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Showbiz Tonight
John Edwards` Voicemail; Heidi Hate Mail; Interview with Heidi Montag`s Doctor; Brand-New Outrage Over Mel Gibson; The Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week
Aired January 29, 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 news breaking right now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - the unbelievable brand-new John Edwards voicemail. Today, the guy who covered up Edwards` affair reveals a startling message he claims his boss left for him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (ALLEGED TO BE JOHN EDWARDS): Andrew, it`s John. I`m going to leave you this message just in case.
HAMMER: Edwards` mistress files a restraining order today. Who or what is Rielle Hunter going after?
Heidi hate mail? The explosive new reports that Heidi Montag is getting frightening letters for getting 10 plastic surgeries in one day.
Plus, a Heidi plastic surgery shocker exclusive. He called her a hero. And now, tonight, Heidi Montag`s controversial plastic surgeon is right here to face our tough questions. It`s the exclusive headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And who will SHOWBIZ TONIGHT name as the most provocative celebrity of the week? John Edwards, Tiger Woods` wife for reportedly calling off her divorce, or Heidi Montag?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
HAMMER: Tonight, the tale of the tapes. John Edwards must be shaking in his polished shoes right about now. First, in an explosive tell-all, a man he once considered one of his closest confidents, makes the explosive claim that there is a John Edwards sex tape.
ANDERSON: But that`s not all, A.J. Just today, Edwards` former mistress, Rielle Hunter, launched her own fight to stop the release of a video that sounds an awful lot like the tape named in the blockbuster book.
And yet, another tape is sparking a brand-new furor. Tonight, the same night Edwards` former campaign aide went on network TV with his scandalous claims, we`re also hearing what is believed to be John Edwards himself in a voicemail message painting a very icky picture of a cover-up that most of us wish we could shake right out of our heads.
There is no doubt that these lightning-fast developments made for big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): It`s one of the most explosive allegations made in a sex scandal that`s full of them.
ANDREW YOUNG, FORMER CAMPAIGN AIDE OF JOHN EDWARDS: It is a sex tape of Rielle and John Edwards.
ANDERSON: In an interview that just aired tonight on ABC`s "20/20," Andrew Young, ex-aide of former presidential candidate John Edwards, claims to have a sex tape between Edwards and his then-mistress, Rielle Hunter.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you absolutely sure that this is John Edwards and Rielle Hunter?
YOUNG: It`s definitely him. You never see her face. It`s a visibly pregnant woman.
ANDERSON: Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you a brand-new red-hot legal battle is adding more fire to reports that John Edwards` sleazy, made for tabloid affair may actually have been caught on tape. And that has the entire nation going - ew.
ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS: It`s bad enough we had to hear about this affair and all the tawdry details. The last thing on earth I want to see is a sex tape from Rielle Hunter and John Edwards. No, no, no.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Edwards` ex-mistress, Rielle Hunter, has won a temporary restraining order in a North Carolina court. In documents posted today on "The Smoking Gun," Hunter doesn`t use the word "sex tape," but she asks for the return of the very tapes Andrew Young has been talking about in the media, tapes he calls sex tapes, and she calls, quote, "very private and personal."
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I`m sure it was a conversation, because lots of conversations are private and personal.
ANDERSON: "In Touch Weekly`s" Kim Serafin tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Rielle Hunter claims she made the tape in 2006, the year her affair with John Edwards began.
SERAFIN: She says she didn`t want anyone to get hold of it, so what she did was kind of mangled the tape and hid it in a hat box because she didn`t think throwing it in the trash would be a good thing where somebody else might find it. So obviously, we know somebody did find it.
YOUNG: There was one tape that was marked "special." And we`re just aghast.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s interview on ABC`s "20/20" and in the new book "The Politician," which hits bookstores tomorrow, Edwards` ex-aide, Andrew Young and his wife describe finding an Edwards-Hunter sex tape in a house where Hunter used to live.
YOUNG: It`s amazing this tape exists. That`s unbelievable. But to leave it in a house that`s for sale where realtors are going to be coming through and leave it there for eight months is unbelievable.
SERAFIN: Andrew, in his book and interview, says one of reasons that he kept the tape was kind of for insurance. He said he`s read a lot of John Grisham novels. He knows what rich, powerful people can do. And obviously, his credibility was at stake. If he`s putting all of this in a book, he wanted something to protect himself.
ANDERSON: In tonight`s "20/20" interview, Young says he and Edwards went to great lengths to cover up Edwards` affair with Hunter and love child he fathered with her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly John Edwards): Hey, Andrew, it`s John.
ANDERSON: Young even played a voicemail that appears to show Edwards trying to keep the cover up from his wife, Elizabeth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (alleged to be John Edwards): I`m going to leave you this message just in case you get a call from me where I ask you what`s going on. The reason we`re calling is because Elizabeth is standing there.
