diaz, who is a correspondent for "Extra." Also joining me tonight in New York is Lauren Lake, who is an attorney and author of the brand-new book, "Girl, Let Me Tell You."

So Elizabeth Edwards has stayed with John Edwards despite his cheating. And in the TV series, "The Good Wife," which debuts on Tuesday, Julianna Margulies` character starts over after her husband`s sex scandal.

Carlos, if John Edwards winds up confessing to being the father of his lover`s baby, I`m guessing a lot of people are going to say, "Elizabeth, you have got to leave him."

CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": Let`s make one thing perfectly clear. John Edwards is scum, OK? He defines the word "scum." Elizabeth Edwards deserves a medal for how she`s handled this. If she was not facing terminal cancer, I would say, "Dump his butt. Go around the country and talk about how much scum he really is."

But how much longer does she have? And does she want to spend her last days on this planet with hate, with, you know, wanting to dump this guy? She`s been so amazing thus far.

Why not keep that incredible attitude going and just fill your life with love and just, you know, blow him off for the jerk that he is and spend time, you know, focusing on your own kids. She has been unbelievable through all this. She has been unbelievable through all this.

HAMMER: Yes. Though I agree 100 percent, Carlos, with what you`re saying, I have a feeling a lot of people out there, looking at it from the sidelines are thinking, "At least lighten the load for whatever time you have left."

This morning, Julianna Margulies on "Regis and Kelly" - she`s promoting "The Good Wife." And you`ve got to hear what she said today that sometimes people just jump to conclusions when they see the wives of unfaithful politicians standing by their men. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARGULIES: I think everyone`s so quick to judge these women. I know I was. I really was. I was like, you know, "Don`t stand there. What are you doing?" But until you`re in their shoes, you don`t know. And I think you forget also there`s also children involved and a family. And we have no idea what goes on behind closed doors.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All true again. And children are involved here. John and Elizabeth Edwards have three kids together. Lauren Lake, let me ask you, despite that, if John Edwards does turn out to be the daddy, do you think Elizabeth should leave him?

LAUREN LAKE, ATTORNEY: Absolutely not. I think Elizabeth has earned the right to have one thing and one thing only on her mind, which is how to live another day and live it well. Having lost my mother to breast cancer, I don`t play all this armchair-quarterbacking of what she should or should not do. She needs to enjoy her days the way she sees fit. And everybody else needs to sit down and shut up.

HAMMER: Well said. All right. Let`s move on. Another big story SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has been tracking all day - John Travolta`s agony. A trial began in the Bahamas today. This is just such a hideous story.

Two people accused of trying to extort millions of dollars from the Travoltas after their son died. I want to roll out the SHOWBIZ newsline here. It was January 2nd when Travolta`s 16-year-old son, Jett, died in the Bahamas after suffering a seizure.

January 23rd, two people are accused of demanding $25 million from Travolta over secret documents related to how his son died. And today, the trial begins. Travolta`s expected to testify at the trial.

It is only now that the devastated Travolta family has been slowly reemerging publicly. We`ve been seeing them in sort of dribs and drabs recently. And my heart goes out to them. It has since the start of this whole thing.

Carlos, I would have to imagine that having to relive this in such a public way is going to devastate them all over again.

DIAZ: You know, every celebrity out there that has felt the sting of extortion needs, you know, to salute John Travolta, because he`s not doing this in his backyard. He`s going to get on a plane - probably fly the plane down to the Bahamas, and then, like you say, have to relive his son`s death when anyone would give him a free pass to say, "You know what, John? You`ve been through a lot. We don`t expect you to do this."

But it just goes to show what kind of amazing person John Travolta really is where he`s saying to these people, "You`re not going to get away with this."

HAMMER: No, I agree with you on that. But Lauren Lake, I want to get your take as the attorney. You know, give me insight here. Do they really have to put Travolta through the agony all over again and have him testify to make the case?

LAKE: Well, I`m sure that they talked it over with him and said, "Are you prepared for this? Are you up for this?" And he said yes. That all depends on the evidence. But you know, let`s be honest. If they have a whole bunch of circumstantial evidence, testimony from Travolta is going to matter. So I think by him coming back - I think that it was crucial to the case and that`s why he`s doing it.

