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Showbiz Tonight
Is Tiger Woods Making a Big Mistake?; Heidi Montag, a Danger to Young Girls?; Elton John`s Outrageous Claim About Jesus; Did Kim Kardashian Out an Air Marshall?; Barbara Walters Shacking Up with a Big Star?
Aired February 18, 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 - is Tiger Woods making a big mistake? Tiger Woods slammed today for the way he plans on speaking out for the first time since he was nailed as a serial womanizer and cheater.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the great debate. Should Tiger`s wife Elin be there with him when he speaks? Will anyone think he`s sincere? And are you ready to forgive him?
Heidi Montag, a danger to young girls? Tonight, a big star`s explosive new claim today that Heidi, who just had 10 plastic surgeries, is a danger to kids. Why she won`t even let her own daughters look at Heidi.
Elton John`s outrageous, head-spinning claim today. Elton says Jesus was gay. Jesus? Gay?
TV`s most-provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming you from Hollywood. And tonight, is Tiger Woods making a big, huge mistake? Just about 12 hours from now, Tiger Woods will go before the world for the very first time since his life imploded into a mess of alleged mistresses and porn stars.
Tiger will be making his very first comments live and I will be with you live, Friday morning for a complete coverage right here on HLN starting at 11:00 a.m. Eastern. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that today, Tiger was getting slammed left and right for the way he`s handling his personal, self-inflicted nightmare again.
Another big question - should his cheated-on wife stand by his side or let him wing it for himself? It all made for big news breaking today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): If Tiger Woods thought he would get a big welcome back banner to celebrate the first, big public statement since the cheating scandal broke, then we got to say he`s one putter short of a full golf bag.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m shocked that his stupidity, to be quite honest.
ANDERSON: Tiger`s dissed on TV for ducking questions AT tomorrow`s appearance.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": It`s kind of like a Soviet-era photo-op, something that North Korea would cook up.
ANDERSON: His fellow golfers are shunning him and he`s being openly mocked in newspaper headlines with "The Daily News" and "The New York Post" posting warnings to lock up your bimbos and waitresses, respectively.
ALICIA QUARLES, ASSOCIATED PRESS: People aren`t exactly greeting Tiger with open arms.
ANDERSON: From his super stage-managed statement tomorrow to his super stage-managed new photo showing him jogging with the logo of one of his few remaining sponsors, Nike, clearly visible, Tiger`s "I`m sorry" statement is being slammed left and right for looking less than genuine.
QUARLES: Tiger`s definitely opened himself up to criticism that he is arrogant, that he is not really sorry.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is asking, is Tiger who`s already made his share of mistakes, about to screw up his comeback, as well. Why are people so extra mad at Tiger now? It all has to do with the statement tomorrow at PGA headquarters in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
QUARLES: He`s having hand-picked friends and family. Hand-picked media.
ANDERSON: Tiger`s people say he`ll apologize for cheating on wife Elin. But, and this is key, he won`t be answering any questions. And that`s leaving people with the impression that Tiger is running from tough questions about his bad behavior.
QUARLES: Tiger, just sit down with Oprah already and be open and honest. You know, reading a statement is not going to cut it.
ANDERSON: And then, there`s the timing of it all. Tiger`s appearance is taking place right in the middle of a golf tournament sponsored by the consulting company, Accenture, which happens to have been the first sponsor that dropped Tiger when his cheating scandal went public. Coincidence?
QUARLES: Some golfers are quite unhappy that there`s a (INAUDIBLE) golf tournament going on. Yet, Tiger Woods is going to usurp everybody with this press conference. If you read into it, you can say maybe Tiger is trying to stick it to them.
ANDERSON: Even one of the alleged ex-mistresses, former porn star Joslyn James, is using his reappearance to stick it to him.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR TIGER WOODS` ALLEGED MISTRESS: Tiger Woods needs to name my client Veronica Swift Daniels a.k.a. Joslyn James and apologize by name to her.
ANDERSON: Last night on HLN`s "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," Joslyn James` attorney, Gloria Allred, demanded Tiger single out the ex-porn star at his statement tomorrow for a personal apology.
ALLRED: She left the porn business because he wanted her not to be with any other man. Then, she went into hiding when the whole scandal broke trying to protect him. And I think that the minimum that he could do now is apologize to her.
ANDERSON: Granted, no one knows exactly what Tiger will say at tomorrow`s appearance or even if his wife Elin will be at his side. But Alicia Quarles of the Associated Press knows one thing - Joslyn can forget about a personalized apology.
QUARLES: The odds that Tiger Woods is going to say to Joslyn James, "I`m sorry that I wronged you" on national TV are the same odds as me hitting a hole in one. Not going to happen at all. Ever.
