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Showbiz Tonight
John Mayer`s Meltdown; Will Angelina Adopt from Haiti?; Did John Edwards Propose to Rielle Hunter?
Aired February 11, 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, caught on tape, John Mayer`s meltdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MAYER, SINGER: In the quest to be clever, I completely forget the people that I love and people that love me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The explosive outrage today over Mayer using the N-word in a shocking tell-all interview, and the fury today over his steamy revelations about his sex life with Jessica Simpson.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: I`m getting sick of (INAUDIBLE). I`m out. I`m done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the must-see, caught-on-tape John Mayer meltdown.
Exclusive today - will Angelina be adopting children in Haiti?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There`s been a lot of speculation as to whether you will adopt from Haiti.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the exclusive Angelina Jolie interview in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
Big news breaking - did John Edwards really just propose to his mistress and mother of his child?
ANNOUNCER: 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, caught on tape, John Mayer`s meltdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: It`s just not worth being clever. I just quit. I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: No, John, you`re not done because you`ve got to face up to the incredible outrage today over what you said in the brand-new, just released interview with "Playboy."
The Grammy-winning superstar had an extraordinary emotional breakdown on stage last night after the world learned about his explosive racially- charged comments, his graphic tell-all about his sex life with Jessica Simpson and lingering love for Jennifer Aniston.
Once upon a time, it seemed everyone was mad about Mayer. Now, it seems everyone is mad at Mayer. And it made for big news breaking today
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MAYER: In the quest to be clever, I completely forgot about the people that I love and the people that love me. And that feels absolutely terrible.
ANDERSON (voice over): The normally wise-cracking motor mouth, John Mayer, was nowhere in sight as the music star broke down on stage last night in Nashville.
Mayer`s meltdown came after he spent the day apologizing on Twitter for using the N-word in an outrageous new "Playboy" interview. And onstage, last night, Mayer broke down as he paid tribute to his mostly African-American backup band, thanking them for standing by him.
MAYER: They`re not on this stage because they support what I said. They`re on this stage because they support myself as a possible, future grownup. Maybe they see something that I haven`t looked at in a while.
So maybe I need to take a break from trying to be clever and to spend a little time looking at what they see. Because they`ve done an unbelievable thing by standing on this stage and standing by my side and playing tonight.
ANDERSON: In Mayer`s shocking "Playboy" interview, he commented on his popularity among African-Americans by saying, "Someone asked me the other day, `What does it feel like now to have hood pass?` And by the way, it`s a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass you could call it an (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass?"
MARC MALKIN, "E ONLINE" COLUMNIST: This interview in "Playboy" just really - just crossed all different sorts of lines. Even people who supported John for some of the crazy things he said in the past were kind of shocked.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Mayer`s N-bomb isn`t the only thing he`s catching flak for. He made crude comments in the "Playboy" interview about why he hasn`t slept with African-American women. This morning on "The View," a miffed Whoopi Goldberg offered her response.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He`s not into sex with black women.
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You know, it`s very interesting.
GOLDBERG: Like I was looking.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON: And Mayer is being called ungentlemanly and much worse for telling "Playboy" a little too much about his sex life with former girlfriend, Jessica Simpson. About their one-year relationship, he told "Playboy," "Sexually, it was crazy. That`s all I`ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Jessica.
ANDERSON: In this new TMZ video just out today, Jessica Simpson seemed to laugh off Mayer`s comments.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, Jessica, how do you feel about this comment that John Mayer said about you in "Playboy?"
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I have no comment.
ANDERSON: But it`s clear not everyone is laughing off Mayer`s comments. And that has led Mayer to do something he probably should have done a long time ago - keep his mouth shut.
MAYER: I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done.
ANDERSON: And onstage last night, Mayer promised his days of no-holds- barred interviews are over.
MAYER: I just want to play my guitar to whoever is around.
ANDERSON: But even if Mayer really does decide to stop talking, it`s clear the many people he offended aren`t done talking about him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: No question about that. I have to say, I don`t think I have ever seen John Mayer like this before. But is the Mayer backlash just getting started?
Joining me tonight in New York is Carolina Bermudez, who is a senior editor with "In Touch Weekly." She`s also co-host of the "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show," heard nationwide on the radio. Also tonight in Hollywood, Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist with "5dollarprep.com."
OK. So John Mayer said he used the N-word in an effort to be clever. Clearly, it backfired on him. He said he wasn`t thinking. Carolina, what do you think? Is this just simply a case of bad foot-in-mouth disease or is it something more?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I think it`s definitely a case of bad foot-in-mouth. But this has happened several times to John Mayer over the past year and a half or so.