HAMMER: And perhaps, just perhaps he gets through this, he puts his own effort into getting through this and have closure and start moving on with their lives. Carlos Diaz, Lauren Lake, thanks so much, guys.

All right. It`s a Paula Abdul-Kate Gosselin smackdown tonight. Paula and Kate going head to head in a battle of epic proportions. But who won and why? Well, I have got the answers.

Also, the Jennifer Aniston-Megan Fox smackdown. Why both of them probably woke up this morning wondering, "What the heck just hit me?"

And is Jessica Simpson having the worst year ever? Her dog, gone. Her boyfriend, gone. Kind of sounds like a bad country song. And then, there were those mom jeans. Poor Jess. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

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

TEXT: "30 Rock" wins the Emmy for comedy series; "Mad Men" for drama series. Kristin Chenoweth wins supporting actress Emmy for her role on "Pushing Daisies."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KRISTIN CHENOWETH, ACTRESS: Maybe they should have honored somebody that`s chose to go on. But I think the fact that the academy just recognized something that touched a lot of people and I`m just so happy for our show.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Jessica`s very bad year. Jessica Simpson just ended her heartbreaking, week-long search for her beloved Malti-poo, Daisy, who was snatched by a coyote last Tuesday.

But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal this was yet another tough blow for Jessica in what really has been a terrible year for her.

Let`s fire up the SHOWBIZ news line. Back in January, Jessica wears high-waisted jeans at a concert. It launches a million mean headlines calling her fat. In February, Jessica burst into tears and has a mini- meltdown after forgetting the lyrics to her own song at her own concert.

And then, in July, on the night before her 29th birthday, Jessica gets dumped by her boyfriend, Dallas Cowboys` quarterback, Tony Romo, and that`s got to hurt.

With me here in New York is Megan Alexander. She`s a correspondent for "Inside Edition." In Hollywood tonight is Hyla. He`s an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com."

All right. Megan, let me go to you first. I just laid it all out. Really a bad, bad year for Jessica. You`ve got to feel sorry for her.

MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": I do, A.J. Part of me wants to say, "Jessica, keep doing what you`re doing, though, because this is great material for country music." She got dumped by her man. She`s battling weight issues and she lost her dog. And I love country music. She should keep going.

On the other hand, people are not that forgiving. You can only forget the lyrics once or twice, A.J. She needs to get it together. This has happened too much.

HAMMER: Yes. Hyla, let me ask you because I do feel badly for her. But there are a lot of people out there who say, "You know what? She kind of brings a lot of it on herself. Where`s your sympathy level."

HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, 5DOLLARPREP.COM: Oh, absolutely. I want to take you back. You know what? This all started - this is karma for Nick Lachey. This is her dumping one of the greatest husbands in the world, a guy willing to move his own stuff.

He put up with all her crazy little things and then dumps the guy. He didn`t even let the guy see her on Thanksgiving. This is karma coming back to bite her in the mom jeans butt.

HAMMER: Hah. Interesting theory there. And it seemed, you know, as the year was moving on, Jessica, perhaps, was starting to bounce back from getting dumped by Tony Romo back in July.

But you know, she`s a Texan. She`s still a huge Cowboys fan even though he dumped her. And last night, just before the Dallas Cowboys` game, kicking off their new season in a new stadium on nationwide TV, Jessica went to Twitter, sent this out on her Twitter page, "First home game of the season in the new stadium. Go Cowboys."

Now, you all remember when diehard Cowboys fans were calling Jessica a jinx when she was dating Tony Romo. Well, even though, they`re split, there are some people online today who were actually blaming her for the Cowboys` season opening loss last night.

Megan, why do you think that people think it`s OK to be mean to Jessica like this? It`s not true. She didn`t jinx them.

ALEXANDER: Well, I lived in Texas. Those Texas fans - they`re tried and true. So I think you`ve got to be careful here, Jessica. I think she needs to take a break, A.J., go into hiatus, collect herself, think about who she wants to be.