ANDERSON: So it looks like this superstar, who`s well-known for coming through in the clutch, has his work cut out for him as he takes this first step in rebuilding his damaged image.
But with all the Tiger-bashing that`s flaring up again right now, his comeback is not off to a good start.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So how has Tiger Woods already blown his apology even before he makes it? Joining me from New York tonight is Stephen A. Smith who is a syndicated radio talk show host and columnist for the "Philadelphia Inquirer." Also from New York tonight, Marvet Britto who is a publicist and brand strategist.
Stephen, Marvet, I`ve got to tell you that I personally think Tiger is making a colossal mistake by making this announcement tomorrow and not answering any questions, not one. Stephen, do you agree this is another huge mistake by Tiger?
STEPHEN A. SMITH, SYNDICATED TALK RADIO SHOW HOST AND COLUMNIST: I think it is an incredible mistake and that is what this comes down to again. I`ll reiterate it as I`ve said many times. It`s not of anybody`s business, the details about what transpired in his personal life.
As far as I`m concerned, that`s hands off. But when you have committed such a strenuous effort in trying to evade the public, it goes against everything that you tried to represent yourself as being. I mean, the fact is you advertised and marketed yourself as a family man, as a father, as a husband, as somebody that everybody wanted to look up to.
If you went out there and played golf and went home and took your $110 million, that would have been cool. But you made additional $900 million by portraying yourself and having yourself marketed as something you clearly knew you were not.
So if you`re now going to choose to have a press conference, but it`s not really a press conference because you don`t want to answer questions the way A-Rod did, the way Pete Rose did, and the way Mark McGwire - even Mark McGwire did and what have you - Andy Pettitte and others, then you know what? You come across as incredibly weak and that is what this really comes down to, to me.
ANDERSON: Yes. It is cowardly. I agree with you. But I`ve got to tell you, Stephen, not everybody agrees with us that Tiger`s making a big mistake in the way he`s handling this.
In fact, on "The View" this morning, Barbara Walters said she thinks Tiger is handling everything just right. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": If I were Tiger Woods, I would not have to take questions. Who`s the first one? I would make my statement. I would ask for forgiveness. I would ask for forgiveness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is the right thing to do.
WALTERS: And, you know, the press keeps saying, "He should do an interview." No.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. I think Tiger needs to do a little more than just ask for forgiveness. But Marvet, you have gotten more big celebrities out of trouble than we can even count. As the image expert here, do you agree with Barbara that tomorrow is about asking for forgiveness, not taking questions from the press?
MARVET, PUBLIC RELATIONS EXPERT AND BRAND STRATEGIST: I absolutely agree with Barbara Walters. That is brilliant press strategy. This is a man who has always fiercely guarded his privacy. So in this instance, he should do the same as it relates to this press statement.
He should come forward. He should say what he has to say. We are not interested in hearing anything but an apology from Tiger. We don`t need to know the sordid details and hear a play-by-play from him. He doesn`t owe that to the public. He does owe the public an apology and that`s what we`ll get by virtue of his statement in a controlled environment.
ANDERSON: I`m not saying we want to hear sordid details but I agree with Stephen that he crafted an image of perfection. He did that, not the public, and then he made hundreds of millions of dollars off of that, Marvet. So not to answer any questions? It just doesn`t seem fair.
(CROSS TALK)
BRITTO: No, because it`s irrelevant what specifically - what took place. We`re giving him - he`s allowing us to hear his apology. But for him to tell us and give us a play-by-play, he doesn`t owe us that, regardless of the fact he made millions of dollars being a brilliant, you know, golfer. He doesn`t owe us anything more than an apology.
SMITH: I want to say this and it`s very, very difficult for me to disagree with the lovely Marvet who is a friend of mine. Let me just say that she is absolutely wonderful and fantastic in every way imaginable.
ANDERSON: She is.
SMITH: But I will say this - Tiger Woods - it`s not about answering questions and details of what happened, Marvet. But it is about some explaining why it took you this long, you know, to address the public and make an apology.
What exactly is going on in your mind? What were you thinking about? Et cetera. You don`t have to asking him about women - he doesn`t have to answer those questions. He can tell the people tomorrow to mind their business. Especially, he doesn`t have to answer the questions about whatever is going on between him and his wife, because that is his personal business.
But in terms of your mindset, the person that you marketed yourself as being and the person you`ve proven to be, you do need to answer for that. And that`s not getting into his personal business. That`s making him stand up and be accountable which, in this society, we always do when it comes to public figures. He should be no different. And nobody else should get away with it.
