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Showbiz Tonight
Special Report: "Showbiz Shockers"
Aired December 23, 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 this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers". Tonight, we`re revealing the most jaw- dropping celebrity dark secrets of the year. Mackenzie Phillips`s alleged incest confession; Michael Jackson`s heartbreaking abuse claims and Whitney Houston`s startling candid admissions about drug use and allegedly being abused by Bobby Brown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHITNEY HOUSTON, SINGER: He`d spit on me. He`d actually spit on me.
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HAMMER: Also tonight, Rosie O`Donnell`s shocking confessions caught on tape. Rosie`s dramatic revelations about Oprah. Rosie`s explosive claims of childhood abuse.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROSIE O`DONNELL, TV PERSONALITY: Whenever I would go to the doctor, the doctor would look, you know, and say to me, "Do you touch yourself?"
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HAMMER: And tonight, another SHOWBIZ shocker over the great cougar debate. Tonight, Courtney Cox dishes controversial advice. The star of TV`s hit show, "Cougar Town" on how older women can get younger guys. A special edition of TV`s most provocative show, "Showbiz Shockers" starts right now.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers." We are digging deep into Hollywood`s most stunning stories of the year.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke, first up tonight, dark secrets of the stars, from heartbreaking claims of abuse to jaw-dropping allegations of incest. I just can`t get over how many celebrities have decided to come out with their darkest secrets.
I have to say this was a year of candid confessions for so many stars, from Whitney Houston`s drug abuse revelations to Michael Jackson, in his own words, describing alleged brutal abuse by his father. Right now, we reveal the most astounding, the most incredible, the most heartbreaking celebrity dark secrets.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Dark secrets from some of America`s most beloved celebrities.
HOUSTON: He`d spit on me. He`d actually spit on me.
HAMMER: Secrets we would never believe unless we heard it straight from their own mouths.
MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ACTRESS: I started waking up in my father`s hotel room bed.
HAMMER: Secrets both shocking and heartbreaking.
MICHAEL JACKSON, POP SUPERSTAR: He`d whip all over your face, your back - everywhere. And I`d always hear my mother say, "No, Joe, you`re going to kill him! You`re going to kill him! No!"
HAMMER: Whitney Houston stunned America when she confessed all to Oprah about her devastating drug use with now ex-husband, Bobby Brown.
WINFREY: You were free-basing cocaine.
HOUSTON: Yes and weed.
WINFREY: So your drug of choice was weed combined with cocaine.
HOUSTON: Cocaine and rock cocaine.
JO PIAZZA, CNN.COM ENTERTAINMENT WRITER: She also dropped a lot of bombshells about her life with Bobby Brown and how emotionally abusive their relationship was.
HOUSTON: He started to paint in our room, in our bedroom. Eyes - just eyes. Evil eyes that were looking at dozen points of the room.
HAMMER: But secrets don`t get much darker than Mackenzie Phillips` explosive revelations to CNN`s Larry King about her incestuous relationship with her father, John Phillips.
M. PHILLIPS: All I remember is arriving in the room, getting high and during a blackout, when you are not in your body, and then you come to in your body, I was in the act of having sex with my father.
HAMMER: Mackenzie`s bestselling book, "High on Arrival," revealed all the gruesome details of this dark secret she had carried for 31 years.
M. PHILLIPS: I said we need to talk about how - I used the word "rape" for lack of a better word - how he raped me. And he said, "Raped you? Don`t you mean when we made love." And I thought to myself, "Wow, I am so screwed."
HAMMER: Her claims divided her family.
CHYNNA PHILLIPS, MACKENZIE PHILLIPS` HALF SISTER: I won`t lie. It definitely had somewhat of a negative impact on the family and some of the relationships.
HAMMER: Mackenzie`s half-sister, Chynna, told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she believes her sister and says it took a lot of courage to come out with such a painful and dark secret.
C. PHILLIPS: I can`t have any resentment. I just can`t. And I love my sister and I`m really, really proud of her.
HAMMER: And for Michael Jackson, many details of his own dark story didn`t fully come to light until his tragic and sudden death in July.
PIAZZA: When Michael Jackson died, all of a sudden, the Pandora`s Box of dark secrets was open.
HAMMER: The world was shocked when investigators uncovered Jackson`s outrageous abuse of prescription painkillers, including a highly dangerous anesthetic called Propofol to help him sleep at night. It`s the drug that ultimately killed him.
One of the most alarming secrets and tragic of Jackson`s dark secrets were the audiotapes revealing Michael`s graphic descriptions of being abused by his father, Joe Jackson.
M. JACKSON: He makes you strip nude first. He`d oil you down. It would be a whole ritual - he`d oil you down so when the flip of the ironing cord hit you, it just - you know. And it was just like me dying.
