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Showbiz Tonight
Tiger Woods-David Letterman Extortion Connection; Charlie Sheen Domestic Violence Drama; Did Warren Beatty Really Sleep with Almost 13,000 Women?; Joan Rivers Held Hostage in Costa Rica
Aired January 04, 2010 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the startling Tiger Woods-David Letterman extortion connection. Tonight, the extraordinary claim by David Letterman`s alleged extortionist and what his attorney revealed on TV today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GERALD SHARGEL, LAWYER FOR ALLEGED LETTERMAN EXTORTIONIST: Not every threat to reveal someone`s secrets amounts to extortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the remarkable, almost unbelievable claims. Plus, did Tiger really give his estranged wife $300 million to make up for his serial cheating?
Brand-new Charlie Sheen domestic violence drama.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BROOKE MUELLER, CHARLIE SHEEN`S WIFE: My husband had me with a knife and I`m scared for my life and he threatened me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why Charlie could be prosecuted for allegedly holding a knife to his wife`s throat, even if she doesn`t cooperate. J. Lo`s New Year`s Eve naked outfit shocker. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, did Jennifer Lopez` cat suit deserve cat calls? Or was it a catastrophe?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: 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 from Hollywood.
And tonight, the Tiger Woods defense. OK, get out your number two pencils, here`s a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT pop quiz. The question - what is the Tiger Woods connection to the man accused of trying to extort David Letterman? And the answer is what may be the most absurd, outrageous, biggest leap of logic in legal history.
The attorney for Letterman`s alleged extortionist went on national TV today and claimed his client did not commit a crime and the proof, he says, is Tiger reported payoffs to mistresses to keep them quiet.
It`s being called the Tiger Woods defense. It`s strange. It`s wacky and made for big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Now, Tiger Woods and David Letterman have done more than get caught with their pants down. They are now behind a new legal doctrine that could take the American legal system by storm. Call it the Tiger Woods defense.
JO PIAZZA, CNN.COM ENTERTAINMENT WRITER: To find a way to integrate Tiger Woods and David Letterman into one story - I didn`t think it was possible.
ANDERSON: Oh, it`s possible all right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Robert Halderman, the guy accused of threatening to reveal David Letterman`s affair with a staffer unless Letterman paid him $2 million, is now trying to use the Tiger Woods defense to beat his grand larceny rap.
SHARGEL: Not every threat to reveal secrets amounts to extortion. And our position is that in this case, at this time, with Joe Halderman, it wasn`t extortion.
ANDERSON: This morning on the "Today" show, Halderman`s attorney defended legal papers he submitted to court. In those papers he actually suggests that if unconfirmed reports that Tiger Woods bought silence from alleged mistresses are true, then there`s nothing wrong with Halderman asking for money to keep silent about Letterman`s affairs.
SHARGEL: Halderman said, "Wrong, I`m going to go out with the story. I`ve been hurt. I`ve been destroyed. My relationship with the woman I loved has been totally, totally destroyed. I`m going to go out there. I`m going to go out there with a book, a screenplay, a treatment, whatever form I choose. If you, David Letterman, want this to remain confidential, I`m willing to enter into a contract with you."
(CROSSTALK)
(INAUDIBLE) capitalism, not criminality.
ANDERSON: Letterman`s attorney was also on the "Today" show. He thinks the Tiger Woods defense is a bunch of nonsense.
DANIEL HORWITZ, DAVID LETTERMAN`S ATTORNEY: Mr. Halderman is accused of standing outside Mr. Letterman`s apartment at 6:00 in the morning delivering a blackmail package that threatened him personally and professionally, demanding a big chunk of money, and then, in tape recorded conversations, demanding $2 million for silence. That`s classic blackmail, no matter how many analogies that you want to make to tabloid stories.
ANDERSON: So now, Tiger Woods, who`s already gone down in history for golf accomplishments and his messy sex scandal is now at the center of one of the most dubious legal arguments since McDonald`s was sued for making its coffee too hot.
PIAZZA: There`s so many holes in this purported Tiger Woods defense that it`s actually hilarious. They are essentially saying extortion shouldn`t be a crime.
ANDERSON: Even if not many people are taking the Tiger Woods defense seriously, there`s no telling where it might lead. Could it help Halderman wiggle out of charges that could get him up to 15 years in prison?
Could it become the standard defense of anyone accused of extortion in a celebrity sex scandal? And who knows what could happen from there?
PIAZZA: It would be fantastic if Tiger or one of his alleged mistresses were called to testify in the David Letterman case.
ANDERSON: But for now, the Tiger Woods defense is just an argument that links together two of the most shocking sex scandals around.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. So here`s what I`m trying to figure out. Stay with me now. Is Letterman`s accused extortionist a total wacko or perhaps some kind of twisted genius for claiming the Tiger Woods defense?