ANDERSON: I agree. I agree. That behavior - yes. That behavior - let`s purge it. Let`s move on as a changed man. But this tight control - it just seems like the same old Tiger for me. We want sincerity.
But there are still so many other questions about what Tiger is doing. It seemed that everywhere I went today, people were really fired up. And in our SHOWBIZ great debate, we are asking - should Tiger`s wife be by his side tomorrow? And if not, how bad will that be for Tiger?
Another great debate - is Tiger now a big joke? And will anyone think that Tiger is genuine? Stephen Smith, Marvet Britto, stay right there. We`re getting to the SHOWBIZ great debate, coming up in just a minute.
OK. I really cannot believe I`m saying this. This Elton John`s head- spinning claim today. Elton says Jesus was gay. Jesus? Gay? This is causing all kinds of outrage today. Elton has certainly said some controversial things before. But has he gone too far this time?
And what Kim Kardashian just did. Well, if she really did this, it could go down as one of the stupidest things ever. Did Kim reveal the identity of an air marshal, someone whose job it is to keep us safe in the air, to millions of people while she was sitting next to the guy on the plane? Oh. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Tina Fey to host "SNL" this April will likely bring her "Sarah Palin" impression. Octumom Nadya Suleman to make a guest appearance on "The View" on February 24th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: We welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Road to Gold," Gabby`s precious Oscar quest. I think Gabourey Sidibe`s story is amazing. She`s the 26-year-old up for a best actress Oscar for "Precious." Now, we just sat down with her. But before I get to that revealing interview, there`s a brand new controversy about Gabby and this "Vanity Fair" cover.
It is the young Hollywood issue. Now, the cover doesn`t have Gabby and it has no women of color. Now, even though Gabby is in a picture inside the issue, some people are upset saying that she wasn`t put on the cover because Gabby doesn`t look like a typical actress.
Well, "Vanity Fair" denies that the cover snub had anything to do with Gabby`s looks and hinted it had more to do with Gabby`s limited film experience. But let me tell you this. With the great work she did in "Precious," I bet she`s going to be plenty busy from now on. Here is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: You have had such an amazing year, OK? Your first film, an Oscar nomination. Does it get any better than this?
GABOUREY SIDIBE, ACTRESS: I don`t think so. I hope so. But this is - I mean, I guess any better than this would be the win. But I`m actually so, so excited and so proud of just the nomination so I`m having a great year.
WYNTER: And I heard you backstage. You are saying, "I`m just taking this all in." It is just surreal still, right?
SIDIBE: It is. It is really weird, like I`m floating above ground. It`s amazing. I can`t even believe that I`m - like I got off stage while getting my certificate and Meryl Streep says, "I just took the cutest picture of you." I said, "Why are you taking pictures of me, Meryl Streep? Do you like me, Meryl Streep?
WYNTER: Meryl Streep - you have so many fans out there. But what would you be doing if you hadn`t landed this role and you hadn`t, you know, gotten this amazing opportunity? What would you be doing right now?
SIDIBE: I`m guessing right around now, I would be interning some place because I would have gotten my psychology degree. And I would be probably working in psychology field or training to be a social worker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIDIBE: Nobody loves me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People do love you, Precious.
SIDIBE: Please, don`t lie to me! Love ain`t done nothing for me! Love beat me, made me feel worthless!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: This must have been such a challenging role because you haven`t acted in so many films. This is your first. How were you able to dig deep and really bring out that character and make it as convincing as it was?
SIDIBE: It actually wasn`t too hard, because I said, this person exists. And I felt as though I`ve known this person all my life and I just - I looked at it as though it were a task I had to do, not something that I wanted to do, not something that I wasn`t sure I could do, but something that I had to do. I have to bring this out to life.
WYNTER: And I bet Mo`Nique pushed you in that role. How so?
SIDIBE: Well, she - she`s such a great actress and she was so amazing to work with. She actually - she was amazing to learn from.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Precious, you`re going to stand up there and look down at me like you`re a woman. You don`t know what real women do. Real women sacrifice.
WYNTER: Despite the successes of this film received and the acclaim, there`s been so much criticism that it doesn`t accurately capture the African-American experience. What do you have to say to that?
SIDIBE: If anyone thinks the story is just about African-Americans, than they have missed the point because the story is about people. It stars African-Americans, but it`s just about humans.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And, of course, you will find out if Gabourey Sidibe wins the best actress Oscar on March 7th. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be live at the Academy Awards with two very special shows.
It`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Road to Gold." I`m going to be live on the red carpet along with A.J. for a red carpet special at 7:00 p.m. Eastern on CNN. Then at 11:00 p.m., a special live edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. So we want you to be sure to join us. It`s going to be a lot of fun.