HAMMER: Rabbi Shmuley Boteach revealed these taped conversation with Michael to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
RABBI SHMULEY BOTEACH, FORMER SPIRITUAL ADVISER TO MICHAEL JACKSON: Even when I hear it now, it`s painful because it shows a side of Michael that is so contradictory to the superstar who played before millions of fans.
M. JACKSON: I would just give up. There was nothing I could do, you know? And I just hated him for it. Hated him.
BOTEACH: I don`t think Michael was ever known as a man. I don`t think we ever understood his brokenness. I think we judged him and we rejected him.
PIAZZA: I think that everyone - all of Michael Jackson`s fans still embrace him despite all of these things we are finding out after his death. But I think the thing about most pop stars, finding out the dark secrets actually makes us really love our celebrities that are pop stars even more than we did before.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And with all of Michael`s drug problems that came to light after his death, the most disturbing revelations of all were these heartbreaking tapes that Michael recorded with his spiritual adviser, Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
Tonight, Rabbi Boteach brings his secret Michael Jackson tapes right here at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for an in-depth glimpse into the heartbreaking and troubled life of this pop star. And I have to tell you, I did not shy away from asking the rabbi pointblank if he is betraying Michael by releasing these tapes.
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HAMMER: I would like to listen to a little bit of what we heard on "Dateline" when they played what I believe was really the most explosive description of Michael Jackson describing the abuse by his father. Let`s listen to that.
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M. JACKSON: He would make you strip nude first. He would oil you down. It would be a whole ritual. He would oil you down so when the flip of the ironing cord hit you, it just, you know. And it was just like me dying. And you had whips all over your face, your back, everywhere.
And I always hear my mother in the back, "No, Joe, you`re going to hill him. You`re going to kill him. No." I would give up, like there was nothing I could do, you know? And I hated him for it. Hated him.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. It`s so strong and it`s so powerful and stunning to hear such vivid description of something we`d only heard talked about before. You were sitting right there across from him. How did you react when you hear him describing how he was beat?
BOTEACH: Even when I hear it now, it`s painful, because it shows a side of Michael that is so contradictory to the superstar who played before millions of fans.
HAMMER: I want to go back to the part where you talk about where he felt so hurt by being treated as a commodity, how his brothers were treated as commodities as well. And in this portion of the tape that we heard on "Dateline," he describes to you exactly how much that troubled him. Let`s listen to that.
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BOTEACH: Did you begin to feel that you were like a moneymaking machine for him?
M. JACKSON: Yes. I`ll never forget, one day, he said, "If you guys ever stop singing, I`ll drop you like a hot potato." That`s what he said. It hurt me. You don`t say that to children. And I never forgot it.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: So Rabbi Shmuley, do you get the impression or did you, at the time, that Michael was more hurt by being treated as a moneymaking machine than he was by the actual beatings that he suffered at his father`s hands as he claims?
SHMULEY: The two are inextricably linked. And the reason he shared these painful memories is he wanted to us extract a lesson and apply to our children, to how we raise our own kids.
This show is called SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. America loves show business. America loves performers and entertainers. But we`ve really overdosed a bit on fame and celebrity.
And for Michael, fame became his drug of choice. On the one hand, he understood the toxic effects on his life. On the other hand, he couldn`t completely relinquish it.
And you`re pointing out very rightly, A.J., that Michael was such contradictory information - what he`s offering, and he understood that contradiction. There were always two Michael Jacksons. There was the soft, shy, soft-spoken boy from Gary, Indiana and there was the King of Pop.
What these tapes unearthed is the real Michael Jackson, the boy, the one who always clung to his innocence. And that`s why so much comes out about his romantic attractions to other women that were not sexual. They were just romantic - holding hands.
But then, you have the other side of it. I say to him pointblank, "Michael, since you yearned so much for the childhood that you really never granted. Since you wanted to be on the monkey bars and the merry go round while you were in the recording studio, would you give it up?"
And he thinks for a moment and he says, "No, I would never give it up." So it did become an addiction after a while. And he understood that and I understood it because it`s what we all think life is about in the United States today. And he was causing us to question our values.
And I think that`s why this book has been met with such a jarring response by so many in the public, because we really want to believe this lie, that if you become rich enough and famous enough, you`re going to be happy. And yet, Michael was utterly, utterly miserable.
HAMMER: So how do you convince people now who might be questioning your motives that this is not yet another betrayal of Michael because he speaks and we see a lot of this in the book, about how he was betrayed, left and right, by people who were supposed to be looking after best interests?
SHMULEY: This is not a memoir of my opinion of Michael Jackson. These are not my recollections. This is Michael in his own voice. The tapes speak for themselves.
When a man sits down for 30 hours and he is holding Dictaphone and he wants every word captured because he feels he`s never been understood by the public, obviously, he is saying it because he wants people to take his words to heart. This is Michael in his own words.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And to all those skeptics, the rabbi also said a substantial portion from the proceeds of this book is going to go family charities including this own This World: The Jewish Values Network.