With me now, in New York, Midwin Charles who is a legal contributor for "In Session." Also, in New York tonight, Ben Widdicombe who is an entertainment journalist.
And Midwin, Ben, I want to get to you guys in just a moment. But first, Brooke Anderson coming back in here from Hollywood. Of course, Brooke just reported all the latest details on this big story breaking tonight.
Now, Brooke, after you picked your jaw off the floor, did the thought across your mind that this bizarre Tiger Woods defense could actually work?
ANDERSON: No, no. In fact, A.J., I thought this whole thing was a joke. I mean, it`s a real shot in the dark, a true sign of desperation, if I`ve ever seen. And by the way, those reported Tiger Woods payoffs have not been confirmed.
So he`s using examples here that may or may not be true. The two situations are completely different. And A.J., it`s so absurd to me, it`s laughable.
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing though. The lawyer for David Letterman`s alleged extortionist says that the Tiger Woods defense is a total no- brainer. Watch how he explained it on this morning`s "Today" show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHARGEL: Not every threat to reveal someone`s secrets amounts to extortion. And our position is that in this case, at this time, with Joe Halderman, it wasn`t extortion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Midwin, as the attorney, I`m coming to you for your legal expertise right now. Is this total lunacy or perhaps, could this be the most mind-blowing defense since - I don`t know - O.J.`s, "If it doesn`t not fit you must acquit" defense?
MIDWIN CHARLES, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": Total lunacy. I mean, what he is describe is extortion, pure, cut and simple. He says that not every threat relates to extortion, but it wasn`t just a threat. It was, "If you don`t do X, then I will do Y."
And let`s remember, at some point, David Letterman did give him this fictitious amount of money, this money that was fake. So he actually took the money in exchange for doing this.
HAMMER: You should have seen, as we were watching him, that he was making a case against himself, right?
CHARLES: Absolutely. He was definitely hurting himself. That`s for sure. And let`s also point out if he really wanted to make money, all he had to do was just go to "The National Enquirer" and talked to them. He would have gotten a check and called it a day.
HAMMER: Ben Widdicombe, what do you think? I mean, it is crazy when you hear two of the biggest, you know, stories to make entertainment headlines in the past year suddenly merging together. Do you think this thing is genius or is this guy just nuts?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, I think if you`re attorney is basing your entire legal defense on someone else`s gossip story from a month ago, you`re in deep trouble. What was the plan B if this didn`t happen?
But also, let`s remember the facts of the two cases are very different. Halderman went to David Letterman and asked the money. And it`s up to the courts to decide whether he was trying to sell a film treatment or whether he was blackmailing Letterman.
Rachel Uchitel never went to Tiger Woods, never asked for money. She was sold out by two friends at "The National Enquirer" who paid those people. She found herself in a lot of hot water and then she lawyered up when she got in trouble.
HAMMER: Yes.
WIDDICOMBE: And as Brooke said, we don`t know whether Tiger paid her any money after she hired Gloria Allred. We might assume that she did, but we don`t know. Very different cases.
HAMMER: Yes. And here`s the other thing that I`m having a hard time wrapping my head around. Aside from all of that, you remember at the very beginning, Joe Halderman, the alleged extortionist, claimed he was trying to get David Letterman to pay money for that screenplay.
And now, he`s claiming the Tiger Woods defense. You know, Midwin, I`m sitting in a jury or I`m a judge or I`m just watching this right now thinking, this guy must be a liar. I mean, it`s two totally different stories all of a sudden.
CHARLES: He is a liar and you can`t have it both ways. You can`t, on the one hand, say you were trying to sell a film treatment and then on the other, claim that you were going to divulge the relationships.
And remember, David Letterman admitted to these relationships. So this guy was actually correct in having this information and wanting to make use of it - $2 million worth of use.
HAMMER: Unbelievable. So Ben Widdicombe, my question to you, my friend, do you have any sympathy at this point for either Halderman or Tiger Woods for these sticky situations they find themselves in today?
WIDDICOMBE: You know what? No. I think both of these men were hoisted by their own petards. I mean, if Halderman`s attorney`s point is that there`s a thin line in Hollywood between extortion and a business deal, actually, I would agree with him on that point.
In this specific case - no, very different cases. And both guys are in traps of their own devising.
HAMMER: Midwin, would you side up with that?
CHARLES: I agree. I mean, these guys really dug their own graves, unfortunately for them. And it remains to be seen whether or not this guy will be convicted of extortion. But the facts are not helpful, particularly since he actually went through with it. He actually took what he believed was $2 million from David Letterman.
HAMMER: Well, there is one person in the Tiger Woods drama I do have a lot of sympathy. That`s his wife, Elin. Now, she reportedly spent the New Year and her 30th birthday in the French Alps without Tiger and she may have 300 million new reasons to have a happy new year.