The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines lighting up right now. We told you how Tiger is getting ready to speak out publicly for the first time since his car crash and that whole cheating scandal. Jacqueline thinks Tiger should just shut his face.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: Don`t bother coming out, Tiger, and telling your side of the story. You`ve only had three months to figure it out and to connive and to lie and to cheat. I just can`t believe who the heck would even care what that idiot comes out to say.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Jacqueline. We also heard from Milda in New Mexico. She thinks that Tiger should keep it short and sweet and then everybody should move on.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: The only one he owes an apology to is his wife. And if his wife can forgive him and move on, then so should the media.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Milda. What do you think about this? The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. We take your calls about anything that is on your mind. Write this number down - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1- 888-728-2899. We look forward to hearing from you.
We are just hours away from Tiger Woods speaking out publicly for the very first time about his car crash, about his unbelievable cheating scandal. So today, it is the great Tiger debate here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
So many questions to ask. Should Tiger`s wife Elin get up there and stand by his side? Is Tiger a total joke no matter what he says? And will anyone think Tiger is sincere?
And just in today, Elton John`s head-spinning claim - are you ready for this? Elton says Jesus was gay. Are you kidding me?
Also, Heidi Montag, a danger to young girls? A big star`s explosive new claim today that Heidi, who just had 10 plastic surgeries, is a danger to young kids. Why that star won`t even let her own daughters look at Heidi. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: "American Idol Gives Back" charity show to benefit Haiti will air February 25th. Got milk? Jennifer Hudson puts on a milk mustache for new ad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Oh, I am so happy to tell you this story today. Jesse James, who is married to Sandra Bullock, tweets that his lost pit bull, Cinnabun, has been found. The dog went missing three weeks ago.
According to TMZ, James got a call from a woman who saw Cinnabun`s picture on a flier. She brought the dog to James` California motorcycle shop and everybody started crying tears of happiness.
Big-time Hollywood director Kevin Smith still on a rampage today against Southwest Airlines. In fact, he`s now daring them to prove that he`s too fat to fly. We told you how Kevin was kicked off a Southwest flight because he allegedly didn`t fit into one seat.
That`s their policy. You know, you don`t fit into one, you have to buy two. And there weren`t two available, so Kevin got the boot. Well, put your chairs, tables and seats back in an upright position, because check out Smith`s brand new tweet, "Hey, Southwest Air. You bring that same row of seats to the `Daily Show` and I`ll sit in them for all to see on TV. If I don`t fit, I`ll donate $10,000 to the charity of your choice. But when I do and buckle the belt as well, 1) you admit you lied, 2) change the policy, or at least re-train your staff a lot more human and a lot less corporate.
Kevin Smith also just posted another video rant. You`ve got to check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KEVIN SMITH, DIRECTOR: My hard felt apologies. I was passing. I was trying to pass desperately for thin and that`s why I went to your thin person`s airline. And one day, I will go on a diet. And I`ll lose some weight and when do that, maybe I`ll be thin enough. That will be my goal. If I could get Southwest Airlines thin.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Fasten your seat belts, folks. There is still some serious turbulence ahead.
Let me tell you, right now on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook wall, there is an all-out war over Fox`s "Family Guy" using Sarah Palin`s son with Down Syndrome as a punch line.
Tanesha, furious, "`Family Guy` is truly out of line. They`re always offensive, but sometimes, enough is enough. That`s disrespectful and rude. They should apologize."
But Crystal thinks everybody should just take a chill pill, "`Family Guy` makes fun of just about every race and also a lot of other celebs. She should not be offended. Just laugh and get over it. It`s just a joke. Laugh a little, America."
Join me on Facebook and Twitter. Sign up at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
And now, here`s the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It`s the great Tiger Woods debate. Tiger`s about to speak publicly for the very first time since his cheating scandal. Should Tiger`s wife stand by his side? Is Tiger a total joke? And will anyone think Tiger is sincere?
Barbara Walters shacking up with a big-time star? I don`t know if I can picture this one.
And Kim Kardashian really outing an air marshal while sitting next to him on a plane? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Best song nominees won`t be performed at the Academy Awards this year. "Deadliest Catch" will air last voyage of Capt. Phil Harris, who died on Feb. 9th.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Tiger Woods is about to speak publicly for the very first time since his sex scandal broke. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the great Tiger debate. Should Tiger`s wife be by his side? Is Tiger a joke? And will anyone think Tiger is sincere?
Elton John`s jaw-dropping claim today. Elton says he believes Jesus was gay.
