Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Jon Gosselin Says Stop the Divorce; Mackenzie Phillips`s New Bombshells About Her Relationship with Her Father; The Roman War; Tori Spelling`s Medical Mystery
Aired September 30, 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 - tonight, Jon Gosselin says, stop the divorce? But wait, didn`t he say he despises Kate? What about all his apparent womanizing? Now, Jon feels bad? Is it because he got fired from "Jon & Kate?" Sorry, Jon. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT says, you blew it.
Big news breaking. Brand-new blockbuster Mackenzie Phillips revelations about her sexual relationship with her famous father. Just a short time ago tonight, Mackenzie said her dad, John Phillips, paid for her abortion.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ACTRESS AND AUTHOR: He paid for it and I never, ever let him touch me again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, why Mackenzie`s own half sister doesn`t believe her story.
And the brand-new, all-out Hollywood war over Roman Polanski. Who is defending him? Who says he should be locked up? Tonight, the stars are divided and speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
TV`s first, most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
And right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going out on a little bit of a limb here. We are thinking Jon Gosselin is just kicking himself right now as we speak. So tonight, we have one thing to say to you, Jon. You blew it.
Now, first, Jon essentially got canned from his TLC hit show "Jon and Kate Plus 8." And now, this blockbuster - is Jon really calling for a truce and ending the bitter battle with his ex, Kate?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it looks like Jon is eating his hateful words and backpedaling in a big way. In fact, he has now reportedly filed for a delay in the divorce that rocked Hollywood. But why now? Well, I`ve got a few guesses, but no matter how you slice it, this explosive new chapter in the Jon and Kate saga has led to big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It`s the Jon Gosselin peace plan. Within hours of finding out TLC was basically firing him from the show, Jon launched into full peacekeeping mode, reportedly filing a court document to suspend his divorce from Kate for 90 days so they can get on better terms.
Not only that, Jon is apologizing out the wazoo. He dropped his brand-new bombshell in an exclusive interview with "In Touch" magazine saying, "I regret my conduct since Kate and I separated. I used poor judgment in publicly socializing with other women so soon."
And his lawyer backed him up, saying, "He woke up one morning, looked in the mirror and didn`t like the reflection. He realized he`d made bad choices."
Like, yes, some pretty big, bad choices. Right after announcing their split, Jon started living the bachelor lifestyle big time - Vegas parties, women galore, and a slew of incriminating photos and stories that wound up on the covers of magazines around the world.
So now, Jon says he`s going to change his ways by postponing their divorce for 90 days. He tells "In Touch" magazine, "This will enable Kate and me to restore our relationship as cooperative parents and to open our lines of communication. I hope that she will be as receptive and enthusiastic as I am to do what is best for our family."
But you know what SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to say about that? Too late, Jonny(ph). You blew it.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Jon has now put a 90-day halt on the divorce proceedings, saying he wants to open the lines of communication, work on co-parenting and that he regrets stepping out in public with other women so soon after they split.
HAMMER: Just this morning, the women of "The View" were not buying Jon Gosselin`s overtures of peace.
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Is this the same man who did an interview with Chris Cuomo and said, "I detest that woman?"
HAMMER: Oh, yes, Barbara. It is. Just three weeks ago, Jon went on ABC`s "Primetime" and dropped this whopper.
JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": I can`t sit on someone right now that I despise.
CHRIS CUOMO, ABC CORRESPONDENT: Despise?
J. GOSSELIN: I despise because she is not speaking from the heart.
HAMMER: And that wasn`t all he said.
J. GOSSELIN: I don`t trust her anymore. I was abused. I`m not going back to that lifestyle. I got married at 22. I had twins at 23. I had sextuplets at 27 - in my 20s.
HAMMER: But Jon`s lawyers says Jon had a sudden revelation, spontaneous feelings of remorse, a deep need to open up communications with Kate. He tells "In Touch" magazine, "Jon acknowledges that he, too, used poor judgment by abusing his newfound freedom after 10 years of marriage, engaging in public displays with other women and stating in a television interview that he despised his wife."
And let`s face it - the timing is suspicious. Jon extended the olive branch the same day he got the boot from "Jon and Kate Plus 8."
JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: The timing is certainly suspicious. He`s been running around, acting like a playboy. But now, all of a sudden, when he is losing out on lucrative reality television money, he is saying, "Hey, let`s start to make this work."
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Kate Gosselin for reaction to her soon-to-be ex`s olive branch. So far, stony silence.
