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Showbiz Tonight
Kate Gosselin Gets the Boot; Did Cameron Douglas Get Celebrity Justice?; Outrage Over Kelly Clarkson`s New Connection to Cigarettes; South Park Death Threats
Aired April 21, 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 today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - judging Kate. Kate Gosselin gets kicked off "Dancing with the Stars."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR: It was a great experience. And I`m sorry I`m crying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The great debate that exploded today. Is Kate a big winner or a big loser?
Celebrity justice or injustice? Michael Douglas` son sentenced for dealing drugs. Angry claims today that he got off too easy because of his famous family.
And a showbiz day of outrage - outrage over Kelly Clarkson`s shocking new connection to cigarettes. And outrage aimed at "South Park" from radicals who support Osama Bin Laden.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve done the town a huge favor, Mohammed.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - judging Kate, winner or loser?
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, I`m not exactly sure who was more relieved today that Kate Gosselin was finally kicked off "Dancing with the Stars," the millions of people who were forced to watch her awful dancing week after week or perhaps Kate herself.
Because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did some serious digging today and we discovered Kate may actually turn out to be a big winner by being such a big loser. Yes, yes, I know what you`re thinking, how could she be a winner by losing? Well, let me make some sense of it for you.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Today, half the nation is in mourning.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ohh.
HAMMER: And the other half is cheering.
(CHEERS)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate and Tony -
HAMMER: Kate Gosselin is finally off "Dancing with the Stars." Just minutes after she was eliminated, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Kate who thanked her fans.
K. GOSSELIN: Thank you to all of our viewers and voters who gave us the opportunity because that`s really why we were still here.
HAMMER: But now that the dance has ended, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, today, Kate Gosselin finds herself in an interesting spot.
Her controversial time on "Dancing with the Stars" has made this mother of eight more loved and more hated than ever. Kate Gosselin made a big splash when she was first announced as a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."
K. GOSSELIN: I have eight children to provide for.
HAMMER: She told everyone, including the "Today" show that she was going on "Dancing with the Stars" to earn money to support her kids and to inspire working moms.
K. GOSSELIN: I`m enjoying what I`m doing and I`m thankful for the opportunities that I have so I can provide for my kids.
HAMMER: And "Us Weekly`s" Ericka Souter tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT moms across the country identified with Kate and voted for her to stay on "Dancing with the Stars."
ERICKA SOUTER, STAFF WRITER, "US WEEKLY" MAGAZINE: Suddenly, it was the fans that kept Kate on the show, the moms who wanted to see her triumph and be successful and keep dancing week after week.
HAMMER: Still, Kate suffered from one little problem.
SOUTER: Kate Gosselin may be one of the worst "Dancing with the Stars" contestants we`ve ever seen.
HAMMER: Her lack of dancing skills earned her grief from judges.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It wasn`t very good, Kate. And I`m sorry.
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She`s an angry (EXPLETIVE DELETED), this one.
HAMMER: And as early as yesterday, the Kate question was still splitting the hosts of "The View" into two warring factions, the anti-Kate faction -
GOLDBERG: She sucks. She`s got to go.
HAMMER: And the pro-Kate faction -
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": She is a single mom trying to take care of her kids. She`s doing what she`s got to do.
HAMMER: Plus, reports of Kate difficult behavior behind the scenes didn`t endear her to the masses.
K. GOSSELIN: OK. You just tell. I`m a little out of time. I`m stressed.
TONY DOVOLANI, KATE GOSSELIN`S DANCING PARTNER: Really? Then, why don`t you start paying attention to my teaching then.
HAMMER: Backstage video shown on "Dancing with the Stars" portrayed Kate as a less-than-pleasant student. At one point, her dance partner, Tony Dovolani, even quit.
DOVOLANI: I quit.
HAMMER: In fact, Kate haters even started selling t-shirts that read "Free Tony." But right after their elimination, Kate and Tony told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT all that earlier friction was water under the bridge.
K. GOSSELIN: That was a lot to deal with. And -
DOVOLANI: I wouldn`t say that. I mean, considering everything that was going on in her life, I thought she still gave me more than I could ever ask from her.