You`ve got to hear the remarkable brand-new details that surfaced about Tiger`s reported $300 million payout. Midwin Charles, Ben Widdicombe, we`ll be getting back to you on that in just a few minutes.
And now, over to you. Here`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Tiger Woods: Is it time for him to go public?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can E-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Now, tonight, I can tell you that Charlie Sheen has a big marriage mess on his hands, too. Why Charlie can be prosecuted for allegedly holding a knife to his wife`s throat even if she doesn`t cooperate.
But here`s what I don`t get, Tiger has this mega-cheating scandal. Charlie has had problems with women. Now, the stunning domestic abuse claims. So why haven`t people asked for Charlie`s head while Tiger is being slammed and losing sponsors left and right? It`s a fired-up debate.
Also, tonight, I know Warren Beatty likes the ladies, but 13,000 of them? A dramatic new claim that Warren has slept with nearly 13,000 women. Does the math even add up on this? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Avatar" has pulled in more than $1 billion worldwide, only the fifth movie ever to do so. And the Obamas contribute to "Avatar`s" success." The first family sees the film in Hawaii.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ladies and gentlemen, you`re not in Kansas any more. You`re on Pandora. We have an indigenous population called the Navi. They are very hard to kill.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, Madonna`s mission.
ANDERSON: For all of the controversy that has surrounded Madonna over the years, she is also a woman who cares deeply about Malawi, a small country in Africa where two of her children were adopted.
She`s building a school there now. For the first time, she`s sitting down to talk about it. Here`s CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): She`s a woman who only needs one name.
(on camera): So you`re Madonna.
MADONNA, POP STAR: No, I`m not.
CHO: Yes, you are.
(voice-over): Madonna has spent most of her life being provocative. But these days, nothing is more important than her children. Two of them adopted from Malawi, a small African nation where more than a half million children are orphaned by AIDS.
CHO (on camera): All of those orphans, I mean, a million -
MADONNA: I would love to take them all home. Yes, if I could.
CHO (voice-over): Because she can`t and because she`s Madonna, she made a documentary about the country.
MADONNA: People always ask me why I chose Malawi. And I tell them, I didn`t. It chose me.
CHO: She also founded the charity, Raising Malawi, to help the orphans she can`t bring home.
MADONNA: We found and met a lot of people who were sick and dying of HIV with no medical help. And it just felt like a death camp. And it was astonishing. And so, on the other hand, though, everybody that I met was also incredibly brave. So it`s a very confusing paradox.
CHO (on camera): It`s an interesting dichotomy because I know that Malawi is known as the warm heart of Africa.
MADONNA: Yes.
CHO: As much suffering as there is there, there`s a certain spirit to the people.
MADONNA: Yes, there is. Because on the one hand, I went there and I thought, I have to help. I have to save these people. And then I thought, wait a minute, I think it`s the other way around. I think they might be saving me.
CHO: Why do you say that?
MADONNA: Because they help you to get a sense of appreciation for life. For what you have. I mean -
CHO (voice-over): A new appreciation for life and a new sense of responsibility. Her latest project, breaking ground on a $15 million boarding school, the Raising Malawi Academy for Girls slated to open in 2012.
MADONNA: I never intended to go to Malawi and just sort of, you know, dump a bunch of, like, aid on people and flee the country. It always been about partnership.
CHO: And she`s putting her money where her mouth is. Every dollar donated to "RaisingMalawi.org," Madonna will match.
(on camera): So you just said, hey.
MADONNA: Match my dollar.
CHO: I`ll keep going?
MADONNA: Match my $100,000. Yes.
CHO (voice-over): Make that $300,000 and counting.
MADONNA: My biggest asset as a human being is, I would say, my resiliency and my survival skills. You know, I`m like a cockroach. You can`t get rid of me.
CHO (on camera): But that`s helpful in philanthropy.
MADONNA: It is.
CHO: Yes, right?
MADONNA: It is. I mean, you have to - you have to be pretty tireless.
CHO (voice-over): Her tenacity was on display back in 2006, when many people, both in Malawi and around the world, accused her of using her celebrity and her money to buy an adoption. She won. David, now four, calls Madonna mom.
MADONNA: It seems that a lot of the things I do end up being controversial even when I don`t mean them to be.
CHO (on camera): Right. Does it hurt your feelings?
MADONNA: Hurt my feelings. I don`t know if it hurts my feelings. I think sometimes I`m pretty prepared often for some of the things I say and do. I go, I know this is going to freak some people out. But the other things I do, like adopting a child who`s about to die, I don`t think I`m going to get a hard time for it, and I do.
CHO (voice-over): Yet, Madonna says she`ll take the criticism if it means one more child in Malawi gets to go to school, survive and thrive.