ANDERSON: So it looks like this new voicemail tape as well as that disputed alleged sex tape may be the final deadly blows to John Edwards` reputation.
SERAFIN: It is really unbelievable that he had this much gall that he thought he could get through all this, lie to everyone, lie to his wife and still come out fine.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And as we know, things didn`t turn out fine for John Edwards. This week, he and his wife Elizabeth announced their separation.
HAMMER: The seedy scandal just seems to get even worse by the day. So is the damage just already done or do these new claims sink Edwards even deeper into the land of no return.
Joining me right here with me in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, host, of course, of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." Catch the show every night, 7:00 p.m. Eastern on HLN. And she is the author of this excellent book, "I Want: My Journey from Addiction and Overconsumption to Simpler, Honest Life." In Hollywood tonight, Tanika Ray who is an entertainment journalist.
Edwards` former aide blew us away just days ago when he claimed that there was a John Edwards sex tape. And we got a little uncomfortable about that. Just today, Edwards` former mistress, Rielle Hunter, waged a battle of her own to block the release of a videotape that she herself calls personal and private in nature. Jane, coincidence? I don`t think so.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": One day, they`re going to teach this scandal in school, A.J. And they`re going to call the course, "How Not to Handle a Scandal." Every mistake that could possibly be made has been made in this case.
Now, some people might not have bought the whole idea that John Edwards actually made a sex tape. They might have been a little skeptical. Well, cue the mistress with court documents saying, "I want to suppress a tape that is personal."
She is essentially confirming for the world that might have been dubious, that yes, there is a sex tape. How stupid is that?
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, how suspect is that timing. And as we said, we don`t know for sure that the sex tape exists. But Tanika, Rielle`s new restraining order, as we`ve been saying, really adds fuel to the fire here, doesn`t it?
TANIKA RAY, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Absolutely. It is absolutely the fall of a narcissist, period. Last nail in the coffin - it`s done. John Edwards needs to go away and attend to his farm or something, because right now, nobody wants to hear from him. It was gross before - now that each detail comes out.
I just want to say, is our society insane? We keep doing the same thing over and over, expecting a different outcome.
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: Sex tapes are going to be found out, people. Stop taping yourself schtupping. Stop it.
HAMMER: Let me give you a little more gross, because, you know, maybe you don`t have to caught on tape doing what Tanika just said. But just getting caught on tape doing anything when a scandal is in place is a bad thing.
We`ve got another glimpse of what John Edwards may have been going through, trying to keep his affair secret. In an interview that just ran earlier tonight on ABC`s "20/20," Edwards` former aide played a voicemail he claimed was from Edwards asking Young to go along with his scheme. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (alleged to be John Edwards): Andrew, it`s John. I`m going to leave this message just in case you get a call from me where I ask you what`s going on. The reason we are calling is because Elizabeth is standing there. So, if I am calling saying what happened, how did this happen or what`s going on, then that`s because Elizabeth is standing there with me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Elizabeth`s there. OK. Now, Jane. If this is in fact John Edwards, you know, it was one thing that we knew that he lied about this affair. But again, if it is John on the tape, this just makes it so much worse, actually hearing his voice, doesn`t it?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It is so insidious. Unlike Tiger Woods, who may have cheated with many women, he didn`t hold a news conference saying, "I`ve never cheated." This John Edwards has gone out time and time again and looked people in the eye on camera and denied this affair.
This guy is such a creep, he is really giving Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian a run for their money. They`ve got sex tapes but I think, you know, his might be sleazier than theirs.
HAMMER: I can`t believe you just put those three names in the same sentence, Jane. But you know, you`ve got a lot of truth going on there.
I think it`s safe to say that John Edwards has taken an epic fall from grace. This was no small fall from grace. This was huge ...
RAY: Huge -
HAMMER: ... from cheating on his wife, to having a love child with his mistress, to reports of a sex tape. We`ve been asking this in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "John Edwards Tell-All: Can he ever redeem himself?"
I`m not at all surprised by the results here. Only eight percent said yes; 92 percent said he won`t be able to redeem himself.
Tanika, you have characterized this as the massive fall of a narcissist.
RAY: Yes.
HAMMER: I have said time and time again this guy just needs to go away. You say maybe he should tend to his farm. But is there anything at all he can ever do to redeem himself in your mind?
RAY: No. No. One disgrace - fine. When you`ve got like four piled up against you, it`s over. In today`s age, with television and the Internet, texting and phone, you don`t leave a message.
What is it when you do guys say, "Hey, it`s John. Hey, cover me," like you don`t do that. I just think that men, hopefully, across this land and the world, will learn a lesson.
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: Don`t screw over your wife. And if you do, don`t make any communication via text, E-mail or videotape yourself having, you know, that.
HAMMER: You know when your bread becoming toast and that little bell goes off. That bell is sounding pretty loudly for John Edwards right now.