And you know, once a Cowboys fan, always a Cowboys fan. If anybody thinks that she`s messing with the Cowboys, that`s something she doesn`t want to get in front of, so I would back off.

HAMMER: Yes. Maybe just in secret, she`s at home with a crystal ball putting a voodoo on them or something like that.

However, it`s not all been bad news. Very high note for Jessica, a very successful fashion line she has in Macy`s. She did this big star- studded commercial to help her promote the brand, even making fun of her own dumb image and her recent breakup.

Hyla, are you with me hoping by Christmas, perhaps Jessica is going to have, you know, a new man in her Christmas stocking and some more good news?

HYLA: I hope so. I mean, the ball`s in her court. It`s up to her. Don`t date at athletes. They all cheat. We know this. Don`t wear something called mom jeans. You`re not going to make good in them. It`s decisions she`s making. It`s up for her. I want her to be successful for the rest of the year.

HAMMER: Meagan, if she takes your advice, goes on a little hiatus, do you think it`s good news for Jessica from here on out?

ALEXANDER: America loves a comeback. You`ve just got to be ready for it. So we`re crossing our fingers for her. Take your time, Jessica. Do it right.

HAMMER: Do it right, Jessica. Meagan Alexander, Hyla, thanks, guys. I do appreciate you being with us tonight.

Well, I`ve got to tell you the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have simply been getting jammed up. So many people have been calling in about whether Kate Gosselin is exploiting her children.

In fact, I can tell you our "Showbiz on Call" operators - they`ve contacted me to let me know they feel exploited themselves, working 12-hour days, no breaks, fielding all those calls from outraged SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers.

We`ve got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Lisa in Pennsylvania. Lisa says Kate needs to shut up and stay home.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I just think that she should be staying at home and being a parent. There are children. There are a lot of people out there who have many children. I don`t think they need to exploit their children in order to make money. I think she should just go ahead and live a normal life like everybody else.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: I`m right there with you. All right. Lisa, thanks for your call. We also heard from Jennifer who called in to "Showbiz on Call" from Florida who says Kate is just trying to support her family.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: People keep saying stuff about she`s exploiting her children. Anybody who`s got any kids - they would be doing the same thing. She`s not exploiting those kids. She has eight kids. She needs to take care of them somehow. You know she can`t take care of them without that TV show.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right, Jennifer. I appreciate your call as well. Please do remember the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines - they are open all the time. Why don`t you give us a buzz at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.

If you thought about doing it but never done it, do it now. Leave us a voicemail. We`ll play your call here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And we`ll post it, too. Your calls to "Showbiz on Call" are online our homepage, and that is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

Well, I can now tell you that Kate Gosselin is facing some opposition that goes way beyond what we`ve been hearing on the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines. Tonight, the Paula Abdul-Kate Gosselin smackdown - their big battle. But who won and why?

Also, Beyonce`s emotional tribute to an 11-year-old girl who has leukemia. I`m going to play this whole thing for you. But here`s a fair warning - grab a box of Kleenex because it is going to leave you in tears.

And Heidi Klum, the talk at the red carpet of the Emmys. Eight months pregnant and looking fantastic. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

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

TEXT: Glenn Close wins lead actress Emmy for second year in a row for "Damages." "Survivor" host Jeff Probst wins Emmy for outstanding reality show host.

JEFF PROBST, HOST, "SURVIVOR": You know, you win and then you get whisked into this plethora of interviews. And you`re really - you`re kind of figuring it out as you`re talking. As I`m talking to you, I`m still kind of figuring out what it feels like.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with some more stories that are making news right now.

Tonight, it`s the attack of the former "American Idol" contestant. Season six contestant Chris Sligh has a message for the season 8 finalists and it`s not pretty.

On his Web site, Chris writes, quote, "You`re not going to be successful. You`re not going to be millionaires. You are going to struggle. No one will care about you. Those fans who have been asking for your autograph all tour long, 98 percent of them don`t give a flying poo about you once next season of `Idol` starts. Your days of being a star are over. But that`s all right - so are mine."