Kim Kardashian`s midair Twitter fiasco. Did she really out an air marshal while sitting next to him on the plane?
Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most-provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYIMNG)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood.
And tonight, the great Tiger debate. We are just hours away from Tiger Woods` first public appearance since his life virtually collapsed into a heap that began with a mysterious car crash and just got messier and messier with a parade of alleged mistresses claiming that he slept with them.
Tonight, the great debate that has been raging all day today. Should Tiger`s wife Elin be there with him whether he speaks out? We haven`t heard word one from her since the stories of Tiger`s alleged sexcapades first surfaced. Should Elin stand by her man?
Tiger`s first public appearance tomorrow will be extremely controlled. Tiger won`t be taking any questions. And his handlers are promising the whole thing will be over in a heartbeat. But could all of this backfire on Tiger? Does he need to say more? Do more? And will anybody think he`s sincere?
Joining me tonight in New York, Stephen A. Smith, who is a syndicated radio talk show host and columnist for "The Philadelphia Inquirer." Also from New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell who is the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" right here on HLN. Jane is also the author of - there it is - "I Want."
All right. Jane, Stephen, I know you`re fired up about this so I want to begin with, should Tiger`s wife Elin stand by her man tomorrow when he makes his first public appearance? Jane, off to you. What do you think?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Absolutely not. She`s the victim here. She didn`t cheat. She didn`t lie. She was cheated on. She was lied to. Why should she have to show up and mop up his mess?
I am so sick and tired of these robotic Stepford wives who show up and stand there by their man`s side looking confused and humiliated while the husband apologizes for infidelity.
On top of that, there are published reports that Tiger and Elin are living in separate houses. I don`t have any independent confirmation of that. But if it`s true, then it would be another lie for them to show up and show a united front.
SMITH: Well, first of all, let`s get one thing straight.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SMITH: They`re not - they don`t look like - even though they`re the victims, when you stalk to them - talk about them looking like Stepford wives hanging out there in front.
Instead of supporting the husbands, they`re doing it for themselves, not for their husbands. They`re trying to benefit financially, because the more you jeopardize him, the more you jeopardize the cash cow that you are with. That`s number one.
But number two, and more importantly, I still completely agree with you, Jane. I don`t have any problem with what you`re suggesting whatsoever because I think in this particular situation, it`s so trifling and it`s been so public and so humiliating for her that she would look even worse if she was up there standing by his side. So I do agree with you.
ANDERSON: And she obviously has never been comfortable in the spotlight. She never speaks publicly about anything. But Jane, Stephen, I`ve got to tell you, not everybody agrees with us.
Kristy M. wrote this today on our Facebook wall, "Yes, Elin should be there. She married him for better or for worse and that means what it means." Yes, but the Kristy, marriage vows didn`t say you have to physically stand by your husband when he admitted to being a big schmuck.
But watch what the ladies of "The View" said about it this morning. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Is Elin going to be with him? That`s the thing that everybody wants to know.
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I bet she will not.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I thought that they read that she was planning to be by his side. That was in the research. Yes.
(CROSS TALK)
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Because if she`s by his side, that shows a little solidarity there working on solidarity.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Jane, very quickly. That would show a sign of solidarity and maybe be a sign that they could be trying to work things out, though.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes, but we don`t want to do image manipulation. That`s what got him into this jam in the first place. This image was different from his reality. Obviously, it`s not all cozy with them.
She`s been seen out and about without her wedding ring. If they`re going to present a phony united front, I think it`s more phoniness.
ANDERSON: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And more than anything else, what Tiger needs to be is real.
SMITH: You see, definitely, I.
ANDERSON: We don`t want anything phony. Go ahead, Stephen.
SMITH: I don`t know why you have me on the show today because I agree with every single word that`s coming out of Jane`s mouth. She couldn`t be more correct.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.
SMITH: Because the fact is, it comes across as incredibly phony. And he comes across as incredibly weak because from day one, he has been trying to, you know, evade the issues, not address the public. And then to talk about having a press conference that really is not going to be a press conference because all he`s going to have is family, friends and loved ones in attendance with a few selected reporters and what have you.
It is just an atrocity in the making. He doesn`t realize what kind of image hit he`s been taking. His handlers have been an absolute disaster. I think we should find out their names are, who they work for and then make sure nobody hires them in the future.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you.
SMITH: They evidently don`t know what they`re doing. It`s really that bad.
ANDERSON: Well, yes. And his agent has said this is not a press conference. He will not be taking any questions. And we already know that Tiger has really become a laughingstock. And despite the plans, take a look at the front page of today`s "New York Daily News" and "New York Post."