But Kate might accept Jon`s overture. She told "People" magazine in early September, "Call me crazy, but down deep I still have this hope that one morning, the phone will ring and it will be him back to normal just saying, `Hey, how are you?` or even, `OK, that was really weird. Aliens overtook me, but now, I`m back.`" So will Kate take Jon back?
PIAZZA: I can`t say that Kate is going to welcome Jon back with open arms. I think it`s absolutely too little, too late for Jon Gosselin to say, "Oh my gosh. I misjudged the situation. I have been acting like a jerk." He did for the past four months.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, what do you think? Will it be forgive and forget? Or is Jon`s brand-new apology to her just too little, too late?
Joining me tonight in New York, Ben Widdicombe, celebrity editor for StyleList.com. From Hollywood tonight is Kim Serafin - she is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." It is on newsstands right now.
OK. So Jon Gosselin is trying to mend his very tarnished image and his broken relationship with Kate. He is saying, "You know what, I made some bad decisions." Kim, let me start with you. It`s your magazine that got the interview. Do you think now that now that he`s been kicked off the show that made him famous that it`s just suddenly dawning on him that he blew it?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": You know, I have to say in his defense and in Kate`s defense - they obviously have had cameras that follow them around. TMZ is right there to stick a mike in their face at any point.
And look, if I had somebody following me around anytime I got upset with someone, anytime I got annoyed at something, I would probably say things that I regret, too. And then, if it was flashed on TV every day and on the covers of magazines, I might have some regrets as well.
HAMMER: Yes.
SERAFIN: Having said that, it`s not been that long. In those past two months, he`s kind of gotten in every cliche possible for someone on the rebound. He, you know, parties in Vegas, got a bachelor pad in New York City, dates younger women. He already had the hair plugs.
There`s really not much else for him to do that`s left that he can react out against. But you know, I think, obviously, he is regretting some things. And we`ll have to see what happens next.
He does seem like he`s apologizing. He seems like he`s regretting what he is doing. We will have to see how that plays out.
HAMMER: And Kim, I couldn`t agree with you more about the pressure you`ve got to feel when you always have the cameras in your face and you`re just saying things off the cuff. But I always go back to the ABC interview he did with Chris Cuomo where he had plenty of time to think about all the things he was saying including that he despised Kate.
And for my money, just this morning on "The View," Whoopi Goldberg kind of summed it up and not holding back at all on how she really felt about Jon`s proposal to delay his divorce and work on his relationship with Kate. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOLDBERG: He wants to open the lines of communication, work on co- parenting and that he regrets stepping out in public with other women so soon after they split.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I want to say I`m thinking Whoopi`s laugh says it all. When you think about it, Ben, the way that Jon has acted over the past two months, what do you think? Are we really expected to believe Jon is now - just now regretting his actions?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY EDITOR, "STYLELIST.COM": Look, this is one of the funniest public relations epiphanies I have seen in a long time. Jon has been digging himself into a hole for months. And now, we have the tiny voice coming from the bottom of the mine shaft going, "Do you think I blew it?"
Yes, Jon, you totally blew it. It`s too little, too late, and nobody believes him. By the way, the divorce is not off; it`s still on. I do not understand what he hopes to achieve in this 90-day hiatus.
HAMMER: Hiatus on the divorce proceeding. It is all very strange. We have seen what`s gone on with Jon since they announced the split. He very publicly flaunted his relationship with Hailey, the 22-year-old daughter of Kate`s plastic surgeon.
Jon even admitted in that interview with ABC`s "Primetime" he loved Hailey more than he`s ever loved Kate. And now, Jon is telling "In Touch" that he realizes his public love affair was unfair to Kate.
Here`s what he said to "In Touch," "I regret my conduct since Kate and I separated. I used poor judgment in publicly socializing with other women so soon."
Let`s not forget, it wasn`t all that long ago, as I mentioned, Jon said he despises Kate. Kim, reeling it back in for a moment - I mean, I`m just shocked that he changed his tune so radically. Are you at all with me on that?
SERAFIN: Oh, I think for sure. You know, we were just hearing him say in that interview that you just mentioned. I mean, that just happened. But again, Kate was saying things, too. And I have to say, if they are exposed to this media, people are willing to give them a microphone, people are willing to ask them to say things, they probably will say things that they regret.
That`s why people often put something out on Twitter and then delete the Twitter message because you have this access to let the world know how you feel.
I`m not saying that is defendable especially because they have kids that will one day read all about this and see all about this. And they have been really criticized for it. But I think that`s one excuse or explanation, I think, that they have.