Chris goes on to say that even though he`s not a star anymore, what`s awesome is he is playing music for a living, but he says it is hard work.

HAMMER: Now, on to the always hilarious, always outrageous Kathy Griffin. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Kathy on the red carpet at one of the Emmy after-parties. So we had to get her take on "30 Rock" winning again for outstanding comedy series and Alec Baldwin taking up the win for outstanding lead actor in a comedy series.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE: Alec Baldwin is very funny - very consistently funny and also a little bit crazy. So he`s got a funny mix. And that`s how they are on "30 Rock."

I do not know how Tina keeps those guys in line, because you have Tracy Morgan who`s crazy. Like minute Tracy walked out tonight, the whole audience was like, "Uh-oh. Does he have the ankle bracelet on? Is he going to get a DUI on the way home?"

And then, when Alec walks out - same thing. People are like, "OK. Is he going to get into a fistfight with somebody? What`s going to happen?" And those are my favorite moments.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, Kathy herself, of course, has won two Emmys for her reality show, "My Life on the D-List."

We have a cougar alert tonight. The SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page is roaring with comments about Hulk Hogan`s 50-year-old ex-wife, Linda, and her 20-year-old boyfriend.

Donna R. writing, "Talk about the ick factor. Linda, are you so insecure that you do not feel a real man would want you? Wake up, lady, this boy toy will be taking you for all you`re worth. What comes around goes around."

But Bernice A. writes, "Way to go, Linda. Men have been doing this for years. So what is the difference if a woman does it?"

I`d love to hear from you on Facebook. Also, follow us on Twitter for breaking entertainment news alerts. Sign up for our Facebook and Twitter pages at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

Here now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what we`ve got coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

It`s the Jennifer Aniston-Megan Fox smackdown. Why these two Hollywood beauties had the worst weekend ever.

And the Paula Abdul-Kate Gosselin smackdown - their big battle. Who won and why?

And Mariah Carey with a brand-new attack on Eminem. I have to ask, why can`t she just let it go? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

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

TEXT: "The Amazing Race" wins Emmy for outstanding reality competition program. Emmys had one million more viewers than last year, best ratings in three years.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jennifer Aniston, Megan Fox. They`re gorgeous. They`re huge stars. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals why they had the worst weekend ever. It`s the Aniston-Fox smackdown.

Also the brand new Paula Abdul-Kate Gosselin smackdown. They`re both big reality stars. They`re both looking for work. Tonight, who won this battle and why?

Beyonce`s tear-jerking tribute to an 11-year-old battling leukemia. It is so emotional and I`m playing it for you.

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

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

(MUSIC PLAYING)

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

Tonight, it is the Jen and Megan smackdown. Both Jennifer Aniston and Megan Fox may have had the worse weekends ever. I mean, they must have woken up this morning with raging headaches and deep regrets.

Why, you ask? No, not because one of them had a bad one-night stand. Because both woke up to devastating news, more devastating than they could ever have imagined. Both of them got a smackdown like none other.

And there`s another big smackdown, brand-new tonight. This time, it`s between Kate Gosselin and Paula Abdul. Which woman would you rather see with her own talk show? Well, we asked you to vote on air and online. You`re not going to believe the results. It`s a Paula versus Kate smackdown.

Let the smackdown begin. Joining us tonight in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, who is correspondent for "Extra." In New York is Lauren Lake, who is an attorney and author of this book "Girl, Let Me Tell You."

Let`s start off with the Jennifer Aniston/Megan Fox smackdown. They are two of the biggest female stars in Hollywood. Both of them with new movies that opened up this weekend after quite frankly doing more publicity than any human being should be allowed to do.

Aniston, of course, had "Love Happens." Fox had "Jennifer`s Body," and both movies tanked, lost out big time to an animated movie, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs."

Carlos, what does this say about Jennifer Aniston and Megan Fox? Because I don`t think this should have happened.

DIAZ: A.J., let`s get one thing straight. "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs" is a great movie. It stars Mr. T, all right? So that is what.