Well, with all of the revelations coming to light about John Edwards` sex scandal, there`s no doubt he is a qualified nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week.
RAY: Absolutely.
HAMMER: But will we name him the most provocative? Is it Edwards? Maybe Tiger Woods` wife, Elin Nordegren? Maybe even plastic surgery reality TV train wreck Heidi Montag. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Tanika Ray, don`t go anywhere. That fired-up debate is coming up.
ANDERSON: And A.J., we`ve got other big Heidi Montag news today about her plastic surgery, reports that she`s getting frightening letters today slamming her for what she did.
And also, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, the controversial plastic surgeon who performed those 10 procedures on Heidi in one day, the same doctor who called Heidi a hero - tonight he`s here to face our tough questions. It`s the headline making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And a major shake-up today on "Dancing with the Stars." Does this clear the way for Paula Abdul to get on the show? I actually think it would be a good idea. Remember, Paula was a professional dancer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Sandra Bullock and husband Jesse James hire pet search company to help them find missing puppy. Conan O`Brien`s final week on "Tonight Show" was his highest-rated week ever.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Beyonce giving me a serious fever. Wow, this is hot. Your first look at an ad for Beyonce`s Heat, Beyonce`s brand-new perfume that`s scheduled to hit stores next week. And that`s her singing "Fever." I say it`s smoking.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Ozzy Osbourne unplugged.
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, you know, people have let this thing go for decades. Do you remember when Ozzy bit the head off a bat at a concert all those years ago?
ANDERSON: Unfortunately, I do, A.J. And you know, the Prince of Darkness, as he`s called, has done so many outrageous things over the years. In fact, former front man of the rock group, Black Sabbath, says he`s lucky to be alive today.
Ozzy Osbourne just sat down with CNN`s John Roberts to talk about his new tell-all book which covers his life of sex and drugs and rock and roll almost 25 years to the day that John first interviewed him. Here`s CNN`s John Roberts for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JOHN ROBERTS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (on camera): Ozzy, it`s great to see you. It`s been 25 years.
OZZY OSBOURNE, AUTHOR "I AM OZZY": I can`t believe this.
ROBERTS: Here, let me play a little bit of this for you here. You had just gotten out of the Betty Ford Clinic. There`s been some interesting changes in your life recently.
OSBOURNE: We both look so young.
OSBOURNE: To be a rock and roll star, you don`t have to be crazy and take drugs and alcohol all the time. It`s just ...
ROBERTS: That sure didn`t change.
OSBOURNE: I don`t want to die. You know, it`s just that I don`t want to die.
ROBERTS: So that was 1985.
OSBOURNE: And I still haven`t died.
ROBERTS: Twenty-five years ago, you`re still alive. But you`ve just gotten out of the Betty Ford Clinic. You said you hadn`t completely given up everything but it took you another 21 years...
OSBOURNE: I`ve been clean and sober now for about six-and-a-half years.
ROBERTS: Why did it take so long?
OSBOURNE: I needed it to survive. Until eventually, you know, I kept chipping and chipping away and after that interview, I must have gone into another 15 rehabs over the years. You know.
ROBERTS: In fact, in the book you talked about basically this one day of substance abuse blending into the next. You write, "By now I was putting so much of the stuff" -talking about cocaine - "up my nose that I had to smoke a bag of dope every day just to stop my heart from exploding."
OSBOURNE: Oh, yes, I mean, I know that if I left here and started drinking booze, at the end of the day, I would be asking strangers where to get coke. I mean, it just goes hand in hand. I mean, back then, I mean, before in the `70s when I first started to use coke, it was like you have to know somebody who knew somebody and who knew someone. If I walk around the block here, I could find somebody to give me it.
ROBERTS: You told me in 1985 that the reason that you went into rehab was you didn`t want to die.
OSBOURNE: Yes.
ROBERTS: Are you surprised that you lasted this long?
OSBOURNE: I`ve been living miracles. I mean, one time I was in New York and I got half a pint of codeine, liquid codeine and overdosed really bad. I nearly went into respiratory arrest, you know. I mean, that happened to me all the time. I`m lucky to have my life but I`m just as lucky to have a family.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Ozzy Osbourne`s book, "I am Ozzy," is on sale now.
HAMMER: Yes. A little suspect that John`s hair went grey and Ozzy`s did not. I`m just saying.
All right. Brooke, a raging debate going right now on in our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines after we reported that Tiger Woods` wife was considering calling off a divorce and taking him back.
ANDERSON: A.J., I don`t know why she would do that. But Barb thinks it could work out.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BARB, CALLER: She`s teaching her children, when you make a vow for better or worse, you should be there for the worse. I think she should work it out. I think they could have a future. The fact that he had so many shows how cheap and how unimportant they were.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thanks for your call, Barb.
HAMMER: But Tanesha from Colorado says that Elin would be making a big mistake if she gets back together with Tiger.