"The Daily News" headline blaring "lock up your bimbos." "The New York Post" with warning, "Tiger on the loose, lock up the waitresses." And that leads to our next question in the SHOWBIZ great debate - is Tiger Woods still a big joke?
Jane, what do you think? Is he a joke and can he get past that?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Look, I think they made a tactical error when they announced on Wednesday they were going to hold a news conference or a press availability or whatever you want to call it, a five-to-seven-minute statement on Friday because they gave us two days to talk about this.
And around the world, the commentators are talking ad nauseum and speculating and opinionating, much of it negative. So he is just feeding the monster right now. On top of that, just a couple of days ago, Joslyn James, a porn star, came out and said that Tiger impregnated her not once, but twice.
Obviously, I have no independent confirmation of that. But again, it`s more sordid, sleazy stories to add to the mix.
SMITH: Well, at the same time.
ANDERSON: And I was questioning why they released that information so early to us as well. Go ahead, Stephen.
SMITH: Well, you know, it is the arrogance. If it`s not the arrogance of Tiger Woods, it`s the arrogance of his team because he`s Tiger. And they know he`s the greatest golfer in the world. And they know that he`s going to come back on the circuit. Eventually, he`s going to win.
He is going to have success. I`m telling you all right now. He`s on another level as a golfer. There`s no question about that just like there`s no question about him as a man. You have some serious, serious issues with him and his manhood because of the way he`s gone about trying to evade addressing this to the public at large.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SMITH: This is a man that used the public to garner himself an extra $900 million off the golf course. But the second he gets in any kind of trouble whatsoever, he`s running like a scared cat. I mean, it just is so embarrassing and it`s ridiculous.
ANDERSON: It`s emasculating and, yes, embarrassing.
SMITH: Hold on. He`s emasculating himself.
ANDERSON: Exactly. That`s what I meant by that, yes. And obviously, he and his team all obviously think that he is untouchable.
And listen to this. Some of Tiger`s biggest fans today quote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page that Tiger just needs to do this, just needs to do it and then move on.
Kevin M. saying, Please get on with your prepared speech. Don`t answer questions afterwards and then go out and kick (EXPLETIVE DELETED) the rest of the season."
So to some of Tiger`s most hard-core fans, he was never a joke, never a punch line, just a great athlete. But I must take a look again at those headlines. Bimbos, Tiger on the loose. Jane, I can`t see how he can possibly get past being a joke any time soon.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I mean, he is going to have to really appear sincere and contrite at this news conference. It would help if he cries. Now, here`s how crazy things have gotten. A British bookie is offering wagers on whether he will cry. He`s a five to two favorite to shed tears. That gives you an idea of how absolutely bizarre and crazy this has become.
But the bottom line is, it really doesn`t even matter what he says. It`s really how he behaves from now on.
ANDERSON: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Has he changed as a man? That`s the key.
SMITH: Jane, you and I somewhat disagree for the first time here, because here`s what it comes down to. What we are not pointing out is the fact this falls along gender lines because most men - I`m here to tell you some thing right now. Most men don`t have a problem with it, because most men are not surprised about it.
They`re Looking at a guy in his young 30s. He`s got $1 billion. And the question isn`t about whether or not he cheated on his wife or how often he did it. The question is why the hell is everybody surprised by it, considering the position that he is in. Now, you have the females.
ANDERSON: Oh, brother.
SMITH: Now, you have the females out there who obviously are in an uproar because.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. There`s obviously a big difference between how most males and how most females view this.
SMITH: Exactly. Exactly.
ANDERSON: I do have to end it there.
SMITH: There`s no question.
ANDERSON: It will be interesting to see, not really what he says, but how he says it tomorrow. Stephen A. Smith, Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you both.
And as Tiger Woods opens up, some are demanding that Elton John just shut up today. Elton`s jaw-dropping claim today saying he believes Jesus was gay. Wait until you hear why. It is explosive new Elton John interview that is sparking major outrage.
And Kim Kardashian`s midair Twitter disaster. She outs a federal air marshal sitting right next her to millions of people. Did the reality star put everybody on her flight in very real danger?
And former "American Idol" judge Paula Abdul is judging Ellen DeGeneres. For the very first time today, Paula reveals her feelings about how Ellen is doing in her old gig. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Judge says Lindsay Lohan is making good progress since her DUI conviction despite plea by Lindsay`s dad that she go to rehab for pill addiction. Alexander McQueen`s fashion line to continue despite his suicide last week.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Elton John is no stranger to controversy. But he may be in over his head this time. Elton has sparked an explosive new controversy today after saying Jesus was a gay man. Elton, what are you saying?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. We will have more on Elton`s absolutely jaw-dropping comment in just a moment.