HAMMER: All right. It`s just all very mysterious. And the timing - you know, if he has just been kicked off his show, pretty suspect to me. Kim Serafin, Ben Widdicombe -
SERAFIN: It does help ratings, though.
HAMMER: There you go. All right. Let`s turn it over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Jon Gosselin: Did he deserve to be fired from `Jon & Kate`?" Here`s where you vote, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Here`s where you e-mail, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
Let me tell you, the stars - they are taking sides. The lines in the sand are being drawn. There is brand-new, all-out war over Roman Polanski.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA KUDROW, ACTRESS: What makes me worry is, what does it mean for other 12 or 13-year-old girls who are being drugged or seduced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Lisa Kudrow just fired up. Tonight, who is defending Roman? Who thinks that he should be locked up for having sex with a 13-year-old girl? The stars - they are speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tonight.
Also, just today, John Travolta`s brand-new revelations about how he was allegedly shaken down for $25 million just after his son Jett died. You`ve got to hear John`s emotional words.
And did you this? You know, when it comes to stars, the bigger they are, well, the harder they fall. What is with all these fallen stars? I mean, literally, why are they all tripping up? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: The 24th season of "Oprah" off to a great start, highest ratings in a year and a half. Due to his arrest, Roman Polanski`s latest film, "The Ghost," is in limbo. Polanski`s movie stars Pierce Brosnan, Ewan McGregor and Kim Cattrall.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Hey, did you see this? It`s an elephant car wash. This is awesome. If you need to get your car cleaned, here`s what you`ve got to do - head on over to the Wildlife Safari in Winston, Oregon. Three elephants have been taught to wash cars there, and apparently, they just love it. And the gimmick seems to be working.
The park has seen sales go up 28 percent over last year at this time. However, despite that increase, I hear these elephants are just working for peanuts. And you know the part of the car that the elephants do their best work on? The trunk, of course.
(ELEPHANT SOUND EFFECT)
Any excuse to play an elephant sound effect. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer.
Did you see this? Falling stars. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay almost drops his dance partner. Conan O`Brien bangs his head hard. What is with all these falling stars lately?
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): From the tango to "The Tonight Show" to a bull riding ring. No bull - it`s been a dangerous few days for celebs on the public stage.
So with no further delay, we bring you the latest on Tom DeLay, the former House majority leader`s most recent routine on "Dancing with the Stars." Now, admittedly we had a field day when DeLay danced the cha-cha- cha in that brown spandex outfit.
(MUSIC)
But he almost redeemed himself with his tango. The judges used words like -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE JUDGE: You had such dignity and grace.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE JUDGE: I actually really liked it until the end. I mean, you`ve got the guts. You`ve got to use it. You`ve got to squeeze them together, sir.
MOOS: But even squeezing them together probably wouldn`t have saved him from almost dropping his partner.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": How much did that girl weigh?
MOOS: But the real culprit may have been DeLay`s previously injured foot. The feet of Conan O`Brien are what got him in trouble, racing with "Desperate Housewives`" star, Teri Hatcher.
TERI HATCHER, ACTRESS: Are you OK?
CONAN O`BRIEN, HOST, "THE TONIGHT SHOW": Oh, yes.
MOOS: Oh no, he wasn`t. He had a concussion.
O`BRIEN: Let`s see a slow motion replay of what happened right there, please. I believe I won.
MOOS: No wonder his memory was foggy when they took him to the hospital.
O`BRIEN: One of the neurologic questions was, how many nickels in $1.35?
MOOS: That are would be 27, Conan.
JAY LENO, HOST, "THE JAY LENO SHOW": You were this close to being back on 11:30.
MOOS: And this guy was this close to getting stomped by a bull at a riding competition the other day. Legendary linebacker Junior Seau is used to getting run over by football players, but not a 2,000-pound bull.
Seconds later, Seau was up on his feet, unhurt, tossing his hat. It`s dangerous being famous. At least, Tom DeLay could teach Conan O`Brien how to slide safely.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And Tom DeLay is getting delayed from getting kicked off "Dancing with the Stars." The show just announced that he will live to dance another week despite the fact that he almost dropped his dancing partner.
Well, we are still getting a ton of calls into "Showbiz on Call" about the fired-up debate over Roman Polanski. Should he be shipped back to the U.S.? Should he be left alone even though he had sex with a 13-year-old girl 30 years ago?