HAMMER: OK.

DIAZ: That`s why it made $30 million. But listen, love happens in every Jennifer Aniston movie, all right? There`s a great looking body in every one of Megan Fox`s movies. We`ve seen it all before and I think this is our indication that we want some variety.

HAMMER: Yes. I guess, you know, just when they do these big publicity splashes, you at least expect a huge opening and then maybe they`ll trail off. But I think you`ve got a point there.

Listen to this - Aniston`s "Love Happens" came in, in fourth place, made about $8 million. Fox`s "Jennifer`s Body" came in fifth place, made around $7 million. And look at this - Matt Damon right there in "The Informant," beating both of them.

Lauren, what do you think the deal is? Did people kind of reach their limit with Jen and Megan?

LAKE: You know what? I have to feel like they need new tunes to sing, especially Jennifer. It`s time for some reinvention. We have all been on the team Aniston for so long with the whole thing with her relationship and marriage and everyone has felt sorry for her.

She came out. She told all her business again. And it`s kind of like - you know what? This, like, song is on repeat. And we want to change the CD. So I think they just need new songs to sing and some reinvention.

HAMMER: Yes. I mean, to that point - and I do feel bad for Jen because she did put herself out there. She put herself almost in a vulnerable position because of the subject matter of the movie, doing all this press, answering tons of personal questions about her own love life, as you mentioned there, Lauren.

Listen to what she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT when she revealed to us what she needs to fall in love.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JENNIFER ANISTON, ACTRESS: I think to relinquish control. I don`t think it`s something that you can control or really choose. I mean, I think it sort of chooses you. Being open to what form it comes in, what package it`s delivered to you in.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: You know, Jennifer`s fans have always been fascinated with her love life, especially after the big public breakups with Vince and Brad and even John Mayer. So Carlos, separate from the content of the movies, do you think fans may have finally hit their limit with Jen`s love advice? Because we`ve seen her dole it out before.

DIAZ: Would somebody put a gun in Jennifer Aniston`s hand, please? I want to see her in an action film, seriously. We have hit our limit as far as the romantic comedies. In fact, we need Jennifer Aniston and Megan Fox to switch roles.

We need to see Megan Fox maybe in a romantic comedy and we need to Jennifer Aniston in the kick-butt "Transformers" summer blockbuster kind of thing. Seriously, a big gun in Jennifer`s hand - have her shooting and saving people. That`s what I want to see.

HAMMER: Yes. Actually, putting a gun in Angelina Jolie`s hand worked in "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" in so many ways, but I digress. Let`s move on now to this explosive, brand-new smackdown between Paula Abdul and Kate Gosselin.

Last week, Paula did a great job. She was hosting the VH1 show, "Divas Live." Kate co-hosting "The View" while preparing to shoot a talk show pilot.

So here`s what we asked you on air and online in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Talk Show Showdown: Who would you rather see get her own TV show?" And look at that - 71 percent of you said Paula Abdul. Only 29 percent voted for Kate.

Lauren, people spoke loud and clear here. Does it surprise you? So many more people would rather watch Paula hosting a show than Kate?

LAKE: Well, if you saw clips of each - I did catch Kate on "The View" and little bit of Paula. And I will say that Paula far outshined Kate. Kate was a bit lackluster. And you know, I try to give kudos to women in any way I can, especially a woman trying to get her hustle going. But right there, Kate, I don`t think I want to watch you every day talking. It was boring.

HAMMER: Yes. Not to mention people are just sick and tired of her from all the whining that`s been going on. And the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines - well, people have not been shy. People are calling in. The lines are blowing up over this. Who would you rather see host their own show, Paula or Kate? This is what Jennifer from Alabama tells us, and she`s all fired up. Listen.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I would love to see Kate Gosselin get her own show. I think she`s very smart and she`s got a lot going for her, whereas Paula Abdul is a train wreck waiting to happen.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: Not everybody agrees, however. Laurie from New Jersey E-mailed us to say this, "If Kate Gosselin got her own TV show I would consider unsubscribing to cable or at the very least figuring out how to remove that channel from my lineup. Paula`s show would not be any better but at least she is a celebrity because of her talent, not because of her divorce."