But first, Paula Abdul sounds off on how Ellen DeGeneres is doing in her old job. The startling new Harry Potter controversy today and Kim Kardashian`s massive midair blunder - that is all making big news in the buzz today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Paula judges Ellen. For the very first time, Paula Abdul is weighing in on how Ellen is doing since she started appearing on "American Idol" in Paula`s old chair.
Coming out of a lunch in Beverly Hills, Paula was asked if she would give Ellen a thumbs-up, and did even better than that, giving Ellen a double thumbs-up.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thumbs up for Ellen?
ANDERSON: A bill of approval for Ellen came on the very same day "Idol" whittled its contestants down to 24.
J.K. Rowling and a lawsuit of fire. The Harry Potter creator is being sued for allegedly plagiarizing plot points from a 1987 children`s book for "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire" and other Harry Potter books.
Rowling told "Bloomberg Business Week" said that she`s never heard of the book she is accused of stealing from and that the claims are completely unfounded.
Kim Kardashian`s Twitter blunder. The reality star is in the hot seat for apparently outing an undercover air marshal during a flight. Kardashian tweeted to her more than three million followers, quote, "I am sitting next to an air marshal. Jim the air marshal makes me feel safe."
After some of her Twitter followers started slamming her, Kim signed off, tweeting, "OK, I hope I don`t get in trouble. Logging off now. XOXO." Officials won`t confirm that Jim is an actual air marshal.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So what the heck is Kim Kardashian thinking? Is this the dumbest tweet ever posted?
Joining me tonight in New York, Carolina Bermudez who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." Also in New Also in New York, Janell Snowden who is a host for "VH1 News."
Hey, Carolina, Janell, move over, Paris Hilton. Kim Kardashian seems to be the new ditsy bombshell in town. People could not believe that Kim actually outed an air marshal to her millions of Twitter followers.
And then, of course, after people started complaining, she attempted to explain it all away by tweeting, "Relax. I just told you guys the air marshal is sitting next to me. Highly doubt anyone is Twittering like me on this flight. Shh."
OK, I`m thinking this was the dumbest thing to ever be tweeted, ever, by any celebrity in the history of all that has ever been tweeted. Carolina, are you with me?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": I`m totally with you, Brooke. And one thing that I can say is that no one ever accused Kim Kardashian of being brilliant.
So this just tells us why she should go stick to talking about perfume and lip glosses. I mean, this is a threat to national security. She should have known better.
ANDERSON: Yes. I think Kim probably did learn her lesson here. People do work undercover for a very important reason. But there is, of course, the chance that Air Marshal Jim was just some guy sitting next to her, maybe looking to get lucky. Janell, do you think this was some sort of pickup line and Kim missed the point?
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, "VH1 NEWS": Very possible. You know, guys will say anything get some you-know-what. Maybe he was trying to become a member of the Mile High Club. You never know.
I mean, I think that some people need a Twitter timeout. And Kim Kardashian is one of them. You know, I think there`s really - you know, my bosses are probably going to kill me for saying this, but I was thankful there wasn`t a Wi-Fi until recently on the planes because that is the only time for busy people to actually get some rest.
BERMUDEZ: I agree.
SNOWDEN: So the fact she is on there saying, "Hey, I`m on the plane," is like, come on. Is nothing sacred anymore? Can we not just have two moments of silence?
ANDERSON: Janell, I agree. I used to be able to get on the plane and think, whoo, a break. But not anymore.
BERMUDEZ: Exactly.
ANDERSON: Right. I want to move now to a really outrageous new story that involves Elton John, homosexuality and - Jesus?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got a hold of the brand-new "Parade" magazine where Elton John gives his take on Jesus and Christianity saying, "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems. On the cross, he forgave the people who crucified him. Jesus wanted us to be loving and forgiving."
Now, Elton John has said a whole lot of controversial things in his life, but this one really takes the cake. And Carolina, Elton knew when he said this, that people would be outraged, didn`t he? He had to know.
BERMUDEZ: Absolutely. Oh, absolutely. Elton is no stranger to the tabloids. And you know, just on a personal note, I want to know how he obtained this information. I`m a Catholic school girl for 12 years. I never saw any of that in the Bible.
So Elton definitely wants to get tongues wagging and people talking. And for sure, he`s going to do that. You don`t touch Jesus, seriously. It is just - you don`t go there.
ANDERSON: And the only thing I can think is a lot of believers try to relate to Jesus in some way. But Elton has never really indicated that he is a believer.