(on camera): Do you ever get overwhelmed by all of the work that needs to be done? Because it seems like you help one kid and there`s like a thousand more standing in line.
MADONNA: Yes.
CHO: And it can be overwhelming.
MADONNA: Yes, it can. I mean, sometimes you just - it stops you dead in your tracks and you think, my God, I can`t do this. But then, I see the success rate. I talk to the people in Malawi whose lives have been changed, and that just helps me and keeps me going.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Very, very commendable. That was CNN`s Alina Cho for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And to find out more about Madonna`s cause and other celebrities who are casting the spotlight on causes close to their hearts, check out CNN.com/Impact. Some of the big names behind amazing projects - Elton John with his AIDS foundation, Martha Stewart Center for Living at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, and Ben Stiller building a school in Haiti.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, always great hearing how stars are helping out. All right. As we move on tonight, just in today, did Tiger Woods really give his estranged wife $300 million for his serial cheating?
Also today, a brand-new interview with the woman who exposed Tiger`s cheating ways.
And J. Lo`s New Year`s Eve naked outfit shocker. Did you see this thing? I mean, take a good look. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, did Jennifer Lopez` cat suit deserve cat calls? Was it a catastrophe?
Well, when Oprah talked, this woman listened, and I mean listened big time. She lived by every single one of Oprah rules for a whole year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even our sex life was redesigned by Oprah. It got a little boring to be honest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. She even listened to Oprah about her sex life. So how did this woman make out? Well, she speaks out about hanging on Oprah`s every word today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Matthew McConaughey and girlfriend welcome baby girl, Vida, their second child. Sandra Bullock top money-making star of 2009! (Really!)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Regis Philbin was back on "Live" today. He was off the show while getting a hip replacement. And you`ve got to check out how he shocked everyone this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now, here are Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You`ve got to love it. They roll out the "Rocky" theme there. Reg looks great, doesn`t he? And his recovery is remarkably fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I`m feeling a lot better and it will be five weeks tomorrow when I had the operation.
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": That is incredible.
PHILBIN: That`s what people tell me, yes. And I had a great doctor, Paul Felici(ph). He`s one of the best - knees and hips.
RIPA: Everybody kept asking me the name of your doctor.
PHILBIN: Yes, Felici(ph).
RIPA: And I didn`t know and I was embarrassed to say I didn`t know.
PHILBIN: Yes. I should have told you, I guess. But he is one of the best and a lot of people have gone to him. And so I`m lucky and I still have a little clot in my right calf.
RIPA: You`re kidding?
PHILBIN: Yes. And I kind of keep going and they have to keep drawing blood, you know, and checking the number that they want to get. And I`m a little low in that number.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Regis is taking blood thinners to fix that clot which should go away soon.
ANDERSON: It is good to have Reg back. All right. So while we saw Regis for the first time in a while today, we still haven`t seen Tiger Woods since the cheating scandal broke.
So we`ve been asking on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page today, is it time for Tiger to go public? I just checked our wall. There`s a raging debate.
Tracy S. says Tiger should show his face, "Tiger might as well come on out and face the public. He is his own person. And besides that, look at how many other public figures and politicians that have cheated on their spouses."
But Trini C. says, "Tiger shouldn`t go public. Tiger doesn`t owe anybody anything. His business is with his wife, not the public. Geez!"
Write me on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
HAMMER: And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Why Charlie Sheen could be prosecuted for allegedly holding a knife to his wife`s throat even if she doesn`t cooperate.
The dramatic new tell-all book about Warren Beatty. Get this - it claims he slept with 13,000 women. Is that even mathematically possible? I have to get out my abacus.
And can we talk? Joan Rivers held hostage in an airport in Costa Rica. 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: "The Hurt Locker" named best picture of 2009 by National Society of Film Critics. "The Simpsons" airs 450th episode and special documentary next Sunday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tiger`s marriage mess. Did Tiger Woods really give his wife $300 million? Is that the going price for serial cheating? Brand-new bombshells just out today.
Also, Charlie Sheen`s own marriage mess. Brand-new reports today that Sheen`s wife may not cooperate with police even after she made a frantic 911 call that led to his arrest.
And did Warren Beatty really sleep with almost 13,000 women? Scandalous new details today from a brand-new tell-all book. Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And tonight, Tiger and Charlie`s marriage messes. Tiger Woods and Charlie Sheen now have something in common. Both men are in marriage meltdown mode.
But there`s one big difference. So far Sheen`s career has been unfazed by his mess. But Tiger`s career, on the other hand, is in shambles.
HAMMER: Well, let me bring you up to speed. There are brand-new reports today that Charlie Sheen`s wife, Brooke Mueller, may not cooperate with cops after making that frantic 911 call that ended with Sheen`s arrest. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now reveal that Sheen could still be prosecuted.