HAMMER: Also today, Kate is still dealing with another problem from her dancing gig.
SOUTER: While Kate was off dancing, her ex-husband Jon petitioned the court to change their custody agreement.
HAMMER: Jon Gosselin is asking for primary custody of their eight kids. He claims Kate`s time on "Dancing with the Stars," which is based in L.A., turned her into an absentee mom to their kids who live in Pennsylvania. Some viewers shared Jon`s concerns.
SOUTER: People thought, well, you know, if you are so worried about your kids, should you be flying across the country doing this show three days a week? Or you know, should you be at home taking care of them?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Kate and Tony.
HAMMER: And even though Kate`s now off "Dancing with the Stars," she`s still plenty busy.
SOUTER: Kate says her next steps are to go home and spend more time with her kids. So we`ll have to see if that happens with her new TV shows coming up, promoting her new book. I mean, she may still be away from her eight.
K. GOSSELIN: Thank you for believing me - in me.
HAMMER: But whether she is more hated or more loved than ever before, one thing is certain - Kate Gosselin is dancing into the sunset a bigger star than ever.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, there you have it. All laid out. Good things for Kate, some bad things for Kate. What do you think? Did "Dancing with the Stars" make Kate a winner or loser? Think about that. We`ve got some fired-up folks ready to have at it in the great Kate debate. The fireworks fly in just a bit here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Now, over to you for our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll today - "Kate Gosselin: Are you glad she got kicked off `Dancing with the Stars`?" You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Now, to another great debate that exploded today after Michael Douglas` son was sentenced to prison for dealing drugs. Was this a case of celebrity justice?
A New York judge has just sentenced Cameron Douglas for dealing huge amounts of crystal meth. After Cameron`s father, Michael Douglas, Michael`s wife, Catherine Zeta-Jones and other stars pleaded for leniency, Cameron got five years in prison. But here`s the thing. That was only half of what he should have gotten under federal sentencing guidelines.
Right now, in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell. She hosts "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" every night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern right here on HLN. And in Philadelphia, it`s Danny Bonaduce. He`s a former child star from "The Partridge Family" and now hosts a radio show called "The Danny Bonaduce Show."
Danny, I`ll begin with you. Like Cameron Douglas, you, yourself, have spent a good part of your life battling drug addiction. Do you agree with those who are outraged today, myself included, calling this a case of celebrity justice, celebrity treatment?
DANNY BONADUCE, FORMER CHILD STAR: No, because - and as you are my friend, Brooke, I`m sorry, you are mistaken about what happened. Michael Douglas writing a letter on behalf of his child did not get him five years at club fed which is half of the time he should spent, you`re absolutely right, by mandate.
The judge should not have had any leniency. You know who did this? The D.A. The D.A. begged the judge for leniency because he was a police informant. You cannot put a guy the D.A. admitted turned in other meth dealers and got them all put in jail.
If you put him in jail, he`d be killed. And when you are in jail, the government is responsible for your health and welfare. And if they put him in jail after admitting he was a snitch, he`d have been killed within 90 days.
ANDERSON: But Danny, think about all the many lives, all the many families that this guy has destroyed through dealing drugs. I mean, those are the real victims here. I think drug dealers - because people die all the time from abusing illicit drugs. So I think drug dealers are, in a way, essentially murders. Lock them up.
BONADUCE: Don`t - you are mistaking me completely. I`m just telling you he didn`t get celebrity treatment. He got treatment from the D.A. I don`t care if he catches fire. Meth is the great white shark of drugs. It makes healthy people`s teeth fall out within a month. It is the worst scourge of the earth.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BONADUCE: This guy can go and make big rocks into little rocks for the next 300 years. I think drug dealers should be imprisoned and stop being coddled like crazy. I just wanted to answer your question about celebrity treatment.
ANDERSON: Well, thank you for doing that. And he pleaded guilty to distributing large quantities of meth and cocaine and perhaps -
BONADUCE: Large quantities of death.
ANDERSON: Perhaps one of the more scathing examples - listen to this - was in the "New York Post" today. A.J., I want you to tell us about that.