And you know, after the New Year, went through a digital detox. I thought that John was going to stay out of trouble. But it looks like he`s just getting it everywhere he goes.
HAMMER: In the video of Mayer`s onstage meltdown at his concert in Nashville last night, he was in tears after apologizing. He swore he would never do an interview again. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: I just not worth being clever. I just quit. I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done. I`m done. I just want to play my guitar to whoever is around.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, to me, it does sound like John is genuinely sorry. And I have to say, if there`s a rock bottom for this type of thing, maybe he`s there. Hyla, what do you think? Are you buying what he`s selling?
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, "5DOLLARPREP.COM": Absolutely. He apologized. I mean, he`s crying on stage and he has to be on stage with African-Americans, his family. Oftentimes, you know, you hear musicians talk about the people that they tour with as their family.
He sounds like he really hurt his family. It`s good to see them supporting him. They are still there and I think he`s going to come through on this OK.
HAMMER: He apologized on stage. He apologized on Twitter. The question is, is that enough? Carolina, do you think now he has to do the rounds? He`s got to go on "LARRY KING" or on "Oprah" and really say sorry and sort of talk it out? Should people forgive him?
BERMUDEZ: Oh, this is the part with the PR people really get involved because John Mayer has to do a lot of cleaning up especially now that he`s been hanging out with the likes of Taylor Swift. And he really has been trying to revive his own career.
So he is going to have to make those stops. I think he is going to have to revamp his image, especially after the things that he said. They were sexually explicit. A lot of people think they were racially charged. So he`s got a lot of cleaning up to do.
HAMMER: Well, it`s interesting that you mentioned the PR people because he`s the kind of guy who likes to take things into his own hands and not leave it to his publicist, that`s why he takes to Twitter so often.
He has lightened up on that quite a bit over the last 24 hours. Well, as we know, the N-word is not the only thing that everybody is talking about John Mayer. He`s also spilling the beans about his sex life with Jessica Simpson.
In fact, we learned today Jessica is now speaking out for the very first time since Mayer said they had crazy sex. It was like sexual napalm. That`s what she`s like and he`s addicted to her like crack cocaine.
Well, in a brand-new interview which was posted on "TMZ.com" today, Jessica had a bit of a laugh about the whole thing. Watch what Jessica said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Jessica, how do you feel about these comments John Mayer said about you in "Playboy?"
SIMPSON: I have no comment.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you could box him, would you knock him out?
SIMPSON: No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love the questions they ask. You know, Jessica laughed right there. She didn`t really seem that upset about what John said about her, at least on the surface.
Now, Hyla, I would personally be shocked if she wasn`t ticked off about this. But at the same time, I`ve got to say I really respect her for not fueling the fire and just sort of walking away from it. What about you?
HYLA: What`s there to be pissed off about? I don`t understand. He says she has great sex. She`s really good in bed. She loves.
HAMMER: Well, maybe that`s a very private thing, Hyla. I mean, Carolina, do you want people spilling that about you?
(CROSSTALK)
BERMUDEZ: No. I mean, that`s a great endorsement for Jessica if she wants to get some now. But seriously, if that were me, a respectable young woman, I wouldn`t want my ex-boyfriend blabbing about what I`m like in bed. Come on.
HAMMER: Let somebody find that out for themselves, right?
BERMUDEZ: You`ve got to put in the work in order to get that.
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing. You know, Jessica Simpson - I think she`s always so used to being caught up in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. And now, she said, "You know what? I don`t want to get involved with this," and she kind of walked away from this.
BERMUDEZ: Smart move. And that`s the first one that we`ve seen from Jessica Simpson in a long, long time. So she took the high road on this one. And fortunately for her, now, people are really looking at her and saying there must have been something there that made John Mayer fall in love with her. So.
HAMMER: All this said, John Mayer is not going to have any trouble getting a date as a result of having done this terrible media.
BERMUDEZ: No way. No, no.
HYLA: As long as he can play "Wonderland," you`re a putty, putty in his hands.
HAMMER: Exactly. I want to get back to the N-word controversy for just a moment, because we have got a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. We asked two music legends, Quincy Jones and the great Lionel Richie about what Mayer said. Watch what they told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIONEL RICHIE, SINGER: Well, that was - OK, that would be unfortunate.
QUINCY JONES, MUSIC PRODUCER: Well, you know, at the same token, you know, the community has given everybody permission to do that. I`m sorry.
RICHIE: That`s exactly right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, you`ve got to hear what else Lionel and Quincy told us in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive interview. It is the John Mayer N-word outrage and that is coming up. Carolina Bermudez, Hyla, stay right where you are. Do not move.