Also breaking tonight, did Tiger Woods really give his estranged wife, Elin, $300 million to make up for his serial cheating? And a brand-new interview surfaced today with the woman who first exposed Tiger`s cheating ways.
Joining me tonight in New York is Midwin Charles, who is a legal contributor for "In Session." From Hollywood tonight is Ken Baker who is the executive news editor for "E!"
I would like to begin with this frantic 911 call that Charlie Sheen`s wife made to police while the couple were on vacation in Aspen, Colorado. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MUELLER: My husband had me - with a knife. And I`m scared for my life and he threatened me.
911 OPERATOR: OK. Are you guys separated right now?
MUELLER: Yes. Right now, we have people that are separating us. I have to file the report or else -
911 OPERATOR: OK. Are there other people there? Does he still have the knife?
MUELLER: Yes, he still does.
911 OPERATOR: What`s your name?
MUELLER: Brooke.
911 OPERATOR: And what`s your husband`s name?
MUELLER: Charlie Sheen.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, Charlie Sheen`s wife obviously sounds pretty frantic in the 911 call. However, there are new reports floating around today that she may not actually cooperate with the police.
Ken Baker, I`m wondering what the heck is going on here. Do you think this is just a case of cold feet? Or is it something else?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS DIRECTOR, "E!": Well, I think what`s at stake here is her family. She`s trying to keep it together. We spoke to Brooke`s mom, actually, last night at an airport in Colorado. And she said flat out, Brooke wants to reconcile with Charlie.
Now, a lot of people might think she`s crazy, but a lot of people think, well, you know what? She`s trying to hang in there. They`ve been married a year and a half. They have two infant sons together, twin boys - they`re adorable.
I think she wants to keep the family together. What`s complicating things for her is not only all of this kind of media drama. But she`s not allowed to have any contact whatsoever with Charlie at least for another month because there`s a restraining order that`s just basically automatically issued by the State of Colorado in cases - alleged domestic abuse cases like this.
So she`s in a really tough situation. She can`t have contact with Charlie but still wants to reconcile. And I think that`s what`s behind a lot of these reports that she`s kind of changing her tune.
HAMMER: Yes. There are a lot of indications right now that they want the whole thing to go away, that they do want to work things out and perhaps even get that restraining order modified so they can at least be in contact. Now, Brooke`s attorney, Yale Galanter, told CNN`s Larry King the whole incident was what he called a very bad marital moment. Take a look.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
YALE GALANTER, BROOKE MUELLER`S ATTORNEY: Brooke ended up calling the police. Unfortunately, Charlie was arrested. Fortunately, Charlie was able to bond out of jail right away. This morning, we went to court with Charlie`s lawyers and filed some paperwork to have the domestic violence restraining order modified so that the two of them can have contact again.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. So there you go. Obviously, that`s a signal that they do want to try to work something out. Brooke`s attorney making it sound like Brooke actually regrets making that 911 call.
But let`s not forget, Charlie Sheen was arrested for several things - second degree assault, menacing and criminal mischief. There could be domestic abuse charges filed.
So Midwin Charles, help me out with this. Even if Brooke clams up and she doesn`t want to cooperate, Charlie Sheen actually could still be prosecuted, right? I mean, he`s not out of the woods here.
CHARLES: He could. He`s definitely not out of the woods. I mean, for example, the prosecution does have this 911 tape. So even if she does not want to come forward, she does not want to testify or press charges, they do have this 911 tape which they could go on to continue to prosecute the case.
HAMMER: Some of things that Sheen`s wife told police were really disturbing, claiming Charlie pulled out a knife, held it to her throat and said, "You better be in fear. If you tell anybody, I`ll kill you. Your mother`s money means nothing. I have ex-police I can hire who know how to get the job done and they won`t leave any trace."
Wow. Brooke Anderson, back in Hollywood, let me ask you. We`re hearing Charlie is now back at work in Hollywood. Of course, he`s on the number one sitcom on the planet, "Two and a Half Men." He`s the highest paid actor on television.
What do you think? Should there be consequences in his public life at this point? Or does he deserve the benefit of the doubt at least for now?
ANDERSON: Well, you`ve got to give the guy the benefit of the doubt for now, A.J., because these two have very different versions of how it all went down - innocent until proven guilty.
That said, though, if these allegations are true, it`s so twisted. It`s so terrifying. These are deep-seated issues, obviously, that Charlie is allegedly dealing with that he needs to resolve. His wife should not have to live in fear of her own husband. How can she ever trust him again?
HAMMER: Yes. And of course, this is not Charlie`s Sheen`s first time to the old scandal party. Remember the Heidi Fleiss prostitution scandal. He had some cocaine problems. His own dad, Martin Sheen, forced him into rehab.