HAMMER: Yes. I do want you to see what columnist Andrea Peyser wrote today about what she feels is celebrity treatment. She says, "Were this man`s name Smith, Jones or Rodriguez, this would not be. A regular guy who pushes ruinous poison on the less fabulous or fortunate is guaranteed to spend years in the company of large and hairy individuals you wouldn`t want to meet in the shower."
So, is she dead on there? Is this a case of celebrity justice or just plain old injustice? We are back in 30 seconds.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: And we are back with Danny Bonaduce and Jane Velez-Mitchell. So Jane, I want to go to you now. Do you agree with what Andrea Peyser wrote that if Cameron Douglas were not the son of a celebrity, he would have been thrown in prison for a really long time?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Absolutely, she`s 100 percent correct. This is a case of celebrity justice. This was not just a user. They keep saying, "Oh, treatment over incarceration." I believe that, but he was also a dealer as you`ve established.
And even after he was busted on dealing meth, major amounts, when he was in house arrest in his mother`s fancy apartment, he was caught trying to smuggle drugs in. And he has a history of many run-ins with the law. OK. Anybody else would be doing serious hard time.
There are hundreds of thousands of men behind bars as we speak serving many, many more years for far lower offenses. And most of those people aren`t rich.
They don`t have rich people and famous people writing letters to them. Most of them are poor and minority. We have to look at the racial disparity in drug sentencing in this country. It is a huge problem.
ANDERSON: Yes. You know - and Danny, I think, you know, let`s not cry for Cameron because he`s going to spend five years behind bars.
(CROSS TALK)
BONADUCE: I want to make this clear. I want to make this clear. He can go to jail for life. Jane`s absolutely correct. We all agree here.
ANDERSON: Got it.
BONADUCE: I hate him.
ANDERSON: OK.
BONADUCE: He deals in death.
ANDERSON: OK. OK. I understand.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: He could get out in three years with time served.
ANDERSON: I am hoping Cameron can really get his act together. And you know what else I`m hoping? That somebody can save Lindsay Lohan, because we`ve got disturbing new reports about her wild late-night antics.
Danny, Jane, don`t you guys go anywhere because it`s today`s burning question - should Lindsay be forced into rehab?
HAMMER: It is a day of outrage here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Big brand-new stories that have people everywhere are just fired up. We`re talking outrage over Kelly Clarkson`s shocking new connection to cigarettes. Kelly under attack. Why some of her fans are just furious today.
And outrage aimed at "South Park" from radicals who support Osama Bin Laden. So are they really threatening to kill the people behind this show? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Cybill Shepherd`s son will enter rehab program after arrest for alleged robbery. Two more women come forward to claim they were sexually harassed by Steven Seagal.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Saving Lindsay Lohan. What needs to be done? Disturbing new reports about her behavior. And her mother coming to her defense in a brand-new interview today.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: And Brooke, talk about a tale of two parents. To hear Lindsay Lohan`s mother speaking today, you would think all is just fine in Lindsay`s world. But talk to her estranged dad and you would think that Lindsay is one step away from total self-destruction. So does Lindsay need to be saved?
Back with us from Philadelphia, Danny Bonaduce, host of radio`s "The Danny Bonaduce Show." In New York, it`s Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." You can catch it every night, 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on HLN.
All right. Danny, just like Lindsay, you`ve been through the revolving rehab door. You`ve been there. You`ve done that. Every day, we`re hearing these new reports that Lindsay is out every night at a club. What do you think? Is her father dead on? Does Lindsay need some serious help?
BONADUCE: I believe that`s two separate questions. I don`t trust a word that comes out of that man`s mouth. On the other hand, I believe Lindsay Lohan is in desperate need of help.
HAMMER: All right. Fair enough. I want to get your take on that, Jane, because you also have chronicled your battle with addiction in your bestselling book, of course - can we see her book? It`s called "I Want."
And yes, you really told everything in this book. You have some experience here. From what you see, from all of these reports, do you think Lindsay needs some serious help?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: She absolutely does. This is a life-and-death matter. Thank god I`m not hanging out with her but every published report I`ve read, there`s photos of her tripping, her blocked from going into clubs because of her erratic behavior.