ANDERSON: OK. Moving on, exclusive today, will Angelina Jolie be adopting children in Haiti?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR, CNN ANCHOR: You raised the prospect of yourself as an adoptive parent. Obviously, there`s been a lot of speculation as to whether you will adopt from Haiti.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know, I`ve got to give her big props. Angelina in Haiti right now helping with the earthquake relief effort. But will she adopt again? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the exclusive Angelina Jolie interview in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
Oprah`s phone fury. Oprah Winfrey is on a brand-new rampage today to crackdown against drivers who use cell phones. You`ve got to see how she smacked down Lisa Ling over this one. Oprah might have a point here, though. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Charlie Sheen`s people deny he is going to rehab. Levi Johnston claims his income is "erratic" in child support case with Bristol Palin.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: And tonight, we have a brand-new exclusive Tiger tell-all.
ANDERSON: A.J., the woman who released those explosive personal voicemails allegedly from Tiger Woods is now speaking out in a new interview. Jaimee Grubbs, who is often referred to as alleged mistress number two, says she wants to set the record straight.
She reveals brand-new details about meeting Tiger for first time and reveals there is someone she really needs to apologize to. The exclusive interview was done with CNN affiliate KTLA in Los Angeles. Here`s KTLA Wendy Burch for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE, (allegedly Tiger Woods): Hey, it`s Tiger. I need you to do me a huge favor.
WENDY BURCH, KTLA REPORTER (voice over): Jaimee Grubbs is the young woman with the voicemail that sent golf great Tiger Woods into the deep rough.
BURCH (on camera): Since the whole scandal broke, have you been contacted by him or from anyone in his camp?
JAIMEE GRUBBS, TIGER WOODS` ALLEGED MISTRESS: I have not. And nobody - you know, I had a whirlwind of phone calls afterwards. And whether one of them could have been it, nobody left a voicemail. So I mean, as far as I know, nobody has tried.
BURCH (voice over): The silent treatment is a far different cry from the constant communicating that began shortly after Jaimee and Tiger met nearly three years ago.
GRUBBS: I was 21. You know, I just started being able to go out and have the ID and be able to go to Vegas and do all these things. And you know, my very first trip to Vegas was pretty much going to this nightclub and meeting Tiger Woods.
Of course, that was intoxicating. And you know, I just kind of rolled with it through then. I guess I let myself get caught up in that.
BURCH (on camera): I`ve been to Vegas a lot. They are not all like that.
(voice over): Jaimee says Tiger didn`t make any real romantic advances that weekend. But he did make plans to fly to San Diego the next week to have a more intimate dinner with her. She says the golfer didn`t mention he was married and she didn`t ask.
(on camera): At that point, you didn`t think, "I`d better Google this guy"? Because he is out there.
GRUBBS: I didn`t think anything that big was going to come from it. So at the same time I wasn`t too worried.
BURCH: You were flattered by the attention?
GRUBBS: I was flattered. I didn`t really say much because I didn`t want to jinx it because I was getting to know him. And then, you know, as time progressed and I started telling people, finally told the right person, they are like, "By the way, he`s married."
BURCH (voice over): Once Jaimee realized a real relationship with Tiger was a long shot, she tried to break it off. And she says she didn`t seem him for a whole year, but Tiger kept texting.
GRUBBS: He constantly, that year, called me and talked to me and, you know, told me he missed me and, you know, that it was always going to be me and him.
BURCH: She now knows he was making those same sort of promises to as many as a dozen other women.
GRUBBS: If I was with him and he was texting, he would basically show me a text message or tell me who it was, so I never thought he was lying to me. And then, you know, I asked him at some point, you know, are you - when you go somewhere else, do you have another girl? And he`s like, "No I`m too busy. You know, I don`t have time for that." And then he`s just like, "I just like being with you."
BURCH (on camera): Now, looking back on it, you almost wonder where he found the time to golf.
GRUBBS: I know. That`s what I want say. Busy - I know what you`re busy with now and it wasn`t golf.
BURCH (voice over): And she now realizes perhaps it is all just par for the course when you play a romantic round with a married man.
(on camera) Looking back on all of it now, what is your regret? Because I`m sure you have some.
GRUBBS: It`s hard to say - you know, pinpoint a regret. Obviously, the whole situation is regrettable, you know, ever involving myself. I think, you know, if I could take part of it back where I start my regret, it would be letting him really back in after I found out that he was married.
BURCH: What would you like to say to him?