And I want to read this statement because there was a lot of outrage over this - this statement from Bill Donahue, president of the Catholic League, "Jesus was certainly compassionate, but to say he was super- intelligent is to compare the son of God to a successful game show contestant. More seriously, to call Jesus gay is to label him a sexual deviant. But what else would we expect from a man who previously said, `From my point of view, I would ban religion completely.`"
So looks like Elton has provoked and created a whole lot of controversy. I do want to move now to another truly explosive story just in today. Soap star Lisa Rinna blasting Heidi Montag for getting so much plastic surgery.
Lisa, who has admitted to nipping and tucking herself in her life, told "FanCast.com" she was disturbed by Heidi`s drastic cosmetic makeover after seeing Montag on the cover of "People" magazine.
She said this, "I will tell you I had to take that cover off the magazine before it came in the house. We have two girls. I don`t think it is something you want to bring in the house and say, `oh, look.`"
OK. Janell, I get her concern. I do. And she is right in the concern for the daughters. But I can also understand why some people may think that she may not be the right person to deliver this message. What do you think?
SNOWDEN: It is like, "Hi pot, meet kettle." I think - I have a theory and that is, if we all just ignored Heidi Montag, she would go away. It`s like does all these things for attention and we feed right into it.
We feed right into that fame-drug she`s so addicted to. And so the moment we say, you know what? This is a matter that she obviously needs to seek medical for. But she should do it in the privacy of, you know, like her own home and not in the spotlight. Then maybe, just maybe, "People" magazine won`t be interested enough to put her on the cover (INAUDIBLE) - shoo her away.
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Maybe so. We`ll see. Janell Snowden, Carolina Bermudez, thanks, ladies.
OK, Barbara Walters shacking up with a big star? Intimate, new claims about Barbara`s love life splashed all over the pages of the "National Enquirer." But today Barbara herself setting the record straight.
Plus, wait until you hear about Whoopi Goldberg`s unbelievable connection to this whole drama. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Drew Barrymore and Wanda Sykes to be honored at the GLAAD media awards. Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman to fund a school in Haiti for the next five years.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Tonight, Jon and Kate minus some big money. Now, the reality stars just sold the first house they shot their show, "Jon and Kate Plus 8," in. It`s the house where we all got to know Jon, Kate, and the eight little Gosselins long before their world imploded before our eyes on TV.
They might be big stars but they still got hit by the housing bubble big time. According to the real estate Web site "Zillow.com," the Gosselin sold their five-bedroom house for $258,000. That`s actually $22,000 less than they reportedly paid for it in 2006.
Tonight, is TV veteran Barbara Walters shacking up with a big star? That`s the word according to the "National Enquirer." The paper reports that Barbara is living with legendary actor, Frank Langella. He most recently played former President Richard Nixon in "Frost Nixon."
Now, Barbara and Frank were spotted out together recently and their picture is part of the "National Enquirer" spread. So this morning Barbara set the record straight about the reported juicy details about her love life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WALTERS: According to the "National Enquirer," Frank Langella is now living in my apartment. He`s about 6`4" and I don`t know where he`s hiding.
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You`re shacking now.
WALTERS: And we are getting married this summer.
GOLDBERG: Wow.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Congratulations.
WALTERS: Thank you. And Whoopi Goldberg, who was and still is, a friend of Mr. Langella`s, you gave me your blessings.
GOLDBERG: I did? Oh, cool. Go on, girl. Go on, get married.
WALTERS: So the whole point of this is that the tabloids have their moments. This is such a - I`m sorry. This is so ridiculous. But there are always anonymous people who really know this is that. So if he`s in my apartment, I don`t know where.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And here`s an interesting Hollywood factoid. Although Barbara isn`t living with Langella, Barbara`s "View" buddy Whoopi Goldberg did live with him. They dated for five years back in the mid-`90s.
On Wednesday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Just moments ago, we did get those final results - "Jessica Simpson`s Revenge: Should she tell all about John Mayer?" Only 37 percent of you say yes she should. But 63 percent say, no way.
Here`s are some of the emails we got. Rebecca from Michigan, "I think Jessica should take the high road and not talk about her relationship with John Mayer. Why sink to his level?"
And Frog from Ohio says, "I definitely think Jessica should speak out, but she won`t; she has too much class."
We appreciate your emails. Keep them coming. And we appreciate you watching tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We love spending sometime with you. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And be sure to join me tomorrow when Tiger breaks his silence. I`ll be here with special live coverage of Tiger Woods` very first public statement since his Thanksgiving car crash and shocking sex scandal. That is tomorrow live, 11:00 a.m. Eastern, right here on HLN.
END