Her mother is not the answer. She appears to me to be a classic enabler, co-dependent who is co-signing Lindsay`s bad behavior and rationalizing. And dad is not the answer either because he`s going about it way too publicly and he has his own set of problems and his own history in this regard. Maybe there is a grandmother, somebody who can step in and do an intervention.
HAMMER: Yes. Maybe you and Danny - we can get you guys on board. And Danny can take care of Lindsay`s dad, Michael. And Jane, you can get right to work.
Let`s take a look what Dina Lohan, Lindsay`s mom, is saying about all this. There`s a brand new interview just out today with Lindsay`s mom, Dina. This is amazing. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DINA LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S MOTHER: What you read in the press is completely fabricated. If a girl - any child in the business, any girl in the business goes out one night, you`ll look at every magazine and they will come out for the next two weeks.
And they are wearing the same outfit. So, it`s the same night. So they are saying this child is going out every night and it`s one night. You know, people don`t understand how the press manipulates.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Danny, there are people who hear that and they believe Lindsay`s mother is in even bigger denial than Lindsay is.
BONADUCE: Lindsay`s mother is in bigger denial than she is. Her father, as I said, is completely untrustworthy. He knocked on my door when I - I never met the man. And he hugged me like he knew me. And then, he challenged to celebrity boxing match.
And I said, "Who are you?" And then, he introduced himself. Then, I said, "I`m afraid you`re going to have to become a celebrity before we can do a celebrity boxing match."
But the fact of the matter is - and it makes me very nervous that I agree with Jane 100 percent because that never happens. The fact is I have hung out with her. I have seen her in bars. I have seen her fall down in public.
I`ve seen her get into a car, get behind the wheel and have luckily friends pull her out and put her in the back seat. She is - because I just don`t care much about these people, to be frank with you. But I do care about the people she could hit on the way home.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
BONADUCE: I think she needs help right away or she`s going to wipe out some family on Sunset Boulevard and feel real bad about it why she`s doing celebrity time.
HAMMER: Yes. And even though you don`t fully trust Michael Lohan or trust him at all, at least he does acknowledge it. But it`s amazing that the two parents see this so entirely differently. Danny Bonaduce, Jane Velez- Mitchell, we`re going to leave it there. Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: Hey, we were right there after Kate Gosselin got kicked off "Dancing with the Stars."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: That was a lot to deal with and -
DOVOLANI: I wouldn`t say that. I mean, considering everything that was going on in her life, I thought she still gave me more than I could ever ask from her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, Kate took it pretty hard. But you know, her getting booted may be a good thing. Is Kate a big winner today? Is she a big loser? It`s the great SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate.
OK. So Kim Kardashian`s booty pretty much its own star. I don`t really get why so many people talk about Kim K.`s behind. But wait until you hear this, why Kim is literally the butt of a big joke today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s juicy and real.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maybe a little too juicy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." It`s more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Soccer superstar David Beckham to appear on "The View" Monday, 4/26, first time on the show. "American Idol" Crystal Bowersox delivers awesome, emotional performance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Aww. Just look at these guys. Yes, they slobber all over the place. But you`ve just got to love these bulldogs, right? It is a bulldog beauty pageant in Des Moines, Iowa. Fifty bulldogs dressed up in tutus and tuxedoes and there was some rough competition.
Did you see this? It is the 31st annual beautiful bulldog pageant. And the winner was none other than this cutie named Meatball. He is a home town Des Moines favorite.
Meatball the Bulldog gets to serve as the mascot for Drake University`s annual track and field event. Congratulations, Meatball.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke. Did you see this? I want to tell you about big breaking news right now about Kim Kardashian`s butt. Kim`s pretty much fanned the flames of her career with her fanny. She keeps staying in the front of the magazines with her rear. She doesn`t hide her hide anyway.
Take a look at what happened on an Australian TV show when Kim offered one of the hosts the opportunity to touch her tuchus.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR: You can grab it, if you want.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s juicy and real.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Maybe a little too juicy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, get out. Because we love - we love that you -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, you are so womanly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is like a water bomb.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Now there you go. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now officially report to you that Kim K.`s butt is real.