GRUBBS: If you asked me this, you know, two months ago, I would have had a whole, you know, lashing out. But at the same time, you know, I`ve come - I`m kind of content with it. I know that he has a lot of issues that he needs to deal with himself. But I`m hoping that he`s doing that.
But you know, I would like an apology and to wonder why - if he did have all these other women, why he was so persistent on me staying and me keeping my emotions involved in him? And why put me through that if I didn`t mean anything?
BURCH: We talked about apologies. Do you think that you owe his wife a sort of an apology?
GRUBBS: Of course. I mean, that`s a no-brainer. I mean, everything that she`s been put through is something that I couldn`t imagine. I mean, she has the kids and everything. And I mean, I`m terribly sorry for everything that I did and not considering her and, you know, guarding my heart myself.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: That was KTLA Wendy Burch for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Now, Grubbs says that she`s trying to move on and wants to remember Tiger as the loving, down-to-earth man she first fell for.
HAMMER: Well, good luck with that. As we move on tonight, the explosive new John Mayer N-word controversy today. Tonight, caught on tape, this is wild. Mayer breaks down on stage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the exclusive reaction today from Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones about what Mayer said.
And look at this - it`s Jennifer Aniston`s 41st birthday today. Happy birthday, Jennifer. What is she thinking about the startling confessions Mayer just revealed about her?
John Edwards marrying his mistress? The unbelievable report out today that the lying and cheating Edwards has proposed to his mistress, yes, the one he admitted to having a baby with.
And Oprah`s phone fury. Oprah Winfrey on a brand-new rampage today to crack down against drivers who use cell phones. Now, you`ve got to see how she smacked down Lisa Ling over this. I think Oprah has a point here. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Judge to decide if Michael Jackson`s dad should be able to see Michael`s medical records. Rihanna debuts video for her new single, "Rude Boy."
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, the shocking death of a designer to the stars. British fashion designer Alexander McQueen was found dead in his London home today. Madonna, Lady Gaga and Naomi Campbell are among the big stars who loved McQueen`s clothes. Police say he was his death is not being treated as suspicious.
Now, in a startling coincidence, CNN`s Alina Cho just interviewed two big fans of McQueen`s work yesterday, Lady Gaga and Cindy Lauper at the MAC cosmetics Viva Glam event. And both Gaga and Lauper just couldn`t stop saying enough good things about him. Listen.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALINA CHO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Who inspires you fashion-wise?
LADY GAGA, SINGER: I love Alexander McQueen. I`m a huge fan of McQueen. He, for me, is like the ultimate of all of the designers. He`s so - he`s on his own planet.
CINDY LAUPER, SINGER: Yes.
LADY GAGA: He doesn`t need to respond to trends or what anyone else is doing. It`s so pure and from within. And I - he just genuinely inspires me in a way. And I love when I can wear his clothes and sort of synthesize for my fans what it means to me, because I want them to escape through his clothing the way that I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Alexander McQueen was just 40 years old.
HAMMER: All right. Brooke, so as soon as we posted John Mayer`s interview on our Facebook page where he revealed that his ex, Jessica Simpson, was crazy in bed, all heck broke loose, I tell you.
Let`s get to one right here. It`s Holly E. who says, "Remember, Jessica is one of Joe Simpson`s daughters. I wonder what Jessica`s dad thought of that."
Michele R. adds Jessica should reveal how John`s body wasn`t a wonderland, "Jess should come back with how bad he is in bed just to shut him up."
But here`s an interesting point from Justin and Kelly R., "Sorry, there`s no such thing as privacy for Jessica. Jessica did a reality show where she revealed more than what someone should know. I think she made herself open game long ago."
You can join us on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. And right now, on our Facebook page, an exclusive interview with Benicio Del Toro and Emily Blunt, stars of "The Wolfman." We asked them a question that was submitted by one of our Facebook fans. Look for more SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook exclusives coming soon.
ANDERSON: Very cool, A.J. And now, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The startling new John Mayer N-word controversy today.
Plus, as Jennifer Aniston`s 41st birthday today, what does she think about Mayer`s brand-new confessions about her?
Also making news today, could we be seeing the return of "Jon and Kate Plus 8?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: You raised the prospect of yourself as an adoptive parent. Obviously, there`s been a lot of speculations as to whether you will adopt from Haiti.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is Angelina Jolie adopting a kid from Haiti. The exclusive interview today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Report: Fifth season of "Friday Night Lights" will be its last. Gas up the family trickster! Chevy Chase to play Clark Griswold in new "Vacation" film.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, John Mayer`s N-word outrage. The explosive, coast-to-coast debate today over John using the N-word in an R- rated tell-all interview.