TANESHA, CALLER FROM COLORADO: No. Elin should not stay with Tiger, not even for the children. We have to think about the role model, the example that`s being set for the children.
The children will see the television shows or find out about all of things that have happened between his mother and father, even later on in their life, when they are old enough to understand. So I don`t feel like she should stay with Tiger. It`s not teaching the kids, you know, self- respect.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks, Tanesha. Call us at "Showbiz on Call" to let us know what you think about this or anything that`s` on your mind.
ANDERSON: We keep the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines open for you all the time. The number is 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
HAMMER: Tonight, Heidi hate mail? Yes, the explosive new report today that Heidi Montag is getting frightening letters for getting 10 plastic surgery procedures in one day.
Plus, he called her a hero. Now, tonight, Heidi Montag`s controversial plastic surgeon is right here to face our tough questions. It is the exclusive, headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And it is time for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to name the most provocative celebrity of the week. Look at this lineup, John Edwards, Tiger Woods` wife Elin for thinking of taking him back, or Ms. Nip and Tuck, Heidi Montag.
Also, brand-new Mel Gibson outrage today for the unbelievable things he just said caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people like - people are going to welcome you back and other people are going to be like, "He should never come back."
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of what happened before.
GIBSON: What happened before?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Mel is trying to bounce back from his drunk-driving arrests, his alleged anti-Semitic rant. But does what he say now totally ruin his chances for a comeback? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Neil Patrick Harris to host a game show called "The Cube" for CBS. Nick Jonas to perform on NBC`s "The Biggest Loser" this Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Making Whoopi. I want you to check out what happened on "The View" when the ladies were talking about the pets getting in the way of the sex life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Are you asking me have I done more than one person at one time?
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Now that the cat is out of the bag -
(CROSSTALK)
GOLDBERG: This is not a visual any of you want. So I`m going to just swallow it back down and just say, when someone other than myself has been in my bed, the cat is not happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I love you, Whoopi. You know that, but I don`t know if I`m too happy hearing this. Ladies, I believe this falls under the TMI category in my mind.
As we move on, Rihanna`s brand-new interview with Ellen DeGeneres about her love life and the surprising story behind her new tattoo. Tonight, here`s your first look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RIHANNA, SINGER: The newest one goes across my chest right here.
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": What does it say?
RIHANNA: Not showing too much.
DEGENERES: OK.
RIHANNA: Don`t get too close up on camera, camera guy. I see you over there, zooming.
DEGENERES: Camera guy - Ryan.
RIHANNA: But -
DEGENERES: What does it say?
RIHANNA: It reads, "Never a failure, always a lesson." You know, basically saying it`s OK to make mistakes, just don`t make them twice.
DEGENERES: I read you said you are going to fall in love by 31 - that`s your goal, that you have to be in love by 31. Is that real? Did you say that?
RIHANNA: No, but I hope I am. Thirty-one is a decade away.
DEGENERES: Yes.
RIHANNA: I`d better be in love by then.
DEGENERES: Yes. Are you dating anybody now?
RIHANNA: No, I`m single.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Single? Sounds like she`s doing just fine. You can catch the rest of the Ellen-Rihanna interview this Monday on "Ellen." Check those local listings.
ANDERSON: We put two big stories up on Facebook. And as soon as we did, wow, did our wall light up. I just checked you guys are really fired up about Heidi Montag and her shocking plastic surgeries. And John Edwards - can he ever redeem himself.
Elaine W. will never forgive him, "Nothing he can do ever. A wife with terminal breast cancer and he does that? Afraid not. Stick a fork in him. He`s done."
Karyn M. hates what Heidi did to herself, "I think she was more beautiful before. Now, she`s a plastic Barbie like everyone else in Hollywood, so I don`t think she is a very good role model.
Write to us on Facebook. Sign up at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A Heidi Montag exclusive. Her controversial plastic surgeon is right here in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And we name the most provocative celebrity of the week - John Edwards, Tiger Woods` wife for reportedly calling off their divorce, or Heidi Montag for her unbelievable plastic surgery.
And we`ve got big "Dancing with the Stars" news today. So will it open the door for Paula Abdul to go on the show? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Queen Latifah to perform "America, the Beautiful" at the Super Bowl. Release date of Ben Stiller`s "Little Fockers" pushed to December 22 from summer 2010.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Heidi`s plastic surgery backlash. Shocking new reports today that Heidi is getting hate mail.
Plus, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, Heidi`s plastic surgeon speaks out. He calls her a hero. Now, the controversial plastic surgeon is right here in the exclusive headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be John Edwards, Tiger Woods` wife for reportedly calling off the divorce, or is it Heidi Montag?
Big "Dancing with the Stars" news today. Will it pave the way for Paula Abdul to straight up get on the show?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And hating on Heidi. There are brand-new reports that reality show star Heidi Montag is getting hate mail over those 10 plastic surgeries she had in one day.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. The 23-year-old is reportedly receiving a ton of hate mail. Some of the letters she`s been receiving according to these new reports have been downright frightening for Heidi.