I really could go on and on here. Ken Baker, a lot of people were saying today, so how come Tiger Woods gets slammed right from the start but Charlie Sheen seems to keep on getting a pass?
BAKER: Well, I mean, I think there`s a really simple explanation for this. Charlie Sheen has had missteps and has been a bad boy for a very long time. And he`s been working throughout that period. This latest incident is not at all inconsistent with what we`ve known from Charlie throughout the years.
HAMMER: Yes.
BAKER: With Tiger, we thought he was some sort of perfect American hero. And now, for him to be going through what he has now and have done all of these crazy things, I think that has just so upset people that they thought, "Wait, this isn`t what you`ve been selling me. I`m upset with it." And that`s why the sponsors have been pulling.
Charlie, on the other hand - we know what we`ve been getting from Charlie. This is just consistent that we know.
HAMMER: Yes. I hate to say it doesn`t really throw anyone. What do you think, Midwin? Does that logic make sense to you? I mean, Charlie Sheen, you know, did not build his reputation as some, you know, clean-cut scandal free, one-woman guy. He`s always kind of been a bad boy.
CHARLES: I think that`s right. I think when it comes to Charlie Sheen, what you see is what you get. And he has not failed to disappoint when it comes to scandals and drama and the like.
And so I think, as Ken said, you didn`t have that with Tiger. I mean, Tiger has been in the public for over 10 years. And we haven`t heard a peep out of him. So I think that`s one of the reasons why so many of the sponsors are pulling from Tiger.
HAMMER: Well, the upside of being a bad boy right there. I mean, there`s your proof. All right. I want to move on to some other brand-new developments today on the Tiger Woods cheating scandal.
A brand-new bombshell report today that Tiger gave his estranged wife, Elin, $300 million to make up for his serial cheating. Now, Ken, even if he did, is Tiger being delusional thinking that that is going to get her to stick around?
BAKER: Well, I think that the key word that you said was even if. We don`t know if this report is true, if he`s offered her money of any sort. It`s widely assumed that, like a lot of celebrities of his level and level of income, that there was a pre-nup in place.
So she`s going to be taken care of no matter what. So but if, indeed, he did do this, the fact remains is that the last photo that we saw of Elin, she was not wearing her ring. That, to a lot of women, is enough of a message that her heart is out of this. And it`s going to be - take probably a lot more than money for him to get her back.
HAMMER: Yes. What do you think about that, Midwin? I mean, how many people can sit there and scratch a check, "Oh, yes. $300 million - that should cover things"?
CHARLES: I`ll take it. But I think $300 million is a small price when you`re talking about someone like Tiger Woods, one of the first sportsmen to earn $1 billion.
And let`s face it. His endorsers might be pulling out now. But at the end of the day, he`s still a golfer and he`s still one of the best. He`s young. He has many years ahead of him in his career. So his potential to earn money is huge here. So $300 million, drop in the bucket.
HAMMER: A third of $1 billion. Midwin Charles, Ken Baker, thank you, guys. I appreciate it. And we`ve been asking you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Tiger Woods: Is it time for him to go public?" Keep voting at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Tonight, did Warren Beatty really sleep with almost 13,000 women? Yes, I said 13,000. Today, we learn the steamy details of a brand- new tell-all about Warren. Could it possibly be true?
Also, did you see J. Lo on New Year`s Eve? Her body suit has everybody talking today. Was the cat woman thing hot on J. Lo or not? A great debate.
And can Oprah Winfrey be hazardous to your sex life?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even our sex life was redesigned by Oprah. It got a little boring, to be honest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So why does this woman say Oprah ruined her sex life? Wait until you hear what she said today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
HAMMER: Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom. They are making news right now.
TEXT: Rod Blagojevich, Sharon Osbourne join new season of "The Celebrity Apprentice." Kate Gosselin denies reports that she is in talks to star in a new dating show.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, Warren Beatty`s nearly 13,000 women. Yes, I said 13,000. There are astounding new claims today that Beatty`s bedroom was beyond busy with conquests including the likes of Joan Collins and Diane Keaton, even Madonna.
But could have really slept with nearly 13,000 women? We`re bringing in the SHOWBIZ math squad to break this down for us to see if it could even be possible.
Also breaking today, a brand-new fiery hot debate over Jennifer Lopez and her incredible skin-tight, semi-nude bodysuit during a performance on New Year`s Eve. Was it too over the top?
Joining me tonight in New York is Megan Alexander who is a correspondent for "Inside Edition." Also tonight in New York is Ben Widdicombe, who is an entertainment journalist.
Megan, Ben, let`s begin with Warren Beatty. A new biography just out makes the astounding claim that Beatty slept with nearly 13,000 women before marrying Annette Bening in 1992.