ANDERSON: Was there ever any question? OK, we asked exclusively on our Facebook wall, should Oprah Winfrey get a DNA test.
There`s an 84-year-old war veteran who claims he`s her father. Well, Pete G. doesn`t think Oprah should get a test, "Hell no! Where was this guy before you made it? If this guy is your father, then send me a check because I`m your third cousin."
But Kendrick K. simply says, "Let the Big O take the test to end this mess."
We also got this call into "Showbiz on Call" about Kate Gosselin today getting the boot from "Dancing with the Stars." Kelly from New York says, good riddance, Kate.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
CALLER: I am so glad she is off the air on "Dancing with the Stars." She was terrible and she`s just looking for fame. And she`s not using it the proper way. So good riddance. Good-bye. I`m so glad to see her off the air.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thanks for your call, Kelly. You can connect with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT in so many ways. Like us on Facebook. Go behind the scenes with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on twitter. Call us on "Showbiz on Call" or E-mail us. Head to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight and connect with us today.
HAMMER: Now, it`s time for the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
All right. So Kate is off "Dancing with the Stars" but is this actually a good thing for her? Is Kate actually a big winner, a big loser? The SHOWBIZ great debate.
Hey, some people really think Kelly Clarkson is a big loser today, outraged over her new connection to cigarettes.
And big changes for Heidi Montag today. What is "Ms. Ten Plastic Surgeries in One Day" up to now? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Aww, bummer! Tara Reid calls off her May 22nd wedding to an Internet biz man. Really?! "The Hills" star Whitney Port is writing an advice book, "True Whit."
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, judging Kate. Kate gets kicked off "Dancing with the Stars." A great debate erupts today. Is Kate Gosselin a real loser or a real winner? Could losing on "Dancing" be a big win for Kate?
"South Park" death threats? Why a group of radicals with ties to Osama Bin Laden are going after "South Park" today. Are they threatening to kill the show`s creators?
Kelly Clarkson`s cigarette controversy. The incredible outrage today at Kelly for her shocking new connection to cigarettes.
Plus, more stories breaking in 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 coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today. A great debate - is Kate a winner or a loser?
HAMMER: Yes. Think about this. Now, Kate Gosselin was booted from "Dancing with the Stars" last night, but even Kate admitted she knew it was coming.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: My gut feelings are always right and it`s OK. I had the opportunity. I`m very, very honored to have been here. I love everyone that I met. It was a great experience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Look how humble. Well, a great big debate broke out today over whether or not Kate`s losing on "Dancing with the Stars" actually makes Kate a big winner.
Right now from Hollywood, Rachel Zalis, who is a contributing editor for "Life and Style Weekly." Also from Hollywood, Lauren Sanchez who is a correspondent for "Extra."
So as you just witnessed for yourself, Kate`s elimination from "Dancing with the Stars" made her really emotional, the tissues and the tears were flowing. She lost the competition.
But Rachel, to you first. I think Kate`s losing the competition actually makes her a big winner because it really did, in so many ways, do wonders for her image. What about you?
RACHEL ZALIS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": Absolutely not. She is a huge loser. You cannot deny the fact that in the last month, the press and feedback has been all negative. You open any magazine, any cover and it`s, "She`s a diva. She`s a train wreck. She`s a bad mother."
And truthfully, A.J., it has affected her book sales. Her last two have been "New York Times" bestsellers. And this one - she promoted relentlessly and it`s 332 on Amazon. So it is affecting her in a very negative way and she`s a big loser.
HAMMER: All right. Rachel has the research to back it up. Lauren, what do you think? And she said "huge loser." Do you agree there?
LAUREN SANCHEZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I completely disagree. I think she`s a huge winner. I`ve actually been covering "Dancing with the Stars." So I have been with Kate. She is one of the sweetest women I have ever met.
She really cares about her kids and what she does. And she`s going through a lot. And you know, the ladies on "The View" just attacked her saying that she can`t dance. She wasn`t trying.