In fact, Heidi is reportedly so upset about all of the negative reaction her husband, Spencer Pratt, is literally buying her dozens of flowers to cheer her up.
But tonight, only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, an exclusive interview with the man calling Heidi and himself the heroes in all of this.
Heidi Montag`s plastic surgeon, Dr. Frank Ryan, who performed the 10 procedures on Heidi, joins me tonight from Hollywood. I do appreciate you being with us, Dr. Ryan.
DR. FRANK RYAN, HEIDI MONTAG`S PLASTIC SURGEON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Now, I have to be honest with you. The only people throughout the whole thing that I have heard say this is a great idea, quite frankly, are you and Heidi.
All I`ve been hearing from people, including psychologists, is that, among other things, this just sends terrible message because of the fact that Heidi was a beautiful 23-year-old before she went under the knife. So tell me why was it OK for a beautiful girl like Heidi to get all of this surgery?
RYAN: Well, I guess we`re kind of questioning the whole essence of cosmetic surgery, if you will. That`s the nature of it. No one needs elective cosmetic surgery. It`s something that they desire. And that`s what Heidi desired.
HAMMER: All right. Look, you`ve seen the coverage the story has gotten. A lot of people are outraged by it. Can you understand why people think that it sends a terrible message, particularly given how many young fans of hers might look at this and say, "This is the answer to my problems"? I mean, do understand where that outrage is coming from?
RYAN: Well, you know, I look at the other side of things which no one seems to be talking about - is that I`m in the middle of Hollywood here. This is what I do all the time. This is what we all do all the time, frankly - are here.
The public just doesn`t know it and so a lot of these celebrities that are size zero with this perfect bodies and beautiful faces, beautiful skin is just not reality. This is what goes on. So I think Heidi, actually, by being honest, is kind of being brave, actually, to tell you the truth.
HAMMER: Yes. You said that and I`ll get to that in a moment where you called her a hero for those reasons. But I still don`t understand - I guess the connection with how the message it sends that she got the surgeries.
I understand the rationalization you`re making, but the message it sends that she got the surgeries to young women - I mean, young women, in my mind, you know, 15, 16-year-old young girls thinking that this is the answer. That doesn`t seem wrong to you?
RYAN: I don`t think there`s any message she was sending out. She`s a 23- year-old adult who made this choice. I`m not sure what the message really is.
Hmm I`ll spell it out for you. As people see it and as what I`ve been hearing from people on our show, from the psychologists that we`ve spoken to is that they say this is a young woman on TV who was beautiful in their eyes and changed the way she looks in what they consider a rather radical way.
And young women who look up to her might see this, you know, as a sign, "Oh, well the big star is doing it. So it`s OK for me."
RYAN: Well, again, I disagree. And behind the scenes, this is what`s going on. I`m from Ohio. I thought people out here were genetically gifted when I was a kid. I realized that`s not the case. It`s guys such as myself that is sort of doing this. And again, it`s elective cosmetic surgery. No one needs it. Heidi didn`t need it. She was fine before. I totally agree with you, but it was her choice.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let me rundown some of the specifics here, a couple of procedures you performed on Heidi. She had breast implants, a nose job revision, Botox injections, liposuction, a mini brow lift, chin reduction. And in her interview with ABC, Heidi talked specifically about the liposuction. Let`s take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEIDI MONTAG, REALITY TV STAR: I had my legs on liposuction on the inside and outside. But it wasn`t really to take out the fat. It was more just to contour the legs.
And then I had my back scooped out a little bit to help give a curvier look and then a little bit on the sides, too.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Dr. Ryan, you know, this was clearly not an unattractive overweight young woman. Did you perhaps advise her to go to the gym or try Pilates or adjust her diet or any number of other options before resorting to surgery?
RYAN: This is why I`m doing these interviews. Yes, she already does that. No one is apparently aware of that. She does yoga. She eats well. I`ve known her for several years. She does all that already.
We`re the last rung in the ladder, I say to people. You do your working out. Do your - you know, nutrition, et cetera, et cetera. If there are a few localized areas that can`t be removed with these other methods, that`s where liposuction comes into play.
HAMMER: You did 10 procedures on Heidi. Did you turn her down on any more procedures?
RYAN: That was about it. I mean, you see, a lot of those procedures - about five of them could have been in the office - you know, Botox, fat grafting, the ears, the brow lift - all those could have been done under local anesthesia in the office. So it could have been just a handful of procedures. It just makes more sense for the patient to do them together assuming it is safe, which it is, for a young 23-year-old.
HAMMER: As I`ve mentioned, you know, and you`re quite aware, a lot of people are speaking out about this. Earlier today, I told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook fans that we were going to have you on the show tonight.