We`ve got a call into "Showbiz on Call" from Donna in California who thinks Roman should serve time.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: My god, this man committed an act of rape against a child. I cannot believe anyone - it wasn`t even a charge. It is, in fact, an admitted offense against a child. Oh, my gosh. He needs to go to prison like everybody else.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Donna. We also heard from Chris calling into "Showbiz on Call" from North Carolina. Chris does not get why some stars are defending Roman.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I`m absolutely surprised and disgusted that there is even a debate over Roman Polanski. He`s a child molester, had sex with a 13-year-old. And I don`t care who he is. He needs to be brought up with criminal charges and brought back to the States. He has hidden and it`s just disgusting that anyone would even be celebrating a coward like that.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Chris. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call" and let us know what you think about this hot topic or anything else. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. That`s where you can leave a voicemail so we can play your call here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are posting them, too, online on our homepage, CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Well, tonight, I can tell you there is a brand-new, all-out war in Hollywood over Roman Polanski. Some stars are defending him. Some stars are just disgusted by him. Tonight, the battle lines are drawn and the stars - they are speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Should Roman go to jail? Should people leave him alone? It is a fired-up, not-to-be-missed debate.
Also, Mackenzie Phillips`s brand-new incest shockers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": When did it end?
PHILLIPS: It ended when I became pregnant.
KING: Was it his baby?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you see this. Just revealed a short time ago tonight, the "One Day at a Time" star drops a bombshell. Did her own father get her pregnant? Plus, why Mackenzie`s own half sister doesn`t believe her incest story.
Plus, John Travolta`s new painful revelations out just today for the very first time. The dramatic details of how he says he was allegedly shaken down for $25 million right after his son, Jett, died. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Dan Rather`s $70 million breach of contract suit against CBS dismissed. No one connected to CBS` "Survivor" hurt by Samoan earthquake and tsunami.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Right now, we`ve got to give it up for my pal and brand-new member of the HLN family, Joy Behar. I love Joy.
(APPLAUSE)
Of course, "THE JOY BEHAR SHOW" just premiered Tuesday night right here on HLN. A great show, but you don`t have to take it from me. Even the "New York Post`s" Linda Stacy, who is certainly one of the toughest critics out there, loves Joy, writing, "It`s the smartest new talk show of the TV season, a show that can turn out to be the smartest news show on television, period."
Over on Joy`s morning job, "The View," the ladies congratulated Joy, but wanted to know if having two shows will go to her head.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: You`re going to be impossible now.
BEHAR: No, no, no. I missed you, girls, last night. I had to interrupt myself.
(LAUGHTER)
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": The thing that, I think, Joy, I really enjoyed watching you for a whole hour, the "New York Post" called you the busiest working woman on television. I thought it was so funny. It`s watching you.
You had the comic timing. You are naturally funny. So I laughed. I thought about things. You had Bay Buchanan on there and Janine Garofalo. And when they said it`s the American way to carry guns and Janine Garofalo said if a bunch of black people walked in with guns, you would see how American it would be. I just was screaming at the TV.
(CROSS TALK)
BEHAR: Thank, Sherri. Thank you very much.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
HAMMER: And of course, Joy, from all of us here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, once again, welcome.
Well, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page is sizzling. Hundreds of you have written about Jon getting fired from "Jon & Kate Plus 8." And the famous-for-nothing Kardashians are getting you all fired-up, too.
Mai S. writing, "I know the Kardashians have a clothing store and a fragrance out which means they do a heck of a lot more than Jon and Kate who are just parents on TV. Just saying - if Jon and Kate can be `famous,` why not the Kardashians?"
And speaking of Jon and Kate, Linda B. says, "It is time for both Jon and Kate to leave the limelight. If Kate gets a talk show, I will not only not watch her show, but boycott the channel and all of its sponsors."
You can sign up for both our Facebook and Twitter pages 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.
There`s a brand-new, all-out Hollywood war over Roman Polanski.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KUDROW: What makes me worried is, what does that mean for other 12 or 13- year-old girls who are being drugged or seduced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Some are defending Roman, some are just disgusted by him. Tonight, the stars - they are speaking out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, just a short time ago tonight, Mackenzie Phillips spoke out about more shocking incest revelations. Did her own father get her pregnant and actually pay for an abortion?
And Tori Spelling rushed to the hospital. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Kathy Ireland is the latest star to get the boot from "Dancing with the Stars." Elisabeth Hasselbeck to return to "The View" on October 19th. Hasselbeck has been on maternity leave since birth of third child on August 7th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KUDROW: What makes me worried is, what does that mean for other 12 or 13- year-old girls who are being drugged or seduced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Roman war. The ugly divide brewing among stars in Hollywood over Roman Polanski having sex with a 13-year-old girl. Tonight, the big stars speak out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about this explosive debate.