John Edwards marrying his mistress? Today, just after finally admitting to having a baby with his mistress, has Edwards really popped the question? It`s the latest twist today in the jaw-dropping John Edwards sex scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: You raised the prospect of yourself as an adoptive parent. Obviously, there`s been a lot of speculation as to whether you will adopt from Haiti.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the Angelina Jolie adoption exclusive today. Will Angelina and Brad Pitt add a seventh child to their family?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
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 tonight, John Mayer`s N-word outrage.
HAMMER: Yes. The fallout from Mayer using the N-word in a new interview absolutely exploded today making for big news breaking.
And in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive that you will see only right here, music legends, Quincy Jones and Lionel Richie let us know what they think about this. The reaction, I tell you, is just going to make your head spin right along with them.
And Mayer has caused such a firestorm over his comments today that even the ladies of "The View" had something to say about it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": He`s a white boy from the suburbs of Connecticut and he`s trying to be hip. And it ain`t working, John, OK? That`s the problem.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: With me tonight in New York is Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and co-host of "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show" program. From Hollywood is Hyla who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com."
Well, this whole controversy began when Mayer used the N-word in a brand-new interview with "Playboy" magazine. Brooke Anderson, tell us what he said. This is awful.
ANDERSON: A.J., this really is unbelievable. Listen to this, Mayer said, "Someone asked me the other day, `What does it feel like now to have a hood pass?` And by the way, it`s sort of a contradiction in terms, because if you really had a hood pass, you can call it a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) pass. Why are you pulling a punch and calling it a hood pass if you really have a hood pass? But I said, `I can`t really have a hood pass. I`ve never waked into a restaurant, asked for a table and been told, "We`re full."`"
HAMMER: Carolina, right off to you. Now, John Mayer is saying he`s sorry for having used the N-word. But too little, too late here? I mean, come on.
BERMUDEZ: Well, apologies are always nice. But he shouldn`t have said it in the first place. I think John Mayer is so much smarter than this. And I`m really surprised at his lack of sensitivity, especially when he does have very great friends in the industry that have welcomed him, that have, you know, really given him that credibility that he is so looking for. So apology, great but you shouldn`t have said it.
HAMMER: No, the guy has no gate and he was thinking it, so he said it. And obviously, not feeling good about it, he had an absolute meltdown during his concert in Nashville, Tennessee last night because he realized what he said was plain wrong. Watch what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: And in the quest to be clever, I completely forgot about the people that I love and the people who love me. And when I should have just given that up and played the guitar a little more, I didn`t.
So I decided that I would try to be as clever as possible all the time. And I did that at the expense of people that I love and that feels absolutely terrible. It feels worse than any headline I thought I could get my way out of.
Maybe they see something I haven`t looked at in a while. So maybe I need to take a break from trying to be clever. It`s just not worth being clever. It`s just not worth being clever. I just quit. I quit the sound bite game. I quit the media game. I`m out. I`m done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Quitting the sound bite game. Hyla, he really did breakdown there and got what I thought was truly emotional. And I don`t think it was so much for his career. Do you feel bad for him?
HYLA: A little bit. I mean, here`s the situation where a lot of people are accusing John Mayer of being racist. I don`t think he`s racist. I think he`s just dumb. He didn`t say the word out of hate, out of anger. This isn`t a Michael Richard or a Mel Gibson situation.
He said it out of ego. He thought he was cool enough and clever enough and he could say it. And obviously, he has it. If you look at the spirit of what he says, we all agree with it.
He said, "I can`t say that word because I haven`t lived the life of an African-American." He just used the word and he`s dumped for that. He`s not a racist and a lot of people are calling him that. And I think that`s where he`s getting a little sympathy from his fans and from me.
HAMMER: Yes. But getting burned by it at the same time. And I`ve got to tell you that John`s comments in that "Playboy" magazine interview about his privates, only wanting to be with white women, also caused a firestorm. It set such a firestorm even the ladies of "The View" had something to say about all of this. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: His heart wants women of all races but his (EXPLETIVE DELETED) only.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Here`s the problem. Aside from all this being ridiculous that he said and now he`s issued apologies, if he just put it in a song - oh, I wasn`t even paying attention. But he actually said it, so now we`re all up in arms.
SHEPHERD: His body is wonderland for only white girls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Brooke Anderson, come back in here. I want to get your take on this because I think you agree with me that, you know, John Mayer is such a talented guy. But now, he is really earning his reputation as this national punch line and it`s really a shame because it really, really detracts from his talent and his abilities.