I asked for people to pose some questions. I want to bring in Brooke Anderson. Brooke, what are people saying on Facebook?
ANDERSON: Hey, A.J., we got this question from Margie R. who wrote on our Facebook wall, "Why would he have to do 10 procedures in one day? She wasn`t ugly to begin with, just insecure. No matter what she has done on the outside, it won`t change the inside. She needs psychological help."
So Dr. Ryan, off of Margie`s question, I want to ask you, you know, we`ve had experts saying that Heidi has body dysmorphic disorder, little- to-no self-esteem and possibly other psychological issues. What kind of psychological screening did she have to go through before undergoing these procedures?
RYAN: That`s a great question. In fact, we all screen our patients before cosmetic surgery. I mean, any responsible, board-certified surgeon does, obviously, and we did as well.
Again, I think it gets back to the question of what essence of elective cosmetic surgery. You know, I guess, is everyone that gets cosmetic surgery insecure? I don`t know. I don`t know the answer to that, to tell you the truth.
But again, when a young, healthy adult makes a decision - frankly, with Heidi, this was a business decision. This was not some addiction thing. She has been thinking about this for a long time and she knew this was something she wanted to do, to hopefully propel her career.
And again, you have to realize the media is somewhat at fault with this, because we are holding the celebrities up then tear them down physically. And so, you know, in this day and age, right or wrong, I mean, the celebrities in the public eye need to look good. It`s all understood.
HAMMER: Well, Dr. Ryan, you gave that interview to "Radar Online" and you said you consider yourself and Heidi heroes in all of this. Let`s take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN: I think the wrong message is when people lie about plastic surgery which is rampant in Hollywood. I mean, you know, there is another reality star, older than Heidi, that gets routinely Botox injections in her cheeks and lips and has her breast and liposuction, buttock augmentation, get cellulite treatments and god knows what else.
That`s sort of the way it is, you know. So I frankly think Heidi is brave. She is a hero for talking about this. And frankly, a little bit, I am, too, because I knew this would sort of happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Dr. Ryan, I hear what you`re saying, but can you understand why when people hear you use the word "hero" in this context, they kind of think it`s nuts, and it`s a strong word.
RYAN: It`s a strong word, I agree. And listen to it again. You`re right, it is a strong word. But I mean, I guess how you - maybe "brave" is a better word. I mean, really, all of this stuff we`re talking about right now, frankly, I would be rather be at my office right now just doing surgery.
So it has opened up a whole can of worms. And I think it`s partly because Heidi was honest whereas other people are not. That`s all there is to it.
HAMMER: Do you think she needs to be getting psychological counseling?
RYAN: No. Heidi does not need psychological counseling. I mean, obviously, a lot of this, as I mentioned, was a very well-thought out, calculated career move. And look what`s it`s done. Many, many, many, many people are talking about Heidi on a daily basis now.
HAMMER: Well, I do appreciate you taking the time. I think we have a lot of people who are disagreeing. But you know, we will all respect each other`s opinions, I guess. Dr. Frank Ryan, we appreciate you being here tonight. Thanks.
ANDERSON: All right. I`ve got to say, I love Fridays on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, because it means we are naming the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be John Edwards for reportedly making a sex tape with his mistress? Tiger Woods` wife Elin for reportedly calling off their divorce? Or is it Heidi Montag and her 10 plastic surgery shocker?
Also, brand-new outrage today about Mel Gibson`s shocking new comment about his anti-Semitic tirade.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Some people are like - people are going to welcome back. And other people are going to be like, "You should never come back."
GIBSON: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because of what happened before?
GIBSON: What happened before?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This on the very same day he returns to the big screen. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the fired-up debate over mad Mel.
And big "Dancing with the Stars" news. Does this mean Paula Abdul will end up on the show? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Nicole Richie calls reports she had an eating disorder "irresponsible" and denies claims. "Sex and the City 3" is not in the works according to studio reps.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the week. Is it John Edwards for another week of big drama, including the possible existence of a sex tape? Or is it Tiger Woods` wife, Elin Nordegren, who, it turns out, just might stand by her man despite the affairs, despite reported sex rehab, despite everything that Tiger has put her through? Or is it (UNINTELLIGIBLE) princess, Heidi Montag. She`s getting a lot of backlash for 10 plastic surgeries in one day, even getting hate mail?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. So tonight, who is the most provocative celebrity of the week?
ANDERSON: Before we tell you our pick, we begin with a brand-new Mel Gibson shocker. Is it time to forgive Mel Gibson? After a whopping seven and a half years since he starred in a movie, Mel Gibson returns to the big screen today with his new action film, "The Edge of Darkness," but not without major explosive controversy.
Hold on to your boots because tonight, we are showing you the two sides of Mel Gibson.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood, the one, the only, Melissa Rivers, who is the author of the incredible new book, "Red Carpet Ready: Secrets for Making the Most of Any Moment." Also tonight in Hollywood, Tanika Ray, who is an entertainment journalist.