Rabbi Shmuley`s book is called "The Michael Jackson Tapes: A Tragic Icon Reveals His Soul in Intimate Conversation."
ANDERSON: We`ve got so many more showbiz shockers as stars reveal their deepest darkest secrets. Rosie O`Donnell`s shocking confessions caught on tape. Rosie`s dramatic revelations about Oprah. Rosie`s explosive claims of childhood abuse. Tonight, it`s Rosie totally unplugged.
Also, an unbelievable showbiz shocker from Kathy Griffin -
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KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE: You know what? I`m not a secret keeper, as you know. And there`s nothing about my life that has any secrets.
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ANDERSON: Tonight, the secret she is revealing, the incredible confession that her brother was a pedophile.
And the Courtney Cox showbiz shocker - the great cougar debate. Tonight, Courtney dishes very controversial advice. The star of TV hit show "Cougar Town" on how older women can get younger guys. But is Courtney just making women look desperate? You are watching a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers" on HLN.
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COURTNEY COX, ACTRESS: The hell with it. Hey, kid! Pow!
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HAMMER: Courtney Cox is the ultimate cougar, but her ABC show, "Cougar Town" has stirred up a lot of cougarlicious controversy. Tonight, the great debate. Is the show sending the wrong message?
Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Showbiz Shockers." I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Courtney`s shocking cougar advice.
HAMMER: Yes. Courtney Cox has now become a mascot for cougars everywhere. In her show, a big hit on ABC called Cougar Town, Courtney Cox is hot. She`s over 40, and she`s totally unashamed about dating men half her age. In a controversial interview with "USA Today," Courtney reveals her top rules for being the perfect cougar.
ANDERSON: But in a shocking showbiz debate, we are asking, is Courtney empowering women over 40 or belittling them? Right now, from New York, Dawn Yanek who is the senior editor for "Life and Style Weekly." Also in New York, Midwin Charles, who is an attorney for Midwin Charles and Associates.
I`m betting there a lot of men who are thinking that Courtney Cox is cougarlicious in "Cougar Town." She plays a newly divorced mother in her 40s struggling to create a new identity and dating plenty of younger men along the way. Watch.
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COX: There is a man in my house.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Should I call the police?
COX: No. I lied and - just go look at him.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What was that? Come on!
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Go do disgusting things to that boy.
COX: No, I need time to prepare. I`ve got to light candles. I look really good in flickering light.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I love it. So funny. So what are Courtney`s real-life rules for being the ultimate cougar? Courtney tells "USA Today," "Number one, be your own biggest fan." She says her favorite cougar is herself. She is 45; hubby David Arquette, 38. Midwin, is Courtney the cougar sending the right message to women over 40?
CHARLES: I don`t know. I mean, I took a few minutes to look at the show the other day and I just was sadly not impressed. Not so much because the cougar concept is crazy or wild. I think it`s fabulous. I mean, we all can remember Samantha from "Sex and the City" and how great that character was.
But I just don`t know if Courtney Cox fits well into this role. She really isn`t someone who exudes sexuality. So the show and not concept, yes.
ANDERSON: Oh, harsh. Harsh. OK. Who is Courtney`s second favorite real life cougar? Herself, being number one. She says that`s Demi Moore, who is 15 years older than husband Ashton Kutcher. But there`s another poster cougar out there. Who is it? Madonna.
She gorgeous, 51 years old dating 23-year-old Jesus Luz. So that brings us to rule number two of Courtney Cox`s cougar rule, "Embrace your age." Dawn, do you think Demi and Madonna and Courtney are embracing their age and giving "cougardom" a better name?
DAWN YANEK, SENIOR EDITOR, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": I think they definitely are. And let`s also not forget about Halle Berry. I mean, she has a younger boyfriend who is her daughter`s father.
And, I mean, my goodness. Any man would be lucky to be with Halle Berry. And this is a thing that we can really get behind "Life and Style Weekly," because really, you can be any age as long as you are confident in your sexuality, in yourself, in your appearance. That is a good thing.
And you know what? I think as far as "Cougar Town" goes, it`s just kind of finding its groove. And in the first few episodes, Courtney Cox`s character is a little bit desperate. She`s a little bit - she`s trying to find her way. But she kind of finds herself as the episodes go along. And I think that`s just something that is really, really relatable.
ANDERSON: Yes. This show, to me, was funny. It made me chuckle. It doesn`t take itself too seriously. But you know -
YANEK: It`s comedy. It`s supposed to be over-the-top.
ANDERSON: Exactly. It`s supposed to be over-the-top. But you know, not everybody thinks that Courtney is sending the best cougar message. Some critics say that her cougar character does seem really desperate, does seem really insecure, way different than the real life Courtney, the cougar. Watch this.