Brand-new blockbuster. Mackenzie Phillips`s revelations. What she just told CNN`s Larry King tonight about her sexual relationship with her famous father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
KING: When did it end?
PHILLIPS: It ended when I became pregnant.
KING: Was it his baby?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Also tonight, why Mack`s own half sister is saying that she doesn`t believe the claims. And for the first time, John Travolta reveals the emotional story of how he says he was shaken down for $25 million after his son died.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s first most provocative news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
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, Roman war, the brand-new all out Hollywood battle over Roman Polanski is erupting tonight. There is a bitter divide brewing today in Hollywood over the famed director`s fate.
First, there is all this support for Polanski following his arrest Sunday on a decades-old underage sex case. It all started at the Zurich Film Festival where Polanski was supposed to be honored for his work. Instead, stars there rallied around him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBRA WINGER, ACTRESS: We hope today this latest order will be dropped. It is based on a three-decade old case that is all but dead except for a minor technicality.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But today brand-new outrage coming from some of the biggest stars in Hollywood. HLN`s Joy Behar summing up all the outrage just this morning on "The View," taking on Polanski`s supporters including actress Debra Winger.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: I don`t think that if Roman Polanski were a plumber, she would be going out supporting him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joining me tonight from Hollywood is Howard Bragman. He`s the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations and the author of a fine book, "Where is My Fifteen Minutes?" Also from Hollywood tonight, Leslie Marshall, host of "The Leslie Marshall Radio Show."
Now, I want you guys to hear exactly what Joy Behar said this morning on "The View" about all the stars who have been supporting Polanski since his arrest. And I`ve got to tell you, Joy pulling no punches here. Roll that out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEHAR: Debra Winger who is backing him up - I don`t think if Roman Polanski were a plumber, she would be going out supporting him and half the people on this list would not supporting a person who molested a child 30 years ago.
(CROSS TALK)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And the list that she is referring to is the petition that`s been going around Hollywood. Howard Bragman, let me begin with you. You were right there in the thick of it in Hollywood. I have a hard time arguing with Joy`s logic. Do you think she`s making a good point?
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: I think you have to understand what this case is about, A.J. It`s not about what this man did 30 years ago which nobody applauds, everyone condemns. It`s about a miscarriage of the justice.
Now, here we are, 30 years later and we are in a state that is broke. We are talking about 40,000 people being released from the California jails by an order of the court. We have a limited amount of money. There are kids are being shot every day in south central L.A. that we do nothing about.
And this is about political grandstanding by the district attorney and the justice system for their own ends. And that`s what the case is really about, A.J.
HAMMER: Yes. But Leslie, let me ask you this - when you hear stars rallying around crying, free Roman Polanski, let him go, how can they separate themselves from these charges that he raped this 13-year-old girl? I don`t understand, even if it`s not what the case is all about, how they can distinguish themselves from that.
LESLIE MARSHALL, HOST, "THE LESLIE MARSHALL RADIO SHOW": I don`t get this, OK? This guy is a fugitive. This guy has a warrant for his arrest. This guy raped, admits, a 13-year-old child who was not mentally or emotionally prepared to have any kind of sexual relationship.
And the law states that it`s statutory rape, period. There`s not a question of consent. I don`t care how much in debt the United States is. What do we tell a 13-year-old child victim looking back years ago?
What do we tell that person today, "I`m sorry. It`s just too expensive to prosecute. Sorry, your childhood was ruined, your virginity was broken and probably, your relationships with men for your life were screwed up. Sorry, it`s too expensive."
That`s wrong. I don`t understand what`s wrong with Hollywood. I don`t understand what`s wrong with anybody defending this man. You don`t need to be a parent. And you know, I was a 13-year-old girl. A 13-year- old girl is a child. He raped a child. He is a rapist and he belongs in jail.
HAMMER: Well, there`s no question about it. It`s a very complex story. We`re hearing about it from all sides. There was a brand-new interview today with the sister of Roman Polanski`s late wife - that was actress Sharon Tate.
And the sister spoke out in defense of Roman. You remember Sharon Tate was murdered by the followers of Charles Manson - that`s all the way back in 1969. Watch what her sister, Debra Tate, had to say about all this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DEBRA TATE, SISTER OF SHARON TATE: There is, as I said, rape and then there is rape. It was determined that Roman did not forcibly have sex with this young woman. It was a consensual matter. I am a victim`s advocate and I know the difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: See, I`ve got to be honest with you. I`m confused by her comments. But Howard, do you think that Debra Tate there is speaking for a lot of Hollywood stars who are out there defending Roman today, even putting their names on that petition to have him freed?