You know what? She`s got eight kids. She`s a single mother. And she showed emotion and she showed her true self. I think she`s a huge winner. I think her career is only going to go upwards. She has a new reality show coming up and her book - it`s still selling. It`s not doing that bad.
HAMMER: All right. Lauren, I`m with you. I think there are a lot of reasons why Kate is such a winner for losing on "Dancing with the Stars." We actually put together a little checklist for you.
Brooke Anderson, can you run down some of this checklist for us?
ANDERSON: I would be happy to, A.J. Let`s face it, Kate has been juggling a whole lot of things besides getting her feet to cooperate with her on the dance floor.
Her ex-husband, Jon Gosselin, launched a brand-new custody battle with her just as she kicked off her stint on "Dancing." But she managed to continue surviving on the show week after week, judge after judge, slamming her performance.
And I really think she became the patron saint of working moms everywhere. In fact, I, too, was right there on the set -
SANCHEZ: I agree.
ANDERSON: Of "Dancing with the Stars" the night before Kate was eliminated. And Kate told me how she managed to keep the focus on the dancing not on the three-ring circus that has become her life. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: I was able to smile and have fun.
DOVOLANI: She was present.
K. GOSSELIN: I don`t blank out. And I`m coming out to say, yes, I want to show my work which is where he wanted me to be. And so I`m here and it seems like, you know - I am. And by the way, I am using the frustration. I am using my determination. I want my kids to be proud.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You know, I think she`s got even more fans now after she did "Dancing with the Stars" than she did before. But, Rachel, I think you`re going to try to convince me otherwise, aren`t you?
ZALIS: But the thing is, Brooke, I don`t really agree with what you are saying about her performance on the show because it wasn`t about the bad dancing. I think if any mother, you know, went back to a job and performed the way she did, they would get fired after the first day.
It wasn`t the bad dancing. It was the lack of effort. She looked like she was in pain most of the time, that she would rather be having dinner with Kate Major and Hailey Glassman instead of being on that dance floor. So I don`t think that -
(CROSSTALK)
ZALIS: I don`t think - I think the perception is going to be very, very different.
SANCHEZ: Sorry for interrupting.
HAMMER: All right. Listen -
SANCHEZ: I want to interrupt -
HAMMER: OK, go ahead.
SANCHEZ: Go ahead. Well, you know, this is my thing. She wasn`t in pain. It wasn`t that she was dancing bad. She doesn`t know how to dance. She was literally doing the best she could and it had nothing to do with, was she not giving it enough time? Or was she spending too much time with her kids, not enough time? She doesn`t know how to dance, that`s the whole point of the show.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SANCHEZ: And you have people on there that really can dance, that have been dancing all their lives. So there is a huge comparison. But I`m telling you she was trying her hardest.
ZALIS: But there are some people in the past who haven`t had dance skills that enjoyed the process.
ANDERSON: She was - yes, I totally agree with you, Lauren. Rachel, she was completely - she was completely out of her element. It was not natural for her. She obviously was not comfortable with it. But she was doing the best she could. And you know, I talked to her Monday night and I said, "Hey, this time, at least you were smiling during the dance."
But that did not come easy for her. She really, really had to give it some effort. You know, she was completely out of her element. And like Lauren said, she was doing the best she could.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, I think Rachel is going to be thrilled to know. We did some deep digging today. There are still some Kate haters out there, Rachel. Don`t worry about it. There are some people -
ZALIS: I`m not a hater.
HAMMER: There are some people - well, I don`t know about that. But there are some people who say Kate actually even damaged her image further because she was on "Dancing with the Stars."
I have yet another checklist. Let`s run down some of these reasons why people still love to hate Kate and think she`s a loser. Now, there are the diva reports that were floating around, of course, the negative headlines - Rachel, you mentioned those.
There are a lot of people who were absolutely convinced Kate is addicted to fame. And just like she may have gained more fans, hey, look, there are some who think that Kate gained a bunch more haters this time around.
Now, Lauren, you are with me. You don`t see her as a loser. But really, when I run down all of those negative items about Kate that came out, does hearing all that evidence change your mind at all?