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COX: I`ve got an idea.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, great. It`s probably not insane at all.
COX: Every night at 10:00 sharp, I`m going to look out my window. And if your porch light is on, I`m going to know that`s a signal that you think I`m attractive. And you never have to say it to my face.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You`ve got noodles all in your hair.
COX: Somebody is obsessed with my hair.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So Midwin, I really get your take on this. What do you think? Is Courtney`s cougar character somehow belittling this whole cougar movement?
CHARLES: I think she is. You know, it`s funny. That`s the exact clip that I saw last night. But I think she is only because -
ANDERSON: That you were not impressed with?
CHARLES: I was not. I was not. My mom was with me and she was like, "What is this? Turn the channel." I think the thing with her character and not the concept cougar, right? But her character is, she is so desperate.
And I think with the cougars that we have named, Demi Moore, Halle Berry - there is no desperation there. It is almost abundantly clear that those young men chased those older women and would love to be with them as well as a lot of younger men. So I think she definitely comes across as really desperate. And rightfully so, that would turn off a lot of women.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, I think age is nothing but a number. I think she is supposed to be over-the-top in this role. And you know, I think it`s good when we can laugh at ourselves. We do have to leave it there for now. We`ll continue this discussion. Midwin Charles, Dawn Yanek, good to see you. Thanks.
HAMMER: Tonight, Mackenzie Phillips opens up about her deep dark secret. She claims that she had a sexual relationship with her own father. And now, Mack`s sister, Chynna Phillips, reveals what it`s like to be one of the few people standing up for Mack.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
C. PHILLIPS: I`m walking into the fire right now, essentially and it`s scary that it`s on such a public platform.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s Chynna in the emotional interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Also showbiz shockers from Rosie O`Donnell. Rosie`s dramatic revelations about Oprah. Rosie`s explosive claims of childhood abuse. Tonight, it is Rosie totally unplugged.
And the outrageous story of a woman eating a pet goldfish for revenge. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. So what the heck do you call deep-fried goldfish? This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We welcome you back to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers." I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
OK. Oprah got a huge shock during the kickoff party to her 24th talk show season. The Black Eyed Peas performed in Chicago and no one was more surprised than Oprah herself when everyone in the crowd started dancing in sync. Take a look at this.
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ANDERSON: Now, the Black Eyed Peas knew what`s up, but Oprah didn`t. Oprah regular Ali Wentworth explained how it all went down.
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ALI WENTWORTH, COMEDIENNE: We brought in creative masterminds, award- winning director Michael Gracey(ph) and top choreographer Ashley Wallen. Well, they whipped up a dance to "I Got a Feeling," we Twittered and Facebooked looking for viewers who love to dance. And sure enough, 800 of them showed up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: There were only 20 professional dancers there who taught the other 800 the routine. Very cool.
HAMMER: Very cool, indeed. And tonight, I can tell you something else that`s very cool - well, maybe. Paris Hilton, at long last, getting the same respect as Confucius.
I`m not kidding here. Words of wisdom from Paris are actually included in the latest edition of "The Oxford Book of Quotations." It`s a 65-year-old dictionary that has immortalized the words of everyone from Oscar Wilde to Stephen Hawking.
Here now is Paris` contribution. "Dress cute wherever you go, life is too short to blend in." Well, thank you, Paris.
And Paris actually reacted to the news in the way that all the great thinkers do. She posted something on Twitter, "So cool that I have a quote in the dictionary." She really is the Buddha of our times.
ANDERSON: And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIENNE: You know what? I`m not a secret keeper, as you know. And there`s nothing about my life that has any secrets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kathy Griffin`s shocking secrets about her brother being a pedophile.
Also, showbiz shockers from Rosie O`Donnell. Rosie`s dramatic revelations about Oprah. Rosie`s explosive claims of childhood abuse. Tonight, it`s Rosie totally unplugged.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levi!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Levi Johnston does it with protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s bizarre in itself, but this is an ad for pistachios. This all sounds kind of nuts, if you ask me. This is a special edition of "Showbiz Shockers" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers," Rosie`s shocking confessions caught on tape. Rosie`s startling claims of childhood abuse and her dramatic revelations about Oprah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I was just saying, you know, we could do it together. We could -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We could change the world.
O`DONNELL: Right. And she`s at home going, "Who is this girl?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, it`s Rosie totally unplugged. Kathy Griffin`s shocking revelations about her pedophile brother. Why she decided to share her ugly family secret. And the lightning rod in one of the most famous family feuds makes some shock waves of his own.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) n
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levi!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Levi Johnston does it with protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. That`s Levi Johnston joking about unprotected sex. Pretty bizarre. And I bet the Palins weren`t amused. Plus, the ad is for pistachios. How nuts is that.