Carlos, I`ve got to find out where you fall on this great debate. And let`s be clear, Paula Abdul also a celebrity because she is a train wreck.

DIAZ: Right. Exactly. I would love to see a Paula Abdul talk show because you`re just waiting for that show to unravel. I mean, you waited for the day Paula shows up, but it`s just not all there.

As far as the whole Kate thing goes - I mean, you know, television is just talking about her doing a show of mom logic. I think television should consider her for "The Bachelorette." That would be an amazing show. I`d watch that show.

HAMMER: Now - but Carlos, what would she have to do? I mean, it couldn`t be just a straight formatted talk show. So what would the big deal be about Kate sitting around interviewing people or doing recipes?

DIAZ: No. I think she`d be great in a talk show that dealt how to be a mom. I mean, she`s got that down as far as eight kids. Mothers could relate to her. And if you`re looking at a target demo, you know, of audience during the day of moms watching, I think it`s a pretty good combination in all honesty.

HAMMER: Well, if you are wondering what a brand-new Kate Gosselin would look like, here`s at least one idea that the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show came up with. I think this is a good one.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: 16 desperate single women, one available guy. Kate Gosselin presents, "Who Wants to be the Underage Slut Who Has Sex with My Ex-Husband Above the Garage While He`s Supposed to be Watching Our Litter of Kids?" Only on Fox.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Yes. There`s a title for you right there. Lauren Lake, what do you say? I mean, in all seriousness, if Kate Gosselin becomes the host of her own show, she`s just going to become the butt of every late night joke. I mean, certainly will provide a lot of fodder, if nothing else.

LAKE: She will. However, she is a woman with eight kids and she`s going to be single soon. And she`s going to need a way to make money. The problem is that she`s going to need to use some of that money to get some coaching, because from what I saw, it was just a tad bit limp.

HAMMER: Just didn`t do it for you. All right. Lauren Lake, Carlos Diaz, thank you for you input. And we`ll see if that Jimmy Kimmel show that they came up with actually comes to fruition. That would be interesting.

Now, let me turn it over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, pulling no punches here - "Jennifer Aniston`s New Movie Flops: Are you surprised?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us more of your thoughts at showbiztonight@cnn.com.

I`ve got to say, I`ve always thought Beyonce was really a class act. Look at what she did for Taylor Swift at the MTV VMAs - remember after Kanye West acted like a total jerk and stole her moment?

Well, now, I`ve got to share this with you - Beyonce`s tribute to an 11-year-old girl who`s battling leukemia. It is so heart-wrenching. You do not want to go anywhere. I will play it for you.

And you know who everybody is talking about from the Emmys? Heidi Klum. I mean, look at her now. She always looks amazing. But now, eight months pregnant and walking the red carpet? Wow.

Also, did you see this? The world`s tallest man making Al Roker looking teeny tiny. Hey, Al, you should ask this guy what the weather`s like in his neck of the woods. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: Jon Cryer wins Outstanding Supporting Actor Emmy for "Two and a Half Men." Alec Baldwin wins Best Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in "30 Rock."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: Some people have ratings and some people have prizes. And you have ratings and prizes. You selfish bastard.

JON CRYER, ACTOR: I`m a selfish bastard. Tonight, I`m a selfish bastard. Thank you. You, guys, have so much, though. How many Emmys do you people need? Honestly?

BALDWIN: All that we can get our hands on.

CRYER: Really?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Did you see this? It`s a kayak race. Oh no, not just any ordinary race; it`s a cardboard kayak race. That`s right. To answer, you had to build your kayak out of cardboard and use only duct tape to keep it together.

All this is part of the Caldwell Indian Creek festival in Idaho. Looks like a blast.

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

Did you see this? In, dramatic new video today, Beyonce fighting back tears singing to a little girl who`s battling leukemia.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

It was pretty remarkable. Brand-new video today of Beyonce`s tear jerker in Australia as she serenades a very sick little girl.