OK, ladies. Mel is no stranger to big explosive controversy. Who can forget when, in 2006, he was arrested for drunk driving, allegedly launched into an anti-Semitic tirade. It turns out Mel is still on the defensive big time especially after KTLA reporter Sam Rubin mentioned the scandal. Watch what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SAM RUBIN, KTLA REPORTER: People are going to welcome you back and other people are going to be like, "He should never come back."
GIBSON: Why?
RUBIN: Because of what happened before.
GIBSON: What happened before?
RUBIN: The remarks that were attributed to you.
GIBSON: That were attributed to me, that I didn`t necessarily make. OK. But - and I gather you have a dog in this fight?
RUBIN: Pardon me?
GIBSON: You have a dog in this fight?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: What is wrong with him? Tanika, Mel seemed combative to me. Don`t you think he should be prepared for a question like this? It was perfectly legitimate.
RAY: My mouth is still open. I`m sorry.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RAY: That is insane. First of all, such an inappropriate comment. I just feel like, once again, we`re talking about a famous celebrity with way too much money that`s a little out of touch with what`s going on in our society.
We`re one world. We all get along. We all are learning about each other. And I just feel like that unfortunate part of this, number one, the movie is called "Edge of Darkness." And I have a feeling Mel Gibson has been living on the edge of darkness for quite some time, which is turning off a lot of people. But the proof is in the pudding - is in the dollar signs. We`ll see.
ANDERSON: It definitely will be He definitely should have been prepared for this question, I think, and been prepared with a legitimate answer. Tanika, go ahead, very quickly.
RAY: Well, I was going to say, you know, as junkets work, sometimes, you don`t want to prepare them because then, the publicist will say, absolutely no. You can`t ask them that the question. And unfortunately, this is a big question to ask.
ANDERSON: And he should have been prepared, I think. I think he should have been prepared. It didn`t matter what publicists say, what anybody else said. So we did see this combative Mel Gibson.
But you guys, on the flipside, Mel showed a much nicer face on "Jimmy Kimmel" and he was actually hilarious. He made a funny spoof of the movie he said he made about Jimmy where Mel stars as Jimmy. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Based on a true story like "Precious."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jimmy.
GIBSON: Go away.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s Jimmy`s special, spinning time. The show starts in a few minutes and you need to go over your cue cards.
GIBSON: You know I can`t read.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, Melissa, is this the side of Mel that people need to see more of? Or do you think no matter what he does, people cannot forget the ugly side?
MELISSA RIVERS, AUTHOR, "RED CARPET READY": Well, first of all, Mel Gibson does have a fantastic sense of humor and everybody always loved that about him.
RAY: Absolutely.
RIVERS: He was very self-deprecating. And I think Sam Rubin, for a minute, thought he was joking. But I don`t think - I think what happened was so big.
Number one, they have to address it. And if he thinks he`s not going to get those questions, then he`s truly delusional. How do you rehab from that? He needs to come out and say, "You know what? I`m sorry. I said it. I`ve changed." We want to see the humility. We want to see someone (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: He should have known it was coming. Nobody needed to prepare him -
RAY: I don`t think he thinks it was wrong. That`s the problem, because - you`re right, Melissa. Of course he would be prepared for a question like that.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Right now, we are naming SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be John Edwards for his alleged sex tape with his mistress? Elin Nordegren for allegedly toying with the idea of taking back her cheating husband Tiger Woods? Or Heidi Montag, the 23- year-old plastic surgery princess who is getting loads of hate mail for going under the knife.
Melissa, who is your pick?
RIVERS: Oh, not even a race. John Edwards. I mean, Elin is like - please, she`s going to get hundreds of millions of dollars whether she stays or she goes. She can have all the (UNINTELLIGIBLE) she wants. Who cares? Heidi - please, (UNINTELLIGIBLE) plastic surgery before.
I mean, John Edwards - you can`t take your eyes off this train wreck. I`m reading "Game Change" which so much the story is sprung from. And man, I can`t wait to turn the next page and see what`s going to happen. It`s crazy.
ANDERSON: It is just a mess. And I do want to reveal now the big winner and it is, drum roll, please. John Edwards. Two weeks in a row we have named him most provocative, because, let`s face it, he is a train wreck. It is a mess.
RAY: I`m just happy Heidi didn`t win. She didn`t have to win anything.
ANDERSON: It is John Edwards hands down. No question. Hey, Melissa, Tanika, thank you both for talking about this with us. And Melissa, very quickly, you`ve got that new book out, right?
RIVERS: Yes, "Red Carpet Ready." It`s not just about fashion. It`s about life lessons that I`ve learned and, you know, ways to handle things. I`m thinking John Edwards and Mel Gibson should probably pick up a copy.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: You should send them a couple of copies.
