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Showbiz Tonight
The Sudden Death of Casey Johnson; Can Jesus Save Tiger Woods?; Beyonce and the Son of Ghadafi; Octumom`s Doctor in Big Trouble; Rosie O`Donnell`s New Girlfriend; "America`s Most Wanted" Host Helps Solve a Murder Mystery
Aired January 05, 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: Big breaking news right now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the unbelievable sudden death of Hollywood heiress, Casey Johnson. Tonight, what killed the young heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune? The shocking star reaction today.
Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, devastated. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the disturbing late-breaking developments.
Can Jesus save Tiger Woods? Tonight, the jaw-dropping brand-new controversy over one of Fox`s most prominent journalists telling Tiger to convert to Christianity. Plus, the brand-new Tiger Woods photo controversy. Why did Tiger pose bare-chested?
HAMMER: And Beyonce and the son of a terror-backing dictator. Why did Beyonce reportedly get paid a ton of money to perform for the son of Libya`s Muammar Gadhafi?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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 shocking and disturbing death of a Hollywood heiress.
HAMMER: There was a huge mystery today surrounding the death of Casey Johnson, the troubled young heiress to the Johnson & Johnson fortune. It is the end of a troubled life that fueled tabloid headlines around the world including her same-sex relationship with reality show star Tila Tequila.
In fact, we first learned about Casey`s death from Tila who broke the news on her Twitter page. Well, today, everyone, from Paris Hilton to Lindsay Lohan, expressed their grief as police investigated the death, which made for big news breaking all day long.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
CASEY JOHNSON, HEIRESS TO THE JOHNSON & JOHNSON FORTUNE: I found a lot of people who used me.
HAMMER: She was a famous wild child who ran with the wealthy crew of hell- raising Hollywood starlets.
ALICIA QUARLES, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: She was friends with Nicole Ritchie who was a reformed bad girl. Paris Hilton - she fit in with that crowd of bad girls.
HAMMER: She was the troubled heiress to a multimillion dollar fortune who as, she told LXTV, had a love-hate relationship with her own wealth.
JOHNSON: You really have to get to know why someone wants to be your friend. And I`ve learned that the hard way.
HAMMER: And today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, the sudden and mysterious death of Casey Johnson has left Hollywood`s hard-partying jet set in shock.
QUARLES: This is a girl by all accounts, was born with everything. She has money. She has a family that`s established. Yet her life is so tragic.
HAMMER: Casey Johnson, heiress of the multibillion dollar Johnson & Johnson fortune, was found dead in her Los Angeles home Monday. She was only 30 years old. She had apparently been dead for days before she was discovered.
QUARLES: Right now, the cops are saying Casey reportedly died of natural causes, that there weren`t any signs of foul play. But again, she`s a known diabetic and there have been accusations that she was on drugs, that she`d been in and out of rehab, so we have to wait for the toxicology reports.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Casey Johnson and Ms. Tila Tequila are now officially engaged.
HAMMER: In a bizarre online rant, just last month, Johnson and reality show train wreck, Tila Tequila, they announced their engagement.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Check out this rock. Damn.
HAMMER: Today, Tila Tequila responded to Johnson`s death on Twitter, writing, quote "I love you so much and we will marry when I see you in heaven, my wifey.
A devastated Paris Hilton tweets, "I feel like I`ve lost a sister."
And Lindsay Lohan tweets, "RIP to a friend to and of many."
QUARLES: She was well-known and well liked among the Hollywood starlets. And all of them are reaching out and devastated and they have to be wondering, "Wow, could this have been me?"
JOHNSON: The person that I`ve heard of - think of - my icon is Marilyn Monroe.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the Johnson & Johnson heiress tried desperately to make her own name on the Hollywood scene.
QUARLES: She was a girl that, by all accounts, wanted to be famous. She moved out to L.A. seeking fame. Paris Hilton had asked her to be on "The Simple Life." Casey said, "No, I don`t want to do it." She later said that was the biggest mistake of her life.
HAMMER: But instead of finding fame on a hit reality show, Casey kept making the wrong kind of headlines. She was arrested in November for allegedly breaking into an ex-girlfriend`s house.
QUARLES: The family had apparently cut her off because they wanted her to get help. She had some serious issues. There were so many reports that, you know, Casey adopted a little girl, Ava, and her mother had to come and get Ava because she wasn`t being looked after by Casey.
HAMMER: In an interview with LXTV, Johnson vowed that her adopted young daughter won`t be spoiled like Casey says she was as a child.
JOHNSON: She`s not going to get everything she wants. I did growing up. And when it was my turn to handle my own money, it became a problem.
HAMMER: And Casey talked about the burden of her family name.
JOHNSON: Once at a party, I was walking by and as I walked by these two girls, one girl said to the other, "Oh, that`s the Johnson & Johnson girl." And my heart just sank, because I don`t want to be identified like that. I`m Casey Johnson.
HAMMER: And now, Casey Johnson has become another sad Hollywood story.