ANDERSON: Yes, it`s extremely unfortunate, A.J., because he is exceptionally talented. I love his music, have a lot of it on my iPod. But it does seem that the more he talks right now, the less appealing he becomes.
So he`s really got to start thinking before he speaks or he risks alienating a lot of people. I think to remain relevant, he really needs to keep his head down and sing, play the guitar and write songs right now.
And you`ve got to listen to this, A.J., because in an exclusive interview here in Hollywood last night with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, music legends Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones shared with us what they think about all of this. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RICHIE: You`re kidding. OK, that would be unfortunate.
JONES: Well, you know, by the same token, you know, the community has given everybody permission to do that. I`m sorry.
RICHIE: That`s exactly right.
JONES: I go to Russia and Sweden and everything else and I hear (EXPLETIVE DELETED). They don`t know what they are saying. They think it is hip, you know.
RICHIE: It was sold as hip. And so therefore -
JONES: They were handed that.
RICHIE: Yes. I`ll see two kids walking down the middle of Beverly Hills. Two Jewish kids. Two white kids. It doesn`t matter.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, Carolina, let`s be clear. There`s nothing hip by using that word particularly if you`re somebody in the public eye who does love to give these big sound bite interviews.
BERMUDEZ: Oh, no. There`s never an appropriate time for it. It`s an emotionally charged word. If you`re going to say it, you need to be able deal with the repercussions. And I don`t think John there fully thought that out. I really do think he was trying to be cute and get a great interview in there and have everybody talking about him, which now we are.
HAMMER: Well, pardon me.
HYLA: (EXPLETIVE DELETED) when you do "Playboy" you`ve got to be controversial and he just got caught up with himself.
HAMMER: Well, and that`s his whole thing. He doesn`t want to do an average interview and he did get caught up in that. And let me use this cliche, a teaching moment for John Mayer indeed.
I`ve got to tell you another thing that certainly is not hip, is not cool for a guy like John is to keep talking about his ex, Jennifer Aniston. In that very same interview, John said he`s very protective of Jen and that still loves her.
Now, Carolina, today happens to be Jen`s 41st birthday. I`m sure she has heard about this interview that John Mayer has given, you know, gushing about Jen and saying some pretty strange sexual things about Jessica Simpson. What do you think she makes of all this?
BERMUDEZ: Happy birthday to me. No, thank you. When you have an ex- boyfriend out there in the public eye, you don`t want him giving any details. Jennifer Aniston is such a notoriously private person. Today, I think she may be rethinking her relationship with John.
HYLA: I disagree with that. I think both of these ladies love the fact that he`s talking about them, especially Jessica Simpson who is heartbroken over this relationship. And you know what? All he said was, "She`s amazing in bed." What ex doesn`t want to get that compliment?
BERMUDEZ: Well, Jessica Simpson is happy, because now, every guy wants to date her. Who doesn`t want to date a woman that`s sexual napalm?
HAMMER: No, they don`t want to date her, Carolina. All right. Thank you guys. I`m going to end it right there before I get in trouble. Hyla, Carolina Bermudez, I appreciate it.
ANDERSON: It is the brand-new Angelina Jolie exclusive today. Will the big-hearted mom of three adopted children add another child from Haiti?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: You raised the prospect of yourself as an adoptive parent. Obviously, there`s been a lot of speculation as to whether you will adopt from Haiti.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wow. Could baby make seven for Angelina and Brad Pitt. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the exclusive Angelina interview in earthquake-devastated Haiti.
John Edwards engaged? Reports today that Edwards just popped the question to his mistress, the woman he finally admitted to having a baby with. Are you kidding me? Can this thing get even more disgusting?
And Oprah Winfrey`s startling new cell phone fury. It`s Oprah`s remarkable new campaign against texting and talking while driving. Oprah even blasts a former co-host of "The View" for her dangerous habit on national television. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: "The Biggest Loser" trainer, Jillian Michaels, sued over diet pill claims. More than 100,000 Facebook fans petition for Betty White to host "SNL."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: So tonight, is John Edwards marrying the mistress? Seriously, I didn`t think is this story could get any more explosive. But tonight, it does.
ANDERSON: A.J., there are astounding brand-new claims today that John Edwards has proposed marriage to his mistress and mother of their love child. John Edwards is vehemently denying a report that he proposed to Rielle Hunter. He says they`re lies. All lies.
But the "National Enquirer" is reporting that he popped the question. And let`s face, they are the ones who outed his whole affair to begin with. Is there any reason we should believe John Edwards?
Also tonight, a big Angelina Jolie exclusive. Will Angelina Jolie adopt a Haitian child? She`s touring some of Haiti`s hospitals and orphanages this week as a U.N. goodwill ambassador. We`ve got the interview you haven`t seen anywhere else.