We know Beatty was a Hollywood bad boy. But seriously, even Tiger Woods couldn`t keep up that pace. Does this just sound ridiculous or plausible?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Yes. How is that for a little light reading, Brooke? Goodness. How does he even have time to get his movies done? That`s what I want to know. You know who I think the star of the story is? Annette Bening.
She actually got the guy. She`s been married to him for 18 years. They have four kids. How did she get him and managed to stay with him for forever? She must be a pretty incredible woman.
ANDERSON: Yes. She must be a pretty good catch. She got his attention. And you know, we called in the SHOWBIZ math squad today to break this whole thing down for us.
Let`s go to the SHOWBIZ chalk board, shall we? Beatty married Bening in 1992, almost 35 years after Beatty made first film and started conquering women in Hollywood. Now, the book says that Beatty slept with 12,775 women.
Divide that by 35 years, it comes to 365 women a year. So of course, that averages out to one woman per day for 35 years. Come on. Ben, is this even possible?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, you know, it would have made for some very busy nights if (INAUDIBLE) if it`s true. But listen, if you believe that that famous Carly Simon song, "You`re So Vain" is about Warren Beatty, which a lot of people do, then, the only person he makes love with is himself.
Let`s face it. He`s one of these completely narcissistic Hollywood leading men. He`s like Ralph Malph (INAUDIBLE) from "Happy Days." When he was hugging himself, he turns around to the camera. So whoever Warren Beatty is sleeping with, it`s only ever himself.
ANDERSON: Oh, brother. You know, he would just have had superhuman prowess in the bedroom. I just cannot believe it. I really - I just don`t want to believe it. It`s just so icky.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Beatty`s attorney who told us today that Beatty did not approve or even read the biography. But it`s also worth noting that he didn`t specifically deny the cold, hard numbers.
All right. I`ve got to move now to a brand-new, hot debate just in today - outrage over J. Lo`s semi-nude bodysuit from her New Year`s Eve performance. That was on "Dick Clark`s New Year`s Rockin` Eve" on ABC. Keep in mind take a look - this woman had twins less than two years ago, 41 years old.
Listen, the girl looks good. And she wanted to flaunt it, obviously. But a lot of people are saying she`s too old for this look or that she`s desperate for attention. Megan, do you agree with that or is J. Lo just being J. Lo?
ALEXANDER: Well, to break this down in the way that we can on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and analyze it, she needed to do something after her fall at the AMAs and she did it. She got our attention. She looks incredible in the sleek cat suit, as you mentioned, at age 41.
I think she did a great job. This has been all the buzz. I think people have been very 50/50 on this. Some people saying it was too much. Other people saying, "If you look that good, you wear those suits." You go, girl.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was a pretty flattering unitard for her to wear on New Year`s Eve. And some critics though are saying this is a major fashion faux pas. But I want to take you back to the Grammys in 2000. Take a look at this.
Remember the green plunging Versace dress that people could not stop talking about? They are still talking about it. We`re still talking about it. Ben, what do you think? Does J. Lo still have it? Look at the comparison.
WIDDICOMBE: You know, I think there`s no question that J. Lo does still have what she has, an incredible body. But now, she`s 41 years old and a mother of two. And that outfit she wore on New Year`s Eve was 50 percent Velveteen Rabbit and 50 percent Jessica Rabbit. And honestly, there is a time, J. Lo, to put it a way. You have got a great body but that doesn`t mean you have to wear cling film and show it off.
ANDERSON: Oh, Ben not a fan. OK. Let`s move on to Lindsay Lohan`s dad, Michael. I`m not making this up, guys. He just got matching tattoos with Jon Gosselin`s ex-girlfriend former tabloid reporter, Kate Major.
Michael Lohan reportedly played matchmaker for Jon and Kate 2.0 last year. Now, we all know how that turned out. But both Michael and Kate Major tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT today that they are just close friends.
Ben, what`s next here? Lindsay Lohan and Kate Gosselin going clubbing together?
WIDDICOMBE: I think that`s the only place this story could go. And you know, Kate Major is a long-time friend of Michael Lohan`s daughter, Lindsay. They knew each other in Los Angeles.
So if she is really hooking up with Michael Lohan, it`s a rather curious turn of events. But it shows that they both understand the current celebrity news cycle. I mean, here we are, first show of the year, talking about them. So maybe there will be more developments to come.
ANDERSON: And there he is in that picture, very proud of his new tattoo. Megan, is this all just ridiculous?
ALEXANDER: Why am I not surprised, Brooke. Of course, Lindsay Lohan`s father is going to be dating Jon Gosselin`s ex. Of course, that makes sense, right? I think these two have been around enough to know this will create a stir and that`s exactly what it`s doing.