QUARLES: The girl is only 30 years old. These beautiful young girls, all these Hollywood connections, just gone too soon. It`s just very shocking.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Casey`s sudden death has rocked the Hollywood party scene. But will it be a major wakeup call to her fellow "it" girls?
Here in New York tonight is Jane Velez-Mitchell. She is the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." It`s seen every night, 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on HLN. Fantastic show. And in Hollywood is Ken Baker - he`s the executive news editor for "E!"
Hey, Jane, Ken, there was a whole lot of mystery today about Casey`s death. But we do know this - she was a very troubled young woman. As we heard, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, really shaken up by this. Jane, why do you think young Hollywood is so disturbed about Casey`s sudden death?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Well, I think it`s shaken Hollywood to its core because she was a Hollywood archetype, the ultimate poor little rich girl, the girl who had everything. She had fame. She had beauty. She had money. And yet, nevertheless, despite all of that, she became very troubled and now, a tragic end.
And this is also a cautionary tale on many levels. One, that happiness is an inside job and it doesn`t matter how many material possessions and how much money you have. It does not correlate to happiness.
And two, with all the talk of published reports suggesting she struggled with substances - we still don`t know why he how she died - but those reports have been out there for a while. It`s a cautionary tale that addiction really does not know any boundaries. You can be rich. You can be famous. You can be beautiful. You can have the world at your feet. You can still suffer from it.
ANDERSON: Yes. And she lived life in the fast lane as we`re hearing as do so many others in Hollywood. And like you said, it`s a cautionary tale. Our condolences go out to her family and friends.
All right. Also, big news, and our friend, Ken Baker is breaking at "E!" in the Charlie Sheen domestic violence case. Tonight, is Sheen`s uncle blaming the victim? As Charlie Sheen waits to find out if he`s going to be charged for allegedly attacking his wife, Brook Mueller, on Christmas, you`ve got to hear what Charlie`s uncle, Joe Estevez, told Ken Baker. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE ESTEVEZ, CHARLIE SHEEN`S UNCLE: There`s just too much chance of her being a drama queen as there being what she`s saying is true. Maybe, you know, that he was angry. Maybe that`s true. And maybe there was some embellishment. Let`s give the couple the benefit of the doubt.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Charlie Sheen`s uncle also called this "much ado about nothing." Ken, you and I both heard Brooke`s bone-chilling 911 call when she claimed that Charlie put a knife to her throat and threatened her life. Was it out of line for Charlie`s uncle to say these things?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS DIRECTOR, "E!": I think when he first told me that yesterday in that interview, I have to admit, I was taken aback because I thought, well, this is a lot more than much ado about nothing. And I actually brought up to him the allegation that a knife was put to her throat.
And he basically said, "Look, if that is true, then that`s wrong." But what he was really saying is we don`t know the facts of the case.
And that`s really interesting because the more I step back from it, I sort of can understand where he`s coming from, which is we really have never heard Charlie come out and give his side. There was a statement was given to the police by Brooke Mueller.
But then, we never really have heard Charlie`s side to it. Now, of course, it`s inexcusable if he was violent with her, if he assaulted her, if he pulled a knife on her, that`s all inexcusable.
But I think what Martin Sheen`s brother, who Joe Estevez is - he`s, you know, Charlie`s uncle. He basically was saying, "Look, we all in the family love Charlie. We care about Charlie. We just want to make sure we understand exactly what happened before we jump to conclusions."
It`s a good point. It doesn`t excuse what he did. But of course, his comments are really causing a lot of controversy today.
ANDERSON: Yes. They are. He obviously kind of thinks the whole thing may have been blown out of proportion. Jane, what do you think? Was Charlie`s uncle out of line here? Because I think if what Brooke claimed true, nobody should be trivializing this or comparing here to a drama queen.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. He was totally out of line. Let`s face it, we can`t give him the benefit of the doubt when he`s had problems in this department before, according to published reports and allegations. And this is what co-dependent enablers do.
They co-sign bad behavior. It`s a phony friendship. It`s a false loyalty to say, "Oh, I`m going to minimize this. I`m going to justify it. I`m going to rationalize it." That`s enabling. He`s really not doing Charlie any favors.
If he wanted to really help him, he would exhibit some tough love and say, "Hey, you`ve got to look at this. You`ve got to get some help."
ANDERSON: Yes. Call him out. And I`ve got to point out Charlie`s uncle has never even met Brooke as far as we know. He hasn`t talked to Charlie in two months. Yet, he`s defending Charlie.
And this really goes to the heart of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Charlie Sheen: Is he scandal proof?" What do you think? We want you to vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Ken, very quickly, is Charlie Sheen scandal-proof?
BAKER: Well, so far, he has been. I mean, this is a guy that`s done everything from - he`s gone to rehab. He`s been arrested, who had a really dramatic drama-filled divorce with Denise Richards, and now this.