A special edition TV`s most provocative entertainment news show, "Showbiz Shockers," continues right now.
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Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers," the stories and revelations that truly left us shocked. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. Tonight, Rosie`s shocking confessions.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. Rosie O`Donnell certainly never one to hold back. But when she revealed explosive details about her life, even the most unflappable fans were shocked.
Rosie waited for years to share the horrifying details of abuse that she allegedly suffered as a child, details that are so tough to hear that she is avoided talking about it for decades.
A Rosie confession that wouldn`t be complete without a slam against her nemesis, Donald Trump. Wait until you hear this stunning showbiz shocker.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Rosie O`Donnell is making shocking confessions about molestation in her family.
O`DONNELL: There were varying levels of abuse.
HAMMER: She`s setting the record straight about her troubled relationships.
O`DONNELL: Kelley and I have a lot of issues and sex wasn`t one of them.
HAMMER: And best of all, she`s settling old scores.
O`DONNELL: I think you`re an (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HAMMER: Rosie O`Donnell was absolutely unplugged in her interview on Howard Stern`s show on Sirius XM satellite radio.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": We haven`t heard from Rosie in a while but now she`s coming back with a vengeance and being so revealing.
HAMMER: Rosie`s most shocking revelations were about childhood abuse which she`s only hinted about in the past.
SERAFIN: She alluded to something in a book that she had written. But this is the first time we`ve heard her be very open about abuse that was going on in her own family.
HAMMER: Now, Rosie`s speaking out like never before about abuse even though she`s still somewhat vague about it.
HOWARD STERN, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: You`ve alluded to molestation. But it wasn`t between you and your dad, though, was it?
O`DONNELL: Well, you know, there were some serious issues going on in the house at that point, and, you know, there were five children, and there were varying levels of abuse.
HAMMER: Rosie tells Howard Stern she wasn`t able to talk about the abuse when she was a child but she describes some suspicious infections in graphic detail.
O`DONNELL: I was like six, seven, eight, kindergarten, first, second grade. And whenever I would go to the doctor the doctor would look, you know, and say to me, "Do you touch yourself?" And I don`t know if you know - you know, you have children, but that doesn`t start for a child of that age. You know that something has been introduced to a child if that`s happening at that age. And it was not me that was causing the infections, you know, so it`s a very heavy thing.
SERAFIN: She`s being so incredibly open about these things that happened to her as a child. But on the other hand, you still kind of have questions about exactly what happened.
HAMMER: Rosie also addresses tabloid headlines that she and her long- time partner, Kelley Carpenter are splitting up.
O`DONNELL: We`ve been together for 12 years. We are a family, and a family is a family is a family. We will stay a family, you know. And Kelley and I are working through a lot of the stuff that we have and the children are the priority. I don`t know that we`re going to be together. I think we`re working through what`s going to work best.
HAMMER: But Rosie being Rosie, couldn`t help but take a few shots at her sparring partners, like her former boss on "The View," Barbara Walters.
O`DONNELL: I assumed that because she was the first woman to break all these barriers that she was very supportive of other women, that she was very much a sister, right? And I got on that show only to realize, oh, my God, that`s not the case.
I did find her to be inaccessible in a way that startled me. And I did find her to be sort of non-supportive in another way with the Trump thing.
HAMMER: Oh, "the Trump thing." Remember Rosie`s on-air feud with Donald Trump where the two of them spent almost a year trading public insults? Yes. Rosie is not over that.
O`DONNELL: I simply said the truth about him, and he went ballistic. What he did to me, personally, is just an example of how he feels about all women.
HAMMER: And don`t count on the Donald ever appearing on Rosie`s radio show.
O`DONNELL: Donald Trump doesn`t interest me in any capacity so I don`t know what I would ever say to him besides, "I think you`re an (EXPLETIVE DELETED)."
SERAFIN: It all seems like she holds grudges. It seems like she hasn`t let a lot of these feuds go.
HAMMER: But once again, Rosie`s willingness to bare all is showing us that she`s still one of the most fascinating celebrities out there.
SERAFIN: One thing that you take from this interview is that Rosie is definitely a complicated person. And just when you think you know her, you realize you don`t know anything about her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: There was so much more to Rosie`s big tell-all, including her candid account of an emotional phone call she placed to, of all people, Oprah Winfrey. Talk about a showbiz shocker. Rosie reveals to Howard Stern that she made a huge mistake when she called Oprah after the tragic Columbine school shooting.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: At the height of my Columbine insanity, I called Oprah Winfrey one night.
STERN: All right.
O`DONNELL: Which was an error in judgment, Howard.
STERN: Why?
O`DONNELL: First of all ...
STERN: Did she not accept it?
O`DONNELL: No, she was very kind, I`ll give you that, and I don`t know that I was even coherent.