ANDERSON: It certainly is. Well, Kate Major`s tattoo is not exactly the same, but we`re told that it`s similar, in case you cared. Megan Alexander, Ben Widdicombe, thanks. Good to see you.
HAMMER: From Billy Joel`s daughter`s heartbreak to the Tiger Woods defense, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the buzz today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It`s the Tiger Woods defense. The man accused of trying to extort millions from David Letterman is saying, hey, if Tiger did it, why can`t he? The attorney for the accused extortionist, Robert Halderman, went on the "Today" show and claimed that if Woods allegedly paid women to keep quiet about their affairs, why is that different from Halderman asking Letterman for money to keep quiet about Dave`s affairs?
SHARGEL: The Tiger Woods story is analogy. Not every threat to reveal someone`s secret amounts to extortion. And our position is that in this case, at this time, with Joe Halderman, it wasn`t extortion. He`s a capitalist, not a criminal.
HAMMER: Halderman`s attorney is also denying reports of a plea deal and insists again that his client is not guilty of committing any crime.
Billy Joel`s daughter speaks out for the first time since being mysteriously hospitalized. Alexa Ray Joel writes on her Facebook page that she was suffering from what she called heartbreak-related depression.
The daughter of Billy Joel and Christie Brinkley also slams the media for blaming her problems on her mother and says her parents are her role models and best friends.
Matthew McConaughey is a daddy again. McConaughey`s girlfriend, Camila Alves, welcomed their second child, a baby girl. Vida Alves McConaughey was born Sunday and weighed in at seven pounds, seven ounces.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Tonight, a woman in Chicago says Oprah Winfrey may be hazardous to your sex life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even our sex life was redesigned by Oprah. It got a little boring, to be honest.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So how did this woman`s sex life get a little boring because of Oprah? Wait until you hear what she said today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
I can`t wait. And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: No charges for Mike Tyson stemming from airport scuffle in November. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez named worst couple of the decade.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, Elton John says he continues to help pal, Eminem, battle drug addiction. In an interview with BBC Radio over the weekend, John says Eminem is doing brilliantly.
Back in May, Eminem said he often leaned on John through the difficult times because he can relate to the lifestyle and how hectic things can be. John has battled his own addictions over the years.
In an interview with "Vibe" magazine last spring, Eminem admitted he was hooked on pills. And when he decided to get sober, he reached out to Elton John.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Joan Rivers says she was held hostage by airport security in Costa Rica. TMZ reports an official at the airport got suspicious when he saw that Joan`s passport reads Joan Rosenberg, a.k.a. Joan Rivers.
Joan says she tried to explain that Rosenberg is her late husband`s name. But the official didn`t buy it and gave away her seat on a plane to Newark, New Jersey. Joan says she had to get a hotel room for the night. But TMZ says she did make it out on a flight this morning.
HAMMER: Oh, good for Joan. Well, all right. We know that when Oprah talks, people listen. But there is a woman in Chicago who took that to the extreme. Listen to this.
Robyn Okrant is a yoga instructor and spent an entire year following every single piece of advice that Oprah doled out. She bought everything Oprah recommended. I`m talking vitamins, leopard print shoes.
Robyn even bought a backyard fire pit that Oprah recommended even though she doesn`t have a backyard. She spent thousand of dollars and countless hours following Oprah`s advice from the TV show, the Web site and her magazine.
And she wrote a book about the experience. I think it was pretty interesting. Well, on the "Today" show this morning, Robyn talked about the best and the worst parts of living the gospel according to Oprah. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBYN OKRANT, AUTHOR, "LIVING OPRAH": One of the best parts was the sort of hands-on philanthropy. I had my own book drive and gave books to women in prison. And that meant a lot to me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the worst part?
OKRANT: Putting my marriage through the wringer. Even our sex life redesigned by Oprah.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
OKRANT: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But is it better as a result?
OKRANT: It was, let`s see - it got a little boring, to be honest. I`m sorry. I`m sorry, Jim. It got a little boring. But now, there is more flash to it. That`s for sure.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Now that you are not living Oprah, so to speak.
OKRANT: Exactly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Robyn`s book has a great title. It`s called, "Living Oprah: My One Year Experiment to Walk the Walk of the Queen of Talk." I`m wondering if it`s going to make Oprah`s Book Club.
ANDERSON: Probably not. We have been asking you to vote on which movie you wanted to see over the holidays. And just moments ago, we got the final results. Here they are. Forty-four percent of you said "Sherlock Holmes." Thirty-four percent said "Avatar."
Listen to this. "Avatar" was the number one movie at the weekend box office for the third week in a row, just passed the billion dollar mark worldwide. Incredible. Twenty-two percent of you said "Up In The Air." Thanks for your votes.
HAMMER: And thank you for watching. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t forget you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 11:00 p.m. Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN. Take care.
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