And did you see this? Oh baby. Heidi Klum rocked the red carpet at the Emmys. Get this - she was eight months pregnant. It is must-see mommy TV.

And today, your first look at the world`s tallest man with Al Roker. Look at that. Bet this guy could probably tell the weather better than Al.

Joining me tonight in New York is Megan Alexander who is a correspondent for "Inside Edition." Also in Hollywood is Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com."

I`ve got to begin with this Beyonce video. Did you see this emotional video? We found it on YouTube today. It`s Beyonce - she`s at one of her concerts in Sydney, Australia and she`s serenading a little girl whose name is Chelsea(ph) and she suffers from leukemia.

Beyonce actually customized her hit song "Halo" just for Chelsea. I`m telling you, you`re going to want to bust out the Kleenex for this. Roll it, Charles.

(MUSIC PLAYING)

I can tell you right now, there was not a dry eye in the house. Megan, off to you. Is this just one of the most touching things you have ever seen? I mean, Beyonce can do no wrong in my mind.

ALEXANDER: Oh, it`s so true. I`ve heard the phrase, "Talent is your gift from God. How you use it is your gift to God." The heavens are smiling down on Beyonce right now. That little girl is going through what no child should ever have to go through. She needed to feel like a star and Beyonce did just that. She`s awesome.

HAMMER: Yes. A little later on, if you watch the video, the little girl with leukemia hugged Beyonce and just broke down in tears. Hyla, obviously, Beyonce made this little girl`s dream come true.

And I know Beyonce well enough to know she didn`t do it so we would be here talking about her today. She did it because it was from the heart.

HYLA: Absolutely right. She`s a genuine person. You can just tell the way she`s holding her, the way she`s singing to her. And no joke. I`ve been carrying these around with me all day. It`s a powerful video. It really, really is. It will bring any big man down to his knees.

HAMMER: That`s the same brand we keep in our studio out there in Hollywood. Hey, we came across something else today that made us say, "Did you see this?"

I`ve got to show you this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there at the Emmys, Sunday night. And oh, baby, so was Heidi Klum. Check it out. Today, everybody talking about Heidi`s baby on board.

Heidi strutted out on to the Emmy red carpet eight months pregnant wearing that form-fitting gown. Megan, do you think women all across the country were just watching her on Emmy night, saying, "Right on, Heidi"?

ALEXANDER: Oh, my gosh. Right on, Heidi. You go, girl. If I can only hope to look half that good when I`m pregnant someday, A.J., I will be a happy woman.

She is going to have her fourth baby. She`s got a good-looking husband. She is a supermodel in a tight dress, not a slowing dress, mind you, but his was a tight dress at eight months pregnant. I thought she looked incredible celebrating, you know, a soon-to-be-mother. I thought it was just awesome.

HAMMER: Yes. You know, we`ve seen pregnant women on the carpets in the past. We`ve seen it, but eight months - I mean, they had to have an exit plan, I`m sure.

ALEXANDER: Yes.

HAMMER: Did you see this? Another big story everybody talking about today. Al Roker, absolutely dwarfed by the world`s tallest man. Look at that picture. And you`ve got to see how they opened up the "Today" show this morning. This is great.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And tall guy will introduce you to the world`s tallest man, all 8`1" of him today, Monday, September 21st, 2009.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Wow. That is 27-year-old Sultan Kosen. He is 8`1", wears a size 22 shoe. Today, he was recognized as the world`s tallest man by Guinness Book of World Records.

Al Roker also posted a photo on his Twitter page today. And Megan, I know you actually interviewed this guy. Was it just surreal standing there with him? It had to be something incredible.

ALEXANDER: Oh, it really was. What was interesting about Sultan, too, A.J., is I learned he had a hard time as a younger guy in his teens dealing with being so tall.

He finally decided to embrace it, embrace his uniqueness which I think it`s a really neat message for everyone, you know, that he`s embracing, that he`s different. He`s embracing his celebrity and he`s kicking off a world tour now and traveling all over.