And yet, he`s still standing. Right now, as we speak, he`s working on "Two and a Half Men." So this is going to continue for him.
ANDERSON: And people almost expect outrageous things from Charlie Sheen, it does seem. And tonight, the explosive new Tiger Woods controversy. Can Christianity save Tiger? Check out this explosive advice from Fox News analyst, Brit Hume.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIT HUME, FOX NEWS ANALYST: Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, Hume`s comments have really stirred up a storm today. Ken Baker, Jane Velez-Mitchell, don`t go anywhere. We`re getting to that in just a moment.
HAMMER: I could not believe my ears when I heard this today. Why did Beyonce reportedly get paid a ton of money to perform for son of Libya`s Muammar Gadhafi? Yes, that Gadhafi, the guy who`s believed to have had a hand in one of the most horrific terrorist attacks ever, the bombing of Pan Am 103.
Is this just a terrible idea? I mean, it`s not like she needs the cash. I`ll look into this, coming up.
Octomom - you remember her? Well, the doctor who implanted her with embryos is in serious trouble. But tonight, Octomomis speaking out for him in a brand-new interview just out today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Vince Vaughn marries girlfriend Kyla Weber in Chicago. Sandra Bullock`s "The Blind Side" is first female-led film to make more than $200 million.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Three of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie`s children are getting a gift from Angelina`s late mom. New reports today say Angelina`s mother left $100,000 each to Maddox, Zahara and Shiloh in a trust fund.
TMZ says the kids will get access to money when they turn 25. Angelina`s mom died in 2007 and last updated her will before Pax, Knox and Vivien joined the family.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, Beyonce and the dictator?
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, people are just stunned over reports that Beyonce rang in the New Year in St. Barts by performing at a party thrown by, are you ready for this - the son of Libyan dictator, Muammar Gadhafi.
Yes. Of course, that sparked a lot of outrage. You remember he gave a hero`s welcome to the freed Pan Am 103 bomber just months ago? That sparked outrage as well. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know, what was Beyonce thinking?
Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Leslie Marshall, host of "The Leslie Marshall Radio Show." And with me in New York tonight, Marc Lamont Hill, who is a Columbia University professor.
Marc, I`ve got to tell you, I was really surprised by this. Gadhafi is known as a terror-backing dictator. I`ve got to wonder what the heck was Beyonce thinking by agreeing to perform for his son at a party on New Year`s Eve? Was this just a bad idea?
MARC LAMONT HILL, PROFESSOR, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY: Let`s be honest here. Beyonce wasn`t thinking anything. Beyonce rarely thinks about it anything when it comes to choosing which spot she goes to speak or to perform.
What happens is her handlers usually make really good decisions about where she`s going to perform. She has the best packaged image of anyone I`ve ever seen. So it seems to me that some of her fellows sleep at the wheel, or the money was so overwhelming - I hear it is $2 million - that they said, "Screw the public image. We`re just going to take the cash."
HAMMER: Well, it`s not like she needs it. Anyway, and it`s really interesting, and we don`t have any confirmation on that amount of money. But we do know, as you mentioned, celebrities - you know, they get paid lots of money to do private events all the time. They do it for politicians and corporations, heads of state.
Leslie, what do you think? Should Beyonce have looked at this a little differently than any other gig? Oh, it`s not just another party?
LESLIE MARSHALL, HOST, "THE LESLIE MARSHALL RADIO SHOW": Oh, definitely. And it has nothing to do with December 25th and that attempted attack. That`s a different country. That`s Nigeria and this is not Gadhafi. This is his son.
But let`s look at the son. This is a guy that`s been arrested for beating his servants, for beating his wife. We don`t know what his politics are. I think it was a very poor choice.
And regardless of the amount of money - you`re right, A.J. She certainly doesn`t need it. So I think it was a very, very poor choice because of who he is and, of course, who his father is.
And like you said, hero`s welcome for a guy that was responsible for how many hundreds of people who died over Lockerbie, Scotland with the Pan Am terrorist attack.
HAMMER: Yes. And obviously, you know, despite that this has nothing to do with what happened over the holidays, terrorism as a result, is on everybody`s mind, Marc. I`m just trying to picture how it went down or even if it was a handler, not Beyonce herself, "We have this offer. We have this offer. We have this offer. Oh, let`s take the one for Gadhafi`s son."
HILL: I think it was the big bag of money on top of the middle (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that made it go through. I mean, again, people say they don`t need the money. But even if Beyonce makes $100 million each year, $2 million is still weak salary, but that`s a large sum of money.
And quite frankly, her brand could take a hit and still keep going. She`s not someone who`s teetering on the edge. She`s not Kanye West. She`s not Rihanna. She`s someone who`s always been above the fray. And she can take this hit.
I`m not saying she did it on purpose. But surely, it wasn`t that bad of a move to get $2 million at the end of the day.
HAMMER: Yes. And sometimes, you know what? It`s hard to pass up the money. You got that right.