SANCHEZ: No, not at all. I`ve seen her. I`ve met her. And you have to realize people have to sell magazines. If they say she`s just great and she`s a princess, it doesn`t sell magazines, as much as like saying, oh, she`s a diva and she`s evil and she`s not around her kids.
She`s really not that person. I have talked to her numerous nights. She is a genuine sweet girl. And she loves her kids and she`s working hard. And to say she`s addicted to fame - come on, you could say that about anyone who is on TV.
She`s trying to support her children. She is a single mother. Her ex-husband, by the way, not really working. She`s doing the best she can and there`s nothing you can say that will change my mind.
HAMMER: Yes.
SANCHEZ: I know people love to hate her, but she`s a great woman.
HAMMER: And I don`t disagree with you. But on the addicted to fame thing, I mean, certainly, we have seen evidence of that before. She got a little taste of it and she really just wanted to be on TV.
And she also - you know, I admit she realized this is probably an easier, better way to earn a lot more money to support my family. But there was a lot of drama created by Kate on the set of "Dancing with the Stars." We can`t deny that.
And the show definitely capitalized on the fact her partner, Tony, almost quit on her at the very beginning, right?
ZALIS: Quit -
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the set of "Dancing with the Stars" last night just after Kate was blown off the show. Kate did freely admit to us that she was a handful. Watch what she said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. GOSSELIN: I was a lot to deal with. And -
DOVOLANI: I wouldn`t say that. I mean, considering everything that was going on in her life, I thought she still gave me more than I could ever ask from her. Because most people would have crawled in a corner and just cried themselves, you know, to sleep.
And this woman still stood up, dusted herself off time and time again, every day and came to rehearsal and gave me the best that she could at the time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Rachel, I`m seeing an evolved woman there. She admits she wasn`t so easy to be with. I`m thinking, you know, her actually admitting that - you`ve got to admit you have a problem, right? Her admitting that is actually a good thing and we can squarely put that one in the winner`s column. Can you?
ZALIS: Yes.
HAMMER: Oh.
ZALIS: I think we can definitely put that in the winner`s column. Check one for Kate. She actually had some self-awareness, which is good.
HAMMER: All right. Hey, look. At the end of the day, I think she did evolve as I said. I think we are seeing a softer side of Kate. I guess the question is, moving forward with her TV show, will people want to see her without all of the drama? It`s certainly a wait and see situation.
And Lauren Sanchez, Rachel Zalis, I do appreciate you both participating in this great Kate debate.
All right. I want to hear from you about all this stuff. Are you glad Kate is off "Dancing with the Stars?" Do you think she`s a big winner or is she a big loser now?
Here`s what you need to do. Get your camcorder, your webcam. You`ve got a cell phone cam - whatever it is. Make us a 30-second video for a SHOWBIZ iReport. All you have to do is head to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to send us your iReport so we can put it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Right now, it`s official - SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is declaring a day of absolute outrage. Outrage over Kelly Clarkson and her controversial new connection to cigarettes. A lot of people fired up.
Plus, shocking "South Park" death threats? Why a group of radicals with ties to Osama Bin Laden are outraged over "South Park."
And outrage over Dina Lohan and the incredible things she just said about her daughter Lindsay in a brand-new interview. Does Dina deserve to get a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Slammy Award? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." It`s more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Rihanna`s rib examined in Swiss hospital, rep says Rihanna is fine, tour going strong. Proctor and Gamble signs $25 million ad deal with Oprah`s new "OWN" network.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Heather Locklear has been arrested and cited for a hit-and-run car accident. Ventura County, California cops say a BMW registered to Locklear crashed into a "no parking" sign Saturday. I`m thinking "no parking" also probably means "no crashing."
Heather`s rep did tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that it`s still not clear who was driving the Beemer. Locklear has to now appear in court on May 17th. She`s still on probation after pleading no contest to a 2008 DUI charge.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: A.J., Kelly Clarkson in a smoking hot controversy today on this, a day of outrage. Is the former "American Idol" pushing a cigarette campaign with her tour?