HAMMER: Can we throw up, Charles, if it`s OK, that picture that Al Roker put on his Twitter page again today? Because I`m looking at this and it looks fake. I mean, that`s real. That`s not, you know, post-produced or anything like that. Hyla, do you think Sultan might even have the edge on Al Roker giving the weather forecast?

HYLA: Even old Al who would have still been impressive. But this guy needs to come out to Hollywood, a reality show at least. I think he can bank his look.

HAMMER: Yes. And sounds like a good guy, too. Megan Alexander, Hyla, thanks, guys. I do appreciate you being with us tonight.

Well, I must tell you Heidi Klum`s gorgeous pregnant belly was just one of the many things that the stars were talking about at the Emmy Awards. It was also Obama-mania last night.

Check out former "The Young and the Restless" star, Victoria Rowell`s dress. Now, of course she played Drucilla Winters on the show for many years.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there on the Emmy red carpet. Look what we spotted Victoria wearing. She is sporting Obama couture.

Now, we also caught up with another big Obama fan, Sally Field. Sally, as you know, never been shy about opening up when it comes to politics. Just listen to her go off on the debate surrounding Obama`s healthcare plan when we caught up with her at the HBO post-Emmy party.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SALLY FIELD, ACTRESS: There will be those people who attack him. Some of these people are completely insane and need to be taken right away. And the health care system needs to be applied to them because they are mentally ill and they need some help.

But then others, you know, have - it`s legitimate that we should be having this debate. That should have been going on a long time ago and he`s really bringing it about.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: I love Sally Field. She always speaks her mind. As we move on tonight, it really is SHOWBIZ smackdown Monday here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I mean, let`s see, we`ve got Jennifer Aniston and Megan Fox, Paula Abdul and Kate Gosselin.

So why the heck not? Let`s got for three. Tonight, Mariah Carey`s brand-new attack on Eminem. I assure you there is no vision of love here. Why can`t Mariah just let this go? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: HBO`s "Grey Gardens" wins Emmy for best TV movie. Jessica Lange wins best actress in a TV movie Emmy for "Grey Gardens." Lange says she shares the award with "Gardens" co-star Drew Barrymore.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JESSICA LANGE, ACTRESS: I mean, I really share this award with her because, you know, in the `80s, we`re inseparable. And Drew and I as actors were inseparable and you actually - you know, you can`t have one without the other so this is partly hers.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, Mariah Carey lashing out at Eminem again. Now, these two have been feuding for a while. Em came out with a song called "Bag Pipes from Baghdad," which dissed Mariah and husband Nick Cannon.

And then, Mariah came out swinging with a song called "Obsessed" from her new album, "Memoirs from an Imperfect Angel."

Well, now, Mariah on offense again. According to Perez Hilton, when asked about the beef with Em, Mariah on the French radio show, "Le 6-9," just said this about Eminem, "I don`t even know who that is. I haven`t heard them on the radio. They don`t seem to play them here in America."

Nice. Mariah not even acknowledging Eminem there. I`ve got to say, maybe it`s all been fun and games. Maybe it`s time to let it go.

All right. Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Talk Show Showdown: Who would you rather see get her own show?" Seventy-one percent of you said Paula Abdul; 29 percent of you said Kate Gosselin.

A bunch of E-mails came in, too. Joanne from British Columbia, Canada writing, "No Kate TV for me. Kate Gosselin is not a positive working mother. She only cares about what she can get for herself. She lives for money and fame. She thinks she is a star, but in my eyes she`s not."

And I love this one from Tim in Florida who adds, "When you ask whether we would rather see Kate or Paula hosting a talk show, we need a third option. Neither."

So my favorite Emmys moment last night came during the most emotional part of the show. It happens every year. This is when everybody takes a minute to remember the TV stars who have died in the past year.

We all know there were really big names we lost - Paul Newman, Patrick Swayze, Ed McMahon, Farrah Fawcett. The in memoriam tribute was sung so beautifully by one of my favorite singers of all time, Sarah McLachlan. Listen to "I Will Remember You."

(MUSIC PLAYING)

Such a powerful moment. Well, thank you so much for watching. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

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 here on HLN.

END