All right. Another story that`s making by news tonight - Rihanna stepping out with a new man. Now, Rihanna has been spotted canoodling in Cabo with L.A. Dodgers outfielder, Matt Kemp.
Leslie, I`ve got to tell you, I think it`s great seeing Rihanna back out there. Maybe a positive sign that she`s able to move on from all the drama that Brown brought to her life after he beat her.
MARSHALL: I have to tell you, A.J., I agree. It`s a new year, time for a new man. And I think this is an improvement and the violence and the beating and all that stuff aside, this guy is a fine-looking guy and a fine-looking athlete.
So I think Rihanna is doing the right thing. I think it`s a positive thing for her personally, possibly, even professionally with her image with young girls. New year, new man and I think it`s a great pick.
HAMMER: Yes. I think it`s terrific. I agree with you that professionally as well as for other young girls because I think it sets a positive image. OK, you go through the rough stuff and, in fact, you can move on.
Leslie Marshall, Marc Lamont Hill, thanks for being here tonight. I appreciate it.
ANDERSON: Tonight, a new season of "The Bachelor" and brand-new controversy. There had been reports that one of the female contestants had a relationship with one of the show`s producers.
Oops. Well, "The Bachelor`s" host Chris Harrison confirmed it. All this is true. Chris Harrison tells KBIG FM in L.A. that the situation was embarrassing. The woman and producer were reportedly kicked off the show.
Harrison says they addressed the controversy at some point. No word if the contestant and producer are still dating.
HAMMER: Well, I can tell you there`s another big new controversy today over Tiger Woods. Now, one of Fox`s best-known journalists tells Tiger, dump Buddhism and convert to Christianity, Tiger.
Plus, brand-new Tiger Woods` photo controversy tonight. I`m going to show you photos of Tiger posing bare-chested.
Also making news right now, Rosie O`Donnell reveals juicy details about her new girlfriend. A lot of people are wondering today if this woman will actually mellow Rosie out.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN WALSH, HOST "AMERICA`S MOST WANTED": This low life`s been out there over five weeks. I really believe that the public would make a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "America`s Most Wanted" host, John Walsh, speaking out for the very first time today about the unbelievable way his show helped solve one of the most disturbing murders that shocked America. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Let`s roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "Avatar," "Up in the Air," "The Hurt Locker" among 10 Producers Guild best picture nominees. Kate Winslet and Halle Berry have most desirable bodies for women according to poll.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Are either of the boys with you?
MARK CONSUELOS, ACTOR: No, no. Not on this trip.
KELLY RIPA, ACTRESS: We`re actually here on business.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Business? So you storm the house by helicopter?
RIPA: We are doing a taped piece for "Wave" and I come bearing big news. The Atlantic Press has voted Pine Valley the best town in America.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is Kelly Ripa and real life hubby Mark Consuelos, two of my favorite people. They`re back on ABC`s "All My Children" for a moment anyway. Kelly and Mark, who played Haley and Mateo on the show, are back this week for the soap`s 40th anniversary.
ANDERSON: A.J., Kelly and Mark actually met on "All My Children." And there was some drama this morning with Kelly`s other TV husband, Regis Philbin, watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I look in the paper and I walk into the -
RIPA: You`re walking with an unidentified woman.
PHILBIN: This unidentified woman has been working here for -
RIPA: Who could this unidentified woman be?
PHILBIN: That`s Barbara Warren, our press gal, you know.
RIPA: She`s our trained professional liar.
PHILBIN: So she sees the (INAUDIBLE) across the street and she says, "I`m going to walk you over today." Usually, John the doorman or Juan - one of the doormen walks me over just for the laughs, you know.
But anyway, so it`s in the paper here, "Regis takes a stroll." I`m coming to work - "in Manhattan with an unidentified woman." Whoa.
RIPA: I said I know that unidentified woman.
PHILBIN: Yes.
RIPA: I`ve seen her before. She`s always waiting for Regis somewhere in the building.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Like Reg said, he was just taking a walk with "Live`s" PR person. Philbin just returned to the show after getting a hip replacement.
HAMMER: Wow. We`re really starting something on Facebook when we asked you about Jennifer Lopez` New Year`s Eve cat suit. Take a look at this. Did J. Lo deserve cat calls? Was it a catastrophe?
There`s a lot of clawing going on right now on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook wall. Look at all those comments. We heard Louisa C. who loved it, "I think she looks amazing after having twins. She has a great body. If only we all could look like that after having kids."
Kerry K. hated it, "She has a great figure but that was a cheesy outfit. Yes, moms can still look sexy but should think classier."
Shae D. thinks J. Lo should just stick the Louboutin, "She was hot in the `90s, but it`s 2010. That look is so Miley Cyrus or younger. Stop it J. Lo! Stop it I say!"
You can write to us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter. Sign up for both at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, the jaw-dropping, brand new controversy over one of Fox`s most prominent journalists telling Tiger to convert to Christianity.