BRAGMAN: I`m not sitting here arguing. I think a lot of people aren`t arguing about the righteousness of what he did. It was wrong what he did, A.J. But the truth is, you know, getting back to Leslie`s comment, we do make decisions all the time in the justice system.
Justice is not black or white. It`s gray about who to prosecute, who is the greater threat to society. And we are looking at a man that is no threat to society. And while, indeed, he made a mistake more than three decades ago, he lived an exemplary life and he`s lived a good life.
And that`s really what it`s about - it`s politicizing this decision and the grandstanding that is going on here. Nobody is defending his action.
HAMMER: Well, there a lot of stars who are on the other side of the Roman war today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the "Rock a Little, Feed a Lot" event last night that happened in Los Angeles. We were out there on the red carpet. Lisa Kudrow was among those who didn`t mince words. Watch Lisa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KUDROW: A 13-year-old girl is a 13-year-old girl. What makes me worried is, what does that mean for other 12 or 13-year-old girls who are being drugged or seduced?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s back to your point, Leslie. You know, on the one hand, we have stars like Lisa speaking out against Roman. On the other hand, we have big name stars like Martin Scorsese, Woody Allen putting their names on the line and signing a petition to have Roman freed.
Whatever the reason may be behind why they want him freed, you know, it still does come back to what he originally did. And Howard, I hear everything that you are saying here.
But Leslie, are you surprised more stars are not taking a stand against this guy? Because, obviously, this story has now bubbled up to the surface and everybody is talking about it.
MARSHALL: Yes. And like Joy said, I mean, if he were a plumber, would big stars be coming out, "Oh, because he is talented and a famed director"? And Howard, like you said, he`s had a great life. But did the victim? Because he`s had a great life, it`s time for that great life to stop and for him to face the music and to be incarcerated for what he did.
Lisa Kudrow said what kind of a message are we sending? And I commend her for that. Only one in 10 rapes is reported in the United States of America, whether you are 13, you`re 16, you`re 30 or you`re 70.
And we`re going to have less and less young girls, women, coming forward when they have been raped because they are going to say there is no justice for the victims. And that`s what I think this will be about if Roman Polanski is not held responsible for the guilt that he`s admitted to.
HAMMER: Well, no surprise, this Hollywood war has caught the attention of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers all day today. Our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have been raging over this. Here`s a call I want to play to you. It`s Rochelle in Arizona who says, at the end of the day, the law is the law, celebrity or not.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I think Hollywood is supporting someone who has done great film work over the last 30 decades since he has been a fugitive of the law and his victim has forgiven him. Do I believe in forgiveness? Of course I do. His victim has.
But it doesn`t change the fact that he admitted to having sex with a minor child, and then he fled the country and he had all this success all being a fugitive of the law. Whether we forgive him or not, he must pay the price for breaking the law. Hollywood needs to remember that.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Howard, let me ask you. You deal with stars all the time. And again, I understand that you`re saying that their point is not that they argue with what he did and that the fact that it was a heinous crime. But very quickly, do stars need to be careful about the association that they will have coming out in support of Roman Polanski? Because it can appear that they are supporting a guy who committed a heinous crime.
BRAGMAN: And I think a lot of the stars have given it a lot of thought and I think a lot of stars have studied the case. And I think a lot of stars have a history of fighting for justice, even in the case of capital punishment and other issues like that. We are not arguing over someone`s guilt. We are arguing over how we allocate justice in this country and that`s where it keeps going back to, A.J.
HAMMER: Got to end it there. Howard Bragman, Leslie Marshall, thanks, guys. I appreciate it.
As we move on, tonight, the breaking revelations from Mackenzie Phillips about her sexual relationship with her father. This is new tonight, because just tonight, on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," Mackenzie Phillips exposes yet another bombshell about having sex with her dad.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: When did it end?
PHILLIPS: It ended when I became pregnant.
KING: Was it his baby?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, you are not going to believe what her half sister, Bijou, is saying today about Mackenzie`s disturbing claims.
Also, you`re not going to want to miss the dramatic new John Travolta testimony. Tonight, for the very first time, the dramatic details from John Travolta himself of how he said he was shaken down for $25 million after his son`s death.