RIVERS: Goes after the Bible.
ANDERSON: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) some good advice. Congratulations on the book. Melissa Rivers and Tanika Ray, thank you both.
HAMMER: Tonight, Samantha Harris says goodbye to "Dancing with the Stars." So could Paula Abdul shimmy her way to "Dancing`s" ballroom floor?
Harris has been co-host of "Dancing with the Stars" for the last eight seasons. Harris reportedly plans to work full-time in entertainment news. ABC tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it will miss Samantha and wishes her all the best.
But I`ve got to say the timing is absolutely fascinating here, isn`t it? Because Samantha`s departure coming hot on the heels of the reports that Paula Abdul has been offered $1 million to join up with "Dancing with the Stars." So is this all part of a master plan, or is it just a big old coincidence.
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT contacted Paula`s spokesperson today who simply said Paula will have more to say, quote, "when the time is right." Now, I`ve got to say, I love the idea of Paula as a judge on the show, but co- host? Not so much.
ANDERSON: Tonight, Jimmy Kimmel sparks a brand-new war with Jay Leno. Do you remember when Jimmy took awkward shots at Leno to his face on Leno`s own show?
Well, Jay just complained to Oprah about it. And now, Jimmy Kimmel is furious and he is striking back. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: President Obama draws estimated 48 million viewers for State of the Union speech. CBS rejects gay dating site`s Super Bowl ad that shows two male fans making out.
HAMMER: It`s time now for "Making it Work." This is where we reveal how couples make their relationships work in Hollywood. Tonight, it`s the lovable Jeff Bridges. Jeff and his wife, Susan, have been married for 33 years. Can you believe it? Thirty-three, in Hollywood.
Well, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Jeff while he was promoting "Crazy Heart," the movie that earned him a Golden Globe, his crazy heart couldn`t stop gushing about his marriage to Susan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEFF BRIDGES, ACTOR: We`ve been married for 33 years. And she was telling me the other day, "Do you realize this last year we were apart 11 months? Can you imagine?" So to keep it together and be apart for that long is a real challenge, you know. But the success of being able to do that only, you know, strengthens the relationship.
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": I think the best prank I ever pulled was I told a guy that five years from now I`m going to give you my show. And then when the five years came, I gave it to him, and then I took it back almost instantly.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Can you say "awkward?" Did you see this? Jimmy Kimmel pulverized Jay Leno right there on "The Jay Leno Show" about Jay`s feud with Conan O`Brien.
Well, it seems Jay has hard feelings about the whole thing. He just went on Oprah and complained he felt sucker-punched by Kimmel. Tonight, Jimmy striking back at Jay big time.
Tonight, Jimmy strikes back. What a mess this is. It all started as fun and games - at least Jimmy thought so. But for Jay, not so much. Jay just revealed to Oprah that he felt sucker-punched by Jimmy.
Well, now, Jimmy says Jay should have known what was coming and played along. On "Jimmy Kimmel Live," Jimmy reveals his conversation with Jay`s producer before going on Jay`s show and how he feels about Jay complaining to Oprah.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIMMEL: I get on the phone with the producer. And he goes through about 30 questions - almost none of them have anything to do with what`s going on in late night. The questions are like, what`s your junk food weakness?
And I`m - you know, I say to the guy, "You know, a little bit of this is fine, but I really think we have to talk about what`s going on with Jay and Conan because that`s what people want to hear about, not about my junk food weakness."
If I made any mistake, it was thinking Jay would have anything to say other than what was written on the cue cards during the interview. I figured I`d start in. He`d get into it. We`d mix it up. At one time he was a comedian. But he didn`t -
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
He stood there and he just kind of read through the questions like a robot. And then, he goes on "Oprah" and rats me out to Oprah. That`s a sucker-punch right there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Ouch! OK, guys. Can`t we all just get along?
HAMMER: Apparently not. Well, tonight Lindsay Lohan`s dad arrested again. Michael Lohan reportedly violated a restraining obtained his ex- girlfriend`s by calling her at her office.
Now, this is the second time he has been arrested for the same crime. According to TMZ, Lohan was arrested in December for the exact same reason, when he reportedly called his ex over and over. What is he thinking? Lohan`s court date is set for February 25th.
ANDERSON: On Thursday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. I just got the results and it`s a landslide. Take a look - "John Edwards` Shocking Tell-All: Can he ever redeem himself?" Only eight percent say yes. A staggering 92 percent of you say, not going to happen.
Here are some of the E-mails we received. Darlene from New York writes, "No! John Edwards is a dirt bag, plain and simple, who cannot redeem himself because what he did to his sick wife can never be undone. He is lower than scum.
Linda from Missouri says this, "I can see anyone falling once, but sleeping in you and your mate`s bed. No way will he ever be able to show his face."
Thank you for your E-mails.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. We don`t want you to forget you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT every night on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning, 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN.
END