"America`s Most Wanted" host John Walsh speaks out today about how his show helped to capture the guy who allegedly killed four members of his family on Thanksgiving.
And the octumom`s doctor in big trouble today but the Octomom rushes to his defense in a brand-new interview. This is the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom that are making big news right now.
TEXT: Lady Gaga, Beyonce, Taylor Swift set to perform at Grammys January 31. Jenny Sanford, wife of S.C. Governor, will release book next month about hubby`s cheating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, can religion save Tiger Woods? The controversial claim from Fox News` Brit Hume that Tiger needs to drop Buddhism and get saved. Were his comments out of line? The Great Tiger religion debate.
The Octomom doc in hot water. Tonight, why Nadya Suleman`s doctor is being accused of gross negligence.
And for the first time, Rosie O`Donnell talks about her new girlfriend.
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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: And I`m Brooke Anderson, coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And tonight, can religion save Tiger Woods?
HAMMER: Well, former Fox News anchor, Brit Hume, says Tiger`s image can be saved if he gets saved. It`s just one Tiger story today that makes for big news breaking.
Tonight, does Tiger need to embrace Christianity to get past the hot mess that`s now his image? Well, that`s what Brit Hume is saying. Is there something to his get saved plan?
Also, Tiger raw. Check out "Vanity Fair`s" just released steamy, sexy photos of Tiger after years of strict image control. Now, we`re wondering - could this be the real face of Tiger Woods?
And just wait until you hear the late-breaking results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Is it finally time for Tiger Woods to go public?"
Joining me tonight in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell who, of course, hosts "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" right here, HLN every night 7:00 Eastern. Also in New York tonight, Marc Lamont Hill who is a Columbia University professor.
So the question tonight is, can religion save Tiger Woods? Well, Brit Hume says absolutely, yes, hallelujah. Watch how Brit put it on Fox News.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HUME: The extent to which he can recover, it seems to me, depends on his faith. He`s said to be a Buddhist. I don`t think that faith offers the kind of forgiveness and redemption that is offered by the Christian faith.
So my message to Tiger would be, "Tiger, turn to the Christian faith and you can make a total recovery and be a great example to the world."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. My colleague, Jane Velez-Mitchell, let me begin with you. Separate from what you may think of Brit making these comments, what do you think about the idea? Can Tiger be saved if he gets saved?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I have to say I think it`s incredibly arrogant and ignorant to attack an entire religion just to make some point about Tiger Woods. How dare he?
The fact is Buddhists are very forgiving and they`re already forgiving him on the Internet as we speak. But what Tiger needs is not a new religion. He needs to get real, to get honest about himself.
For too long, he has projected this false image to the world that did not match his inner reality. For too long, he`s lived with toxic secrets. The one thing we know about toxic secrets is that they fester and grow and they often explode in massive problems, sometimes even violence because secrets will not exist by themselves.
They have to be protected by lies and by subterfuge. So all of a sudden, your whole life becomes a phony world. And the toxic inner world behind the phony persona is the one that feels more real.
So he has got almost like a split personality. He needs to work on himself and I think the best way to do that would be to find out why he felt so compelled to have sex with so many women and that means going to sex rehab.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, it seems however he approaches it, there is a lot of work to be done. But I`m right there with you. The fact that he really insulted Buddhism by his comments, Brit Hume offended a lot of people.
I mean, I`m not the only one - you`re not the only one. A lot of people thought it was very strange for that he went on Fox News and told Tiger to give up Buddhism and convert to Christianity so he can fix his situation. Marc, did you find that strange?
HILL: I found it strange. I wouldn`t say I found it surprising, but I certainly found it strange and offensive.
HAMMER: Yes.
HILL: The first thing we need to do is give Brit "Buddhism for Dummies." Because one of the basic principles of Buddhism is transcendence and detachment, being able to detach themselves from worldly things.
I mean, this is the exact thing that a Buddhist would say. The same thing that Brit Hume said is what any Buddhist would say, that Tiger Woods needs to get right by getting off of the sex stuff.
Now, as far as actually suggesting that Christianity is the path way, well, maybe it is for some people. Maybe it is everybody. But that`s not my judgment call. What I will say is that almost every celebrity who gets caught in a sex scandal, almost celebrity who`s been in a molestation scandal, a murder scandal - almost 90 percent of them are Christians.
So let`s not pretend that getting saved is suddenly going to make you a right person. You have to do what Jane just said, which is deal with your inner secrets and inner issues that you struggle with. Until you do that, nothing`s going to be right.
HAMMER: Well, here`s another idea. Let me just throw this out on the table. If religion isn`t the thing to save Tiger Woods, maybe this is. Can we put this up, please? Thank you, Charles. A brand-new cover of "Vanity Fair." Photographer Annie Leibovitz took these rather naughty raw photos of Tiger four months ago, but now just made them public.
What do you think, Jane? Are these photos now going to solidify what people are presently thinking about him? You know, he actually really is a bad boy.