And Tori Spelling`s medical mystery, the reality star rushed to the hospital, not once, but twice. She`s in severe pain. What could be wrong with her? 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: Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith to host Nobel Peace Prize concert in Norway December 11. Susan Lucci to stay with "All My Children" when soap opera moves to L.A. in January.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, the brand-new astonishing revelations from Mackenzie Phillips about her incestuous relationship with her father and why her younger half- sister now says she is lying. That`s just one of two stories with big news breaking today.
Just hours ago, on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," Mackenzie Phillips exposed yet another bombshell today claiming her father is the one who paid for her abortion. And now, her half sister, actress Bijou Phillips says, don`t believe her.
And in more big news breaking, John Travolta took the stand today in the extortion case involving the tragic death of his son, Jett. In his own words, Travolta explains how he was shaken down for $25 million.
Joining me tonight in New York, Ben Widdicombe who is a celebrity editor for "StyleList.com." Tonight, in Hollywood, Kim Serafin, who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly."
All right. So "One Day at a Time" star Mackenzie Phillips speaking out again today with new claims about an incestuous relationship with her father, of course, John Phillips of the Mamas and the Papas.
Just hours ago on CNN`s "Larry King Live," Mackenzie claimed the incest ended when she got pregnant and her father paid for her to have an abortion. You`ve got to see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KING: When did it end?
PHILLIPS: It ended when I became pregnant.
KING: Was it his baby?
PHILLIPS: I don`t know.
KING: Were you sleeping with someone else?
PHILLIPS: My son`s father.
KING: It could have been his baby, too.
PHILLIPS: It could very well have, but the implications of such were so mind-bogglingly disturbing to me.
KING: Did you have an abortion?
PHILLIPS: Yes, I did.
KING: Did you tell your father?
PHILLIPS: He paid for it and I never, ever let him touch me again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Ben, off to you. Obviously, she`s had a lot of skeptics questioning her claims. But what do you think? Now, with these new details - do they support the argument that, hey, you know, you really can`t make this stuff up?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, you know, it`s really impossible to know, A.J. This is an issue which divided her own family. It`s impossible for anyone other than the two people who are allegedly involved in the situation to know what the real truth is.
People who have known her, her entire life are split on whether she is telling the truth or not. I believe she believes she is telling the truth. As we know, there is such a thing as false memory, recovery syndrome and other people who get these things wrong occasionally for whatever reason. But it`s really shocking. And the fact is, we don`t know.
HAMMER: And it`s just so hideous to think of the implications of the fact that this may have actually taken place. Let me play this other part of Mackenzie`s new interview on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE," just ended hours ago.
Mackenzie talked in brand-new and very stunning detail about the night she first remembered having sex with her dad. This was supposed to be the night before her wedding. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PHILLIPS: The night before my father came to Florida with the intention to stop the union. Nobody wanted me to marry Jeff. And I went to my father`s hotel room and he had a lot of drugs and I had a lot of drugs. We took a lot of drugs.
And all I remember is arriving in the room, getting high and I remember sort of - you know, how you kind of - I don`t know if you know this. You probably don`t know this, but if you are in a blackout and you`re not in your body. And then you come to in your body, I was in the act of having sex with my father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Again, just incredible to hear. And here`s the thing about this. There are a lot of people rallying around Mackenzie and the story that she is telling about incest, saying it can be a positive thing to be talking about it.
But there are still those not buying it because of her history with drugs and blacking out. Kim, if there is even a chance Mackenzie`s story is true, then obviously, she is say victim. Is it just completely unfair for people to judge her?
SERAFIN: Yes. Again, nobody really knows except her and her father who is not alive anymore. Although when you watch that interview, it really does seem like it`s not so cathartic for her. It seems like she is having a lot of trouble talking about this which makes it seem a lot more true.
You are hearing so many people speak out. She said that, you know, calls to incest lines are up, that she is getting so much positive feedback from incest survivors who have come forward. So if she is doing something good, then, obviously that`s a good thing and she`s really put herself out there.
HAMMER: Yes. And then, as you mentioned, this really has divided their family. Mackenzie`s half sister, Chynna, came out supporting Mackenzie saying she does believe her. But I can tell you this - today, another half sister, Bijou Phillips, does not believe her. She`s calling Mackenzie a flat-out liar.
Let me read from this Twitter rant that Bijou posted this week, "When I was young, my sister told me about this. It ruined my life and my relationship with my father. Up to that point, I was a normal kid, started doing drugs, did not talk to my dad anymore. I was deeply (EXPLETIVE DELETED) up. I`m 29 now and I`ve talked to everyone who was around during that time. I`ve asked the hard questions. I do not believe my sister. Our father is many things, this is not one of them."