Joining me tonight in Hollywood is Carlos Diaz, who is a correspondent for "Extra." And tonight, in New York is Jane Velez-Mitchell, who is the author of "I Want" and is the fabulous host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ- MITCHELL" right here on HLN.
Carlos, Jane, good to see you both. And I want to begin with John Edwards. Jane, he says it`s not true. He didn`t propose to his mistress. Do you believe him?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": No. I mean, this guy has proven himself to be a very effective and brazen liar who has lied, not once, but repeatedly, not just in print but on camera to the American people saying, "Oh, that affair. That`s tabloid trash talk. I didn`t do that. Oh, that love child? Impossible. I couldn`t have been the father."
It turns out, yes, he did have the affair and he was the father. And this makes sense because Rielle has been loyal to him for a long time. She hasn`t turned on him the way his former aide did.
And remember, according to published reports, he once promised her a rooftop wedding in New York City complete with the Dave Matthews Band performing.
ANDERSON: The "National Enquirer" report claims that Edwards proposed to Rielle Hunter, promising to wed her after his divorce from his cancer- stricken wife, Elizabeth. But even though Edwards says it`s not true, it`s worth running down his very accomplished resume of lying.
Let`s take a look at it, shall we? He lied about having an affair with Rielle Hunter after "The Enquirer" reported that. He lied about fathering their love child after "The Enquirer" reported that.
He lied to his wife of 32 years, Elizabeth Edwards, who was struggling with terminal breast cancer. And he lied to us, to the public and while he was running for president, no less.
Carlos, is there any good reason we should believe Edwards this time?
CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": No, and there`s no good reason the Dave Matthews Band should stop touring any time soon either. But here`s the thing - you know, I actually hope that it is true, that he is trying to proposing to her.
And he comes out and tries to give some speech about trying to do the right thing, "I will do the right thing here and marry this girl that I knocked up." That, to me, would be the most hilarious press conference in the world, because in his mind, maybe that`s what he`s thinking. "I`m doing the right thing now," when he`s done the wrong thing the entire time.
ANDERSON: Maybe that is his train of thought. And you know, who`s to say that he wouldn`t cheat on Rielle or lie to her. It`s sad to say but that relationship would probably be a ticking time bomb as well.
And you guys, the ladies of "The View" today weren`t exactly buying Edwards` denial either. It was all they could talk about. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HASSELBECK: There`s something wrong with his character that immediately you believe the "National Enquirer" over him. I mean, at this point, nothing he says (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSS TALK)
SHEPHERD: But he has come out and he said, you know, "The baby is mine. I did have an affair with Rielle."
BEHAR: The baby is mine.
GOLDBERG: Although it`s (INAUDIBLE).
HASSELBECK: He had to say that.
SHEPHERD: He had to say it and now, it`s out in the open. So are you really surprised if he, you know, asks her to marry him?
GOLDBERG: I would think you guys would be happy about that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A.J., to me, it`s hard to believe anything that cad says. I`m not even sure that he can separate fact from fiction. Very quickly, what do you think?
HAMMER: Yes. You know, I think politicians convince themselves that what they are saying is actually true. I think if he wants to be our president one day, he should run for office and say, "I would be the worst president ever," and everybody would think he would be great at it.
ANDERSON: Yes, a little reverse psychology maybe. I want to move now to an Angelina Jolie exclusive, something a little more uplifting, an extraordinary new story just in today.
Will Angelina Jolie adopt a child from Haiti? She`s in Haiti right now visiting children devastated by the earthquake. And in a brand-new interview exclusively with CNN`s Christiane Amanpour, Christiane asked Angelina the question we`ve all been wondering about. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AMANPOUR: You raised the prospect of yourself as an adoptive parent. Obviously, there`s been speculation as to whether you will adopt from Haiti. Obviously, you`re saying not now. But will you? Is that something that you`re looking at?
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS AND HUMANITARIAN: I`m always open to children around the world with that kind of a family. Brad and I talked about that. That`s not what we`re focusing on at this time by any means. We`re not here for that. We`re here to see how we can help protect the children in the country and scale up the needs here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Jane, if she did adopt down the road, very quickly, it would send the ultimate message that they practice what they preach.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Absolutely. She has already done so much by making adoption cool, inspiring millions of others to think about adoption. You know, there are so many tens of millions of children who are starving and homeless around the world. I hope she does adopt a Haitian child. And she said one who had an amputated leg particularly touched her heart. Maybe she would adopt an injured child.