VELEZ-MITCHELL Well, I think these photos are a work of genius. I think one of the reasons why Annie Leibovitz is a genius is that she gets behind the mask. She gets behind the phony exterior and really sees the person for who they are and manages to bring that out in some way, shape or form.
And so, here she is, showing the real Tiger Woods. Not some bionic man. Not some machine who`s just about playing golf. But a real flesh- and-blood man who sweats and has feelings. And he should have been that all along. There`s nothing wrong with being a real man.
HAMMER: Well, you get the flesh and you get the sweat right there in those photos.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Exactly.
HAMMER: A lot of people are saying this is the image that he should be embracing right now. In fact, Pulitzer Prize winning "Vanity Fair" contributing editor, Buzz Bissinger, wrote this brand-new cover story on Tiger.
He told "Today" show host Matt Lauer this morning, Tiger needs to play up his bad-boy image right away. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BUZZ BISSINGER, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "VANITY FAIR": I think he should come back, shaved head, tattoos all over his arms, bad to the bone. Come in on a Harley. Win the Masters. Throw away the green jacket and go into the tent and find the prettiest woman. I don`t think he`ll do that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What do you think, Marc? Is there something to that? Should Tiger really face up to America and say, you know, "Hey, this is who I really am, like it or not," maybe play it up? And maybe that will work for him.
HILL: First of all, it won`t work. He won`t get AT&T back He won`t get McDonalds back. He won`t get any of his big sponsors back being a bad boy. That`s number one.
Number two, that`s not who he really is. He is the worst bad boy in the history of bad boys. He has no game. He has no swagger. He`s not a bad guy. He`s a weird kid, just like the kid that`s a master at chess or tennis or any of these other home-schooled weirdo kids.
That`s Tiger Woods is. That`s why he got into this scandal because he didn`t know how to interact with humanoids. And all of a sudden, we`re going to make him into Dennis Rodman because he got caught having sex. Let`s go back to the straight and narrow type.
HAMMER: I don`t see him, you know, doing crazy things like Dennis and Carmen Electra getting involved. All right. Let me talk some thing more about what Buzz Bissinger had to write his "Vanity Fair" articles, because I think he really hit the nail on the head with Tiger.
And he said there has never been an athlete who has had so controlled an image and so completely duped America, really, with this image he was portraying versus what was actually going on. Brooke Anderson, I need you to tell us what Buzz wrote in this new cover story. It`s just fascinating.
ANDERSON: A.J., it is, really. And he really captures what Woods was about until his fall from grace. Listen to this, quote, "With Woods, everything was crafted to produce a man of nothing, with no interior, non- threatening and non-controversial, that was Tiger Woods, all of which made him the perfect man and pitch man for our imperfect times. A charming non- person."
Now, that description - I don`t know - it sounds a whole heck of a lot like Paris Hilton to me. Jane, if Tiger gets a grip and a real personality, do you think that America will forgive him?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, first of all, I think we have to have compassion for Tiger Woods because he was fast-tracked into this whole thing by his dad who chose him and preordained him to be a professional golfer.
He was hitting golf balls at two. He was on TV at something like four. So he was commoditized and turned into a product at a very early age. This wasn`t his choice.
I think he`s a metaphor for what`s wrong with America, that we turn everything into a product, that we create images that are totally phony and have nothing to do with the reality of what we`re talking about, that we`re all about surface, that we`re all appearing perfect.
And nobody`s perfect. And I think it`s not just a wake-up call to Tiger, it`s a wake-up call to all of us to get real and stop harping on these phony, baloney images that have nothing to do with anything including the products that they`re selling.
HAMMER: So we`re all wondering what we`re going to see from Tiger next. And quite frankly, we`re wondering when we`re wondering when we`re going to see Tiger actually surface.
Check out these astonishing late-breaking results of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we asked, "Tiger Woods: Is it time for him to go public?" Fifty-six percent said yes; 44 percent said no. A little bit of an even split. But Marc, a majority do say time for Tiger to show his face. What do you think?
HILL: I think that the American people want him to show their face and they want to hear his story because they`re nosy. But it`s not their business. If Tiger is smart, he needs to stay out of the way. He shouldn`t come back to the Arnold Palmer invitational.
He`s a performance brand. He needs to play up his skills. He needs to win a few more tournaments. And maybe he`ll even begin to get some of his sponsors back. He won`t get back, you know, family-oriented stuff, but he will get back things for performance brands, cars and golf clubs, maybe even condoms. That`s where he needs to be.
HAMMER: I think, the condoms will probably come after. Definitely, we`ll need a carefully-crafted plan. Marc Lamont Hill, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you both.
ANDERSON: Tonight, the Octomomdoc could be in big trouble. The doctor is being accused of gross negligence. Wait until you hear what Nadya Suleman has to say about that. Her explosive reaction out just today.
Plus, for the first time, Rosie O`Donnell talks about her new girlfriend.