STERN: Right.
O`DONNELL: And, I was just saying you know, we could together, we could do it.
STERN: We could change the world.
O`DONNELL: Right, and she is at home in Chicago going, "Who is this girl? And why the hell did she get - and how did she get my number?"
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I would have loved to be a fly on the wall for that conversation, or maybe not. It sounds intense.
HAMMER: But if you want to talk about a truly shocking revelation made openly on TV, one that really takes the cake - it`s Mackenzie Phillips`s explosive claim that she and her father, John Phillips, had a sexual relationship for 10 years.
When Mackenzie came out with this stunning story, I have to tell you, it totally divided her family. But one of the first people to step forward to support Mack was her half sister whose father is also John Phillips, of course, of the iconic `60s group, The Mamas and The Papas.
And when I sat down with Chynna, she told me that she knows her faith will help her through this tremendously difficult time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
C. PHILLIPS: I can`t hold any resentments.
HAMMER: Yes.
C. PHILLIPS: I just can`t and I love my sister. And I`m really, really proud of her. I won`t lie. It`s definitely had somewhat of a negative impact on my family and some of the relationships. But I know that that will be healed because Jesus is on board. I`ve got the Lord on board.
HAMMER: How can you go wrong? It is so nice to see, though, hearing what you say about Mackenzie and hearing what she says about you. There is an obvious closeness about you, guys. There is a connection. I do want to take a look at what she said about you on "LARRY KING LIVE."
C. PHILLIPS: Sure.
HAMMER: Because you can see it in her face. And I want to watch your reaction because I think I can see it in your face hearing her voice. Let`s look at that.
C. PHILLIPS: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MACKENZIE PHILLIPS, ACTRESS: Chynna and I sat down several months ago and had a beautiful dinner together. And I told her the story that I have told you. And Chynna has known this in form or another for a long time as well.
And I can tell you Chynna has a Christian album coming out which is absolutely brilliant. She`s an amazing artist. And I can`t tell you how much her support means to me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Was there any doubt, Chynna, in your mind. You knew it was going to have some tough stuff in it. But was there any doubt that you had to get out there and support her publicly the way you instantly did?
C. PHILLIPS: Not really, because I knew that it must have been some sort of divine intervention that my album came out a day before her book. What are the chances of that? And so I sort of figured like God was caressing me and saying, "You know, I know this is tough. I know this is going to be difficult, but I have a reason for it."
HAMMER: And everybody has been asking Mackenzie in the aftermath of her revelation how she is doing. How are you doing?
C. PHILLIPS: Thank you for asking.
HAMMER: Well, you know, I have been wondering that. And it struck me instantly before you said anything. Oh my goodness - the family and of course, you. So how are you doing?
C. PHILLIPS: You know, some days are better than others. Sometimes, I just have to have a good cry. It hasn`t been easy. But today, I`m having a good day.
HAMMER: Good.
C. PHILLIPS: And I`ve got my husband supporting me and I`ve got a really good therapist. And you know, it`s like I`m just walking through the fire right now, essentially. And it`s scary that it`s on such a public platform. But that`s the way it`s supposed to be, I guess, right now.
HAMMER: One of the difficult things for me has been watching how people have been going after her saying, wow, you know, "No way. She is making this up." Were you, right from the very start, saying, "How can you make something like this up?"
And among those who have said that she is lying essentially have been members of your family. Have you had a chance to speak with any people who are saying that and help them reconcile this?
C. PHILLIPS: There is nothing I can say or do. Everyone is going to have their own personal opinion about the subject. I choose to believe her and others don`t.
HAMMER: Fair enough. You have said that you wish that she handled this privately.
C. PHILLIPS: Well, yes. Yes. It`s a huge revelation and it`s something my poor dad is not even here to talk about. And that makes me sad that he can`t defend himself in any way, shape or form, or at least, come out and talk about it publicly.
He doesn`t have a choice and that makes me sad. I don`t condone the behavior. I don`t condone what happened between my father and my sister. But it is helping people. The incest and rape hotlines have gone up 50 percent. And that is a miracle. That`s a miracle - that my sister coming out with this was able to change and touch so many lives. I hope that people find a lot of healing and peace.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Obviously some very tough subject matter there. I`ve got to tell you I really admire Chynna`s attitude about the whole situation.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a real showbiz shocker from Kathy Griffin.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: You know what? I`m not a secret keeper, as you know. And there`s nothing about my life that has any secrets.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Kathy opens up about a very painful and very private family secret. Plus, Kathy has been known to hang around with Levi Johnston. Just take a look at what he`s up to.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levi!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Levi Johnston does it with protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes. Levi Johnston joking about unprotected sex. I`m thinking the Palins aren`t too pleased about that. But get this - the ad for pistachios. I`ll show it to you and you can judge for yourself how nuts it is.