Bijou obviously not happy that the story is out there. Ben, do you think Mack should just shut these interviews down, stop doing the book tour, especially because it`s causing this major rift in her family?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, you know, she is speaking her own truth. And clearly, this is something that she needs to talk about even though it`s causing all this controversy. So I think that she has the right to tell her story and say what she believes that happened to her.
It`s fascinating that Bijou is blaming this incident for herself going off the rails. She was famous in the fashion industry in the late `90s as a really troubled young model. So I`m really interested to hear her credit things for putting her off the rails.
HAMMER: All right. Let`s move on because in more big news breaking today, John Travolta took the stand in the extortion trial today related to his son`s death. He describes a paramedic`s plot to extort $25 million from John by threatening to expose a document that John said today would, quote, "imply that the death of my son was intentional and I was culpable in some way."
I have to tell you, hearing those words and that came from John Travolta`s mouth today. Kim, quickly, I mean, my heart breaks picturing him going through all this. Yours must as well.
SERAFIN: Absolutely. I mean, to have to deal with that and then, now to have to go through this publicly and relive a lot of this, on top of which, a lot of people are even criticizing him now for not coming forward sooner saying that his son was autistic, saying that he should have said that sooner as he`s still dealing with this. It`s really tough for him.
But good for him for getting out there to show other people who might try to do this celebrities, "You`re not going to get away with this."
HAMMER: Yes. Hopefully, really, he`s getting some closure here. That`s what I`ve been saying all along. Ben Widdicombe, Kim Serafin, thank you guys.
HAMMER: As we move on tonight, right now, Britney Spears getting freaky with her old buddy from `N Sync - not Justin Timberlake but Lance Bass.
Take a look at this video. It just surfaced online today, Britney looking hot on stage at her concert in Las Vegas. The guy who`s sitting on the couch in the middle - that`s Lance.
Now, there have been all kinds of rumors online that Britney gave a lap dance to Lance. Well, it may not have been a lap dance, but he certainly got an eyeful. Hey, some guys have all the luck.
Tonight, Tori Spelling`s medical mystery. The reality star rushed to the hospital twice in severe pain with a mystery illness. So the question is, what`s going on with her? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Michael Jackson`s estate sues "Heal the World" Foundation for false advertising. Heroic pilot Captain "Sully" who landed plane on Hudson River to fly again, October 1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Tonight, Tori Spelling`s medical mystery. Tori is still recovering today after being rushed to the hospital twice in two days. This is after suffering severe stomach pains. And she has no idea why this happened.
Well, her husband, Dean McDermott, sent out this message on Twitter, "Just out of the hospital after a battery of tests, no conclusive answers. She still feels terrible. Hope it passes soon. She`s in a lot of pain."
Well, Tori had been sending out tweets when she and her entire family first got sick. But then, Tori took a turn for the worst with this mysterious pain. Again, no idea why it`s happening.
Tori`s publicist telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there`s still no update on Tori`s condition. The mystery continues. Of course, we wish her well.
Well, right now, Jennifer Hudson`s baby love. The "American Idol" alum kept mum about becoming a mom. She wouldn`t even confirm that she was having a baby. But now, Jennifer has plenty to say about her newborn son, David.
In a brand-new interview posted today on People.com, here`s what`s Jennifer is saying, "He`s the cutest thing in the world. There are no words for it. It`s just amazing, us discovering each other, me becoming a mom."
Of course, Jennifer lost her own mom last year. But Jennifer says she knows her mom is with her and her son, David, "I think she was a great example of being a mother. So when my son first got home, I was like, `Everything I do will be out of love.` That`s what drives me in the middle of the night when I`m knocked out of sleeping and he wakes up."
Jennifer also reveals she and her fiance, reality star David Otunga, can`t wait to spoil their son for his very first Christmas. Congratulations, guys.
Well, Tuesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Moments ago I was handed this, the final results - "Jon fired from `Jon & Kate`: Should the show be canceled?"
Yes, you think so - 77 percent saying yes; 23 percent say no. Among the e-mail we got, we got this one from Courtney in Alabama, writing, "Has anybody asked the kids if the show should be canceled? Because they are the ones who should be getting the money."
And Angela from Guam writing, "I can relate to Kate as a singer mother raising a child. I think that they should keep the show to show what we have to go through was single parents."
And I thank you for your e-mails and I thank you 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. We`re also on in the morning - did you know that - at 11:00 a.m. Eastern, and that`s right here on HLN.
END