And "America`s Most Wanted," John Walsh, helped crack the case of one of the most disturbing murder mysteries in recent history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: This low life has been out there over five weeks. I really believe that the public would really make a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: John Walsh spoke out just today about catching the man accused of killing four members of his family on Thanksgiving Day. 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: Lenny Kravitz confirms leaked Michael Jackson collaboration is genuine. On his blog, Kanye West announces return to recording studio.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: And Brooke, Octomom Nadya Suleman`s doctor is now in hot water.
ANDERSON: He sure is, A.J. Plus, Rosie O`Donnell is speaking out for the first time about her new girlfriend. It is all in the buzz today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Rosie`s new girlfriend. For the very first time since breaking up with longtime partner, Kelley Carpenter, Rosie O`Donnell is revealing she has a new girlfriend, Tracy Kachtick-Anders, an artist and mother of six. Rosie made the revelation on her Sirius radio show.
ROSIE O`DONNELL, RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: Did anybody hear I have a new girlfriend. Here`s the thing. I have never really dated anybody while I`ve been famous. I started dating Kelley when Chelsea was born, so it was in `97. So I never dated anybody while I was famous. And now, I am. Boy, it`s wild.
ANDERSON: Vince Vaughn, a swinger no more. Vaughn has just married 31- year-old real estate agent, Kyla Weber. They wed in a small, private ceremony outside Chicago, no crashers allowed. It`s the first marriage for both Weber and the 39-year-old actor.
Shocking charges against the octumom`s doctor. Nadya Suleman`s doctor, Michael Kamrava, is accused of gross negligence by the California State Medical Board. In a complaint, the board accuses him of transferring too many embryos into the Suleman saying he should have sent her to a mental health physician after she kept returning for in-vitro treatments.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So the Octomom defends the Octo-doc. But is she out of her mind?
Joining me tonight in Hollywood is Leslie Marshall, who is a talk radio host of "The Leslie Marshall Show." Also tonight in New York is Whitney Casey, who is a relationship expert and author of this book, "The Man Plan," which is available in paperback today.
Leslie, Whitney, so the Octomom says her doctor did nothing wrong even though the California State Medical Board is calling him negligent. And today, on Radar Online," brand-new video of the Octomom reacting to the news. You`ve got to see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NADYA SULEMAN, "OCTUMOM": I hope not, because he did nothing wrong. He did absolutely nothing wrong. Plus, what am I going to do if I ever, in the future, want to go back? Really? What am I going to do? If they are saying he transferred in too many of them, he didn`t do anything wrong. He didn`t do anything?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Isn`t that the point that maybe he should have done something a little bit differently? And rewind, go back. Don`t tell me she`s even thinking of adding even more kids to her brood of 14.
Leslie, I think it`s outrageous and downright scary that she would even joke about that.
MARSHALL: You know, I`m serious. I just thought, what is in her coffee? This is crazy. You know, I talked about this before. I myself have had 13 IVF cycles and I kept having them because they were unsuccessful.
And I remember saying to my doctor, Brooke, "Can`t you put them all in? And he said, "No, because it`s medically unethical. It`s dangerous for you. It`s dangerous for the babies." We have to know that what happened with Octomom is a miracle. It is not typical.
Normally, multiple births are dangerous for both the mother and the children. And they`re usually are no more than two or three and sometimes only one embryo transferred into a woman. And this man has not done the right thing medically.
You know, I`m wondering another thing, if it`s terrible, if doctors get paid per embryo transfer. That`s something I wondered.
ANDERSON: That`s great question. And the fact that Nadya takes conception and expanding her brood so lightly as seen in that video, it`s very disturbing and it`s really what has gotten her in this mess in the first place, coupled with the fact that this doctor did not recommend her for a mental health evaluation and that`s also included in the complaint by the California Medical Board.
Whitney, the board seems to be saying what a lot of people have said, that Nadya Suleman was obsessed with having kids and should have been treated. Do you find all of that really disturbing?
WHITNEY CASEY, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: Well, clearly, there needs to be some legislation here. I mean, I don`t want to be a luddite when it comes to baby-making. But I`m saying, we`re not talking about we`re growing chia pets or like gremlins and feeding them after midnight.
These are human beings. And this woman, besides her crazy Fran Drescher laugh, she`s cuckoo. And she really does need to have some sort a therapist or somebody deal with her.
But when it comes to legislation, there really is such a gray area. And we need to address that more so than we need to address her craziness, because this is just going to happen more.
I mean, if we don`t address it now, think about all the people going in for plastic surgeries. When is the doctor supposed to send them to go see somebody because they`re psychologically inept?
ANDERSON: Right.
CASEY: Or what about, you know, weight-loss patients and Adderall patients.
ANDERSON: You`re right -
CASEY: I mean, these are all issues that need to be brought forward.
ANDERSON: Yes. It does need to be more black and white. You`re right about that. And it is just - it`s tough because a lot of things were obviously overlooked in Nadya Suleman`s situation. Hopefully, it will not happen again.