ANDERSON: Yes, and it is commendable how much time and money they give to the less fortunate.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: True.
ANDERSON: And guys, wait until you see Christiane`s full interview with Angelina. It airs this Sunday on her show, "AMANPOUR," at 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. Carlos Diaz, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thanks.
And tonight, Jon Gosselin returns to reality TV. It is the brand-new report out today revealing Jon`s remarkable change of heart.
Plus, Ellen`s TV deal and new backlash from parents over reports Howard Stern may replace Simon on "American Idol." It`s all making big news in the buzz today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Could it be, the return of "Kate Plus 8?" Jon Gosselin is reportedly talking with TLC to allow the network to, again, film his eight children. Jon has refused to let TLC cameras shoot them but is reportedly reconsidering because he can`t afford his legal battle with TLC. If they started filming again, it`s unclear whether Jon would appear with his ex- wife and eight kids.
Ellen DeGeneres gets to keep her job, her old job. There`s big news that her hit talk show has been renewed for it three more seasons. It means "The Ellen DeGeneres" show will keep going until at least the year 2014.
Ellen got the news the same day she finished her first week on air as a judge on "American Idol."
New "American Idol" outrage over Howard Stern. The Parents Television Council is furious that Howard Stern is reportedly being considered to replace Simon Cowell after he leaves the show this season.
The PTC is demanding that Fox clarify what`s going on, calling Stern, quote, "One of the most profane, sexually explicit, and anti-family performers in the history of the broadcast medium."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Moving on tonight, Oprah`s cell phone fury. Oprah Winfrey`s remarkable new crusade today against drivers on their cell phones. Oprah even blasts a former co-host of "The View" for admitting to an extremely dangerous habit. And I agree. This is terrible - texting while driving. You have got to see what happens when Oprah and Lisa Ling go head to head. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - it`s more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.
TEXT: Penelope Cruz in talks to join fourth "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Madonna talks to Brazilian presidential candidate about helping poor children.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Oprah Winfrey`s phone fury. Oprah has begun a one- woman crusade to end texting and talking on cell phones while driving. Oprah is putting everybody on notice, her staff, her audience, even her famous friends.
Today, Oprah is asking her staff to sign a new no-cell phone pledge and has called out "The View`s" former co-host Lisa Ling on national television, demanding that she stop texting while driving.
Lisa made the shocking admission that she has sent texts while driving with her knees. After Oprah picked her jaw up off the floor, here`s what she said to Lisa.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": You have actually done this with your knees and you`re texting?
LISA LING, FORMER CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I will drive with one knee and text while I`m looking up - I know. I don`t do it a lot, but I have done it. And it is.
WINFREY: Aren`t you stunned by that? Well, I thank you so much for being honest because when they told me, I said she is too smart for that.
LING: I know I need to stop because it is - it is very, very dangerous.
WINFREY: So are you willing to take the no phone - the whole thing? Or are you just willing to say you`re not going to text?
LING: Here`s what I`m willing to do. I am willing to say that I will not text. But on the phone, I will use a blue tooth or a.
WINFREY: That`s not good enough for me. We have people every day signing the pledge. I don`t want you to sign the pledge if you`re not going to keep it because I will tell you this - if you sign the pledge, I am going to notify the California Patrol to be on the lookout for you.
LING: Can I take the pledge for texting? Because I recognize that that is very, very dangerous thing. But I can talk on the phone without.
WINFREY: So you`re going to take half the pledge?
LING: I won`t hold - but Oprah, I will not text.
WINFREY: You will not text?
LING: I will not text.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Lisa, you`d better keep your word. You can`t break a promise to Oprah. Oprah says she just wants to help make the roads safer for everybody.
HAMMER: Yes, I`m happy she`s speaking out about that. Well, on Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Just moments ago, we received the final results. I`ll reveal them to you now. The question - "Ellen`s `Idol` Debut: Did she do a good job?" Check this out. You think so - 78 percent of you. Twenty-two percent say no, not so good.
Here`s an E-mail we got. Darlene from New York writing, "Ellen did a great job by being herself! She cut the tension with humor and she was a breath of fresh air."
Now, Cathy dialed in to our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines to say that she is now all about "Idol" since Ellen`s joined on.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CATHY, CALLER: I love it. I`ve only watched two episodes before. One was that long-haired Bo Bice, one with Clay Aiken, and I never watched before until now. Now, that Ellen`s on, I will be watching it from here on out.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: And keep in mind you can call us at "Showbiz on Call" about "American Idol," about Ellen, or about anything that you`re thinking about. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Don`t forget you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s every night - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, also in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN. Take care.
END