Also, the outrageous story of a woman eating a pet goldfish for revenge. They say revenge is a dish best served cold. So what the heck do you call deep-fried goldfish? It`s the unbelievable but totally true story you`ve just got to see. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers." I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And tonight, it`s Kathy`s painful past.
Yes, Kathy Griffin does make a living making people laugh. But in Kathy`s memoir, "The Official Book Club Selection," Griffin writes about something that is no laughing matter. Her oldest brother, Kenny, was a pedophile.
And I can`t imagine many people would want the whole world to know such a personal shocking family secret. So when I sat down with Kathy, I asked her why she felt the story needed to be in the book.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: You know what? I`m not a secret keeper, as you know. And there`s nothing about my life that has any secrets. And what I learned is - you know, I grew up in a very traditional Irish Catholic family.
And you know the mix - they love their secrets. And that`s all well and good. But I think, at the end of the day, when you`re talking about pedophilia, something as serious as that, you can`t keep that secret. It`s something that needs be exposed.
You know, when I was a little girl - you know, I`m 48 now, so when I was a little girl, it`s almost like that word "pedophile" didn`t exist in our world. And yet, we all sort of had that relative that you kind of knew not to go near.
It`s very sort of amorphous thing, and I couldn`t write the book without writing about him. Because, in fact, he was actually a very influential character in my life, because, you know, obviously, a very difficult person for my whole family to deal with and he was a divisive figure in our family.
So I felt like if I`m going to write a book that has stuff that you haven`t seen on "The D-List" - you don`t see my act. There are serious parts, too, like anybody else in life. You know, you have serious and heavy things that happen to you. And so, I couldn`t write the book without writing about him.
HAMMER (on camera): And separate from learning about you from -
GRIFFIN: Could that answer have been any longer?
HAMMER: It was pretty long.
GRIFFIN: Because how are you ever going to cut around this?
HAMMER: We`ll cut around it.
GRIFFIN: All right.
HAMMER: Is there anything, though, from your story about your brother, Kenny, and the things that you say about him that other people may take away and perhaps look at their own lives?
GRIFFIN: Of course. I think the most important thing to take away is, it didn`t just happen to my family. It happens in many families. It needs to be talked about. And I believe this is a topic that only when you shine the light on it will we start to get some - I don`t know if you can say healing. I don`t know.
I don`t personally believe people can be cured from this. But it`s something that needs to be talked about. And I think that`s how you protect people.
HAMMER: Just an awareness that hey, it going on.
GRIFFIN: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Have the conversation.
GRIFFIN: Have the conversation, which - by the way, my dad ultimately did have the conversation with my brother before he died. And he said, "You know, Kathleen thinks you`re a pedophile. And my brother`s answer was, "Well, I do what I do."
HAMMER: Wow.
GRIFFIN: Probably not how you would answer if someone accused you of being a pedophile. I mean it`s a pretty intense thing. So yes, I write about it.
HAMMER: Kathy also talks about her feuds with celebrities - Oprah, for one, who Kathy says has banned her from her talk show. And it turns out that Kathy also put Barbara Walters in awkward position one time when she was on "The View."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: What happens is when I go to "The View," people exit the building. One of them is named Barbara Walters who I actually bum-rushed in the bathroom and knocked on the door to the bathroom so she`ll talk to me.
HAMMER: So she will not share the set with you?
GRIFFIN: She doesn`t care for me.
HAMMER: She wants you on the show, but doesn`t want to do it with you?
GRIFFIN: That`s right. She knows I`m ratings gold ...
HAMMER: Why is that?
GRIFFIN: ... as you do. But she knows I will make fun of her and tease her. And also, she is intimidated by me.
HAMMER: Like Oprah?
GRIFFIN: Exactly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to give Kathy credit. She has no inhibitions, just says it like she sees it.
ANDERSON: When it comes to one of the biggest showbiz shockers of them all, I`ve got two words for you, "Balloon boy." Remember that saga when we all thought a kid was floating in a balloon and it turned out to be a big hoax?
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the awards for best and weirdest moments from what may well be the year`s strangest story. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A kid who looked like the cat that swallowed the canary adrift in a balloon resembling an unidentified flying chef`s hat.
(MUSIC)
MOOS: Yes, well, now that the story`s popped, time to hand out the coveted Silver Saucers.
(on camera): The Silver Saucer Award for most awkward moment goes to the parents, reacting to their son.
(voice-over): They seemed speechless when he told Wolf Blitzer...
FALCON HEENE, THOUGHT TO BE MISSING IN BALLOON: We did this for a show.
RICHARD HEENE, FALCON`S FATHER: Man.
MAYUMI HEENE, FALCON`S MOTHER: No.
MOOS (on camera): For best PDA, public display of affection, we award the Silver Saucer to the dad.