Also brand new, making big buzz today. We`ve got to talk about this - Rosie O`Donnell opening up about her new girlfriend. Now, this is the first time that she`s talking about her new girlfriend since she announced the split from long-time partner, Kelley Carpenter.
Take a listen to what Rosie just said about dating again. She said this on her "Rosie Radio Show" on Sirius XM Satellite Radio.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
O`DONNELL: I never dated anybody while I was famous. And now, I am. Boy, it`s wild. So, yes, lovely, lovely, lovely, lovely person named Tracy who has six children. And so, she was in Miami with her kids and we had a great time. And we went out to walk around and see a movie and walk around Lincoln Road.
And there were lots of people taking photos of us and people following us in the car taking photos and I felt like Madonna for a moment.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So she`s being stalked by the paparazzi. But she seems happy. And this is a photo that Rosie posted of her new girlfriend on her Web site "Rosie.com." Leslie, are you surprised that Rosie is being so open about her new relationship?
MARSHALL: I`m not surprised that Rosie`s being open, not only about her relationship, but about anything. One of the things, I think, all of us like about Rosie is she is an opened book. That`s one of the things I liked about her.
One thing that shocked me, Brooke, is when she said, "This is the first time I`ve dated while I was famous." She was famous back then. I just don`t think she realized it. She`s been famous for a long time. So I`m not surprised she`s open about it. I was more shocked she thinks she`s famous now and wasn`t then.
ANDERSON: Yes. You`re right about that. And Rosie has been very candid that she`s not the easiest person to deal with. So maybe this is the woman to tame Rosie. We wish her the best. Leslie Marshall, Whitney Casey, thank you both.
HAMMER: Tonight, "America`s Most Wanted" host, John Walsh, helped crack the case of one of the most disturbing murder mysteries in recent history.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: This low life`s been out there over five weeks. I really believe that the public would make a difference.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: John Walsh spoke out today about catching a man accused of killing four members of his family on Thanksgiving Day. 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: Film box office overtakes 2009 DVD and Blu-Ray sales for the first time since 2002. ESPN and Discovery to launch TV`s first 3D networks.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Today, we learned that Redmond O`Neal was arrested on drug charges while on a 24-hour pass from drug rehab. O`Neal, the son of Ryan O`Neal and the late Farrah Fawcett, was taken into custody last Tuesday on a felony charge.
Late today, we heard from Redmond`s lawyer who tells us the court today ordered Redmond to spend 30 days in jail. Until this latest alleged incident, Redmond was reportedly clean for six months.
When he returned to rehab after his 24-hour pass, the staff reportedly noticed that he seemed like he was under the influence.
HAMMER: Tonight, John Walsh speaks out about helping solve one of the most shocking and disturbing murder mysteries in recent history. In a press conference today, the "America`s Most Wanted" host spoke about how the show led to the arrest of the man who`s accused of fatally shooting four of his family members on Thanksgiving.
This horrible tragedy left the suspect`s twin sisters, one of whom was pregnant, his 6-year-old cousin, and 79-year-old aunt all dead. The story was on "America`s Most Wanted," and one viewer gave police a tip on Saturday night based on descriptions of the suspect and his car.
Well, he was arrested in the Florida Keys not long after that. And today, John Walsh talked about how it all went down.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALSH: We came down here and did a special "America`s Most Wanted" last Saturday. This low life`s been out there over five weeks. I really believed that the public would make a difference. This is a guy who knows right from wrong. He planned this assassination.
He was smart enough to stay on the run. The stuff they found in his motel is just a subterfuge. He wasn`t going to kill himself. He was going to stay out there as long he could. This man deserves the death penalty.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: John Walsh, continuing to do his amazing work there. Officials say that the tipster who saw "America`s Most Wanted" and called police may be entitled to a $100,000 reward.
ANDERSON: Tonight, one of the most recognizable voices in history has been replaced by another one. Nearly six months after Walter Cronkite`s death, Walter`s voice is gone from the "CBS Evening News."
His introduction of Katie Couric was replaced yesterday by an intro by Morgan Freeman.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MORGAN FREEMAN, ACTOR (voice-over): From CBS News world headquarters in New York, this is the "CBS Evening News" with Katie Couric.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Until now Cronkite`s voice was kept on the air even after his death in July. The president of CBS News says Freeman will give the network flexibility to record different intros when Couric has special reports and is on location.
HAMMER: Well, on Monday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Just moments ago, I received the final results. This is the question - "Tiger Woods: Is it time for him to go public?" And it`s pretty close here. Fifty-six percent of you say yes; 44 percent say no.
Among the Emails, we got one from Peggy in Idaho who writes, "What does Tiger needs to go `public` about? I like to watch him play golf. I don`t care about his private life."
We also heard from Kelly in Texas who writes, "A phony apology in my opinion is worse than silence. I`m glad that he`s laying low."
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. We don`t want you to forget that you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern on HLN. Take care.
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