R. HEENE: I`m just so glad he`s here, you know. I`m really sorry I yelled at him.
MOOS (voice-over): Mom had a supporting role with comforting rubbing.
(on camera): We award the Silver Saucer for the most heartfelt tears to the mother.
(voice-over): During that 911 call...
911 OPERATOR: It`s a flying saucer?
M. HEENE: Yes, we`ve got to get my son.
MOOS: The Silver Saucer for worst acting goes to mom and dad during the reality show "Wife Swap."
M. HEENE: No, I`ve told you from my heart.
R. HEENE: You`re not my wife. You`re a man`s nightmare.
MOOS (on camera): The Silver Saucer award for not acting but acting out goes to young Falcon.
(voice-over): Before the family`s interview with Wolf Blitzer, Wolf introduced himself.
R. HEENE: Say hi to Wolf.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi.
F. HEENE: Who the hell is Wolf?
MOOS: During the interview, Falcon made faces, took his dad`s phone and slapped his brother. But the kids also get the Silver Saucer for best hygiene when sneezing.
(on camera): The Silver Saucer award for best balloon cameo goes to "Saturday Night Live."
SETH MEYERS, "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE": Bye, balloon.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, Seth.
MEYERS: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was a hoax.
MEYERS: Yes, we know.
MOOS (voice-over): But the Silver Saucer for most genuine moment goes to Falcon`s brothers for their reaction when he threw up on national TV.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ooh.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ooh.
MOOS: Dad looks like he almost lost it.
(on camera): At least with the Silver Saucer award, you can eat it after receiving it.
(voice-over): Just don`t make yourself sick.
F. HEENE: Mom, I feel like I`m going to vomit.
MOOS: (on camera): Not enough room in there for a kid.
F. HEENE: Who the hell is Wolf?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I think this whole balloon boy thing is, by far, the most bizarre story we have heard in a long time. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Levi Johnston is selling nuts and you`re not going to believe how.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levi!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Levi Johnston does it with protection.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Levi Johnston joking about unprotected sex. That`s bizarre in itself. But I bet the Palins weren`t at all amused by it. And get this, the ad is for pistachios. You can judge for itself just how nuts it is.
Also, the outrageous story of a woman eating a pet goldfish for revenge. Now, of course, they say revenge is a dish best served cold. So I`m wondering, what the heck do you call deep fried goldfish? It`s the unbelievable but totally true showbiz shocker. You`ve got to see it for yourself. We are coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, Levi Johnston`s eye-popping commercial. The father of Sarah Palin`s grandson got his first acting gig - if you can call that - in a commercial for Wonderful Pistachios.
Levi pokes fun at himself as part of the company`s get cracking campaign. But the joke is bound make the Palins furious.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Levi!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, Levi Johnston does it with protection.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wonderful Pistachios. Get cracking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, Levi`s commercial was one of eight that the company made for this campaign. Others feature former "Brady Bunch" star Christopher Knight and Olympic swimmer Dara Torres.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the outrageous case of the fried pet goldfish. A Texas woman got really, really fired up after an argument and she wanted big-time revenge so she cooked up a plan to get back at her common law husband and took it out on his poor goldfish. This is wrong on so many levels.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos with a true showbiz shocker that only sounds like a fish tale.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MOOS (voice-over): From the fish bowl into the frying pan. It`s one thing to have a fish fry but frying your own pet goldfish to get back at your common law husband?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s sick.
MOOS: And then eating them?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, gross.
MOOS: It happened in this apartment in Pasadena, Texas.
(on camera): Let me make it clear. No goldfish will be harmed in the making of this report which is why we`ll be recreating events using these. Let`s see. Seven fried goldfish.
(voice-over): 55-year-old Manuel Moreira called police to report that his common-law wife had kidnapped his goldfish from his apartment. The two had been arguing about some jewelry she had given him that he refused to give back.
The police report says she told him that he would regret it.
(on camera): When a police officer went to where the wife was staying, she let him into the kitchen where he found a plate with four fried goldfish on it. When asked about the other three, she said she had eaten them.
(voice-over): Now, it`s bad enough to swallow a gold fish that`s not your pet. But to swallow 339 of them in two hours as this college student did -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And push it down with your tongue. It`s lake an oyster.
MOOS: People gulp them down alive out of a jar of water.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ve got to get more water.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He did it.
MOOS: Or swallow them dry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve got to chew on it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh my god!
MOOS: But to fry and dine on pets you bought together at a happier time? That will wipe the smile off a fish`s face. No charges will be filed. The husband didn`t want to pursue the matter.
(on camera): They say revenge is a dish best served cold, but apparently not when goldfish are on the menu.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I really am speechless after that story, A.J. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: What do you say, Brooke? What do you say? That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Showbiz Shockers." I am A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and weekday mornings at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN. Take care.
END