And in more big news just in on this day of outrage, a frightening threat today against "South Park" from radicals who support Osama Bin Laden. It`s all because "South Park" dared to spoof the prophet Mohammed again, but this time in a bear suit.
Right now, in New York is Ben Widdicombe who is a celebrity journalist. Also in New York, entertainment reporter Michelle Fizer.
Ben, Michelle, I want to begin with Kelly Clarkson. First, take a look at this giant billboard in the middle of Jakarta, Indonesia promoting a Kelly Clarkson concert. Take a look at that huge logo for a big Indonesian cigarette company. It`s called "L.A. Lights."
Well, today, anti-smoking activists were outraged about this. And in Kelly`s defense, Kelly did not even know these ads were going up. And I want to add that the same thing happened to Alicia Keyes a couple years ago and then she demanded that they be pulled.
So Ben, I think Kelly should do the same thing, get those ads pulled. What about you?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Well, I`m pretty sure that after this controversy, Kelly`s people won`t let any tobacco sponsors promote her future concerts.
But I think that when American celebrities want to do business with foreign countries, and by doing this, I mean, take their money, they have to accept that different countries have different values.
And you can`t criticize Indonesia for not being, say, California on an issue like smoking. So I think it is unfair to criticize Kelly about it.
ANDERSON: Yes.
WIDDICOMBE: But also, I think these criticisms are a bit, dare I say, cultural imperialism.
ANDERSON: Well, Kelly obviously - you know, I believe her when she says she did not know anything about it because artists rarely deal with the minutia of coordinating sponsorships, the tour dates and locations and that sort of thing.
But I agree with you, maybe sit down with her management team going forward to see how they want to proceed.
And A.J., you actually found out that Kelly did post a blog about this today. What did she have to say?
HAMMER: Yes. I was happy to hear that she did speak out about it. Kelly says she had nothing to do with the smoking billboards or sponsorship.
This is what she wrote on her blog this afternoon, "I was not made aware of this and am in no way an advocate or an ambassador for youth smoking. I`m not even a smoker nor have I ever been. I can`t justify penalizing my fans for someone else`s oversight. I refuse to cancel on my fans."
Look, I have no doubt she didn`t plan on this happening. She even called it a lose-lose situation. Michelle, should Kelly just put her foot down about these ads? I mean, it is her tour after all.
MICHELLE FIZER, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, I totally understand why she doesn`t believe in smoking with a big voice like that. She couldn`t be a big smoker herself. But she has actually the biggest platform if she goes on in front of her fans and say, "Hey, smoking is bad."
She has the platform to tell people what she thinks about smoking and she could just smoke her sponsors, basically. I wouldn`t want her to roll out on her fans anyway. She should perform.
ANDERSON: Yes. But maybe find middle ground. Maybe find a replacement sponsor. All right. I`ve got to move on now on this day of outrage to a frightening controversy over a "South Park" episode.
A radical Islamic group that supports Osama Bin Laden just issued a warning and a veiled death threat against the creators of "South Park" after this episode spoofing the Muslim prophet Mohammed in a bear suit. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`ve done this town a huge favor, Mohammed.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hold on a second. Stop. There`s some extremists threatening that if we give Mohammed to the celebrities, they are going to bomb us.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s just a stupid threat. Come on, we don`t want to piss off Tom Cruise again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. The radical Islamic group reportedly called South Park creators, Matt Stone and Trey Parker stupid saying they will probably end up dead.
Ben, this was part of an episode that also offended every major star in Hollywood, a lot of major religions. Isn`t this what "South Park" does?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, it`s all fun and games until somebody loses their life. I mean, I think a reasonable person might have hoped they wouldn`t have picked this particular fight. But at the end of the day, you have to defend their right to express their opinion because satire is an important cultural value. So at the end of the day it`s what they do. So I think they`ve got to keep doing it.
ANDERSON: Yes. And they should not take these threats lightly. It is very, very frightening. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Comedy Central today but they had no comment.
All right. More outrage today. I want to move on to the big slam on Lindsay`s mom, Dina. She just spoke out to "Radar Online" today about all those reports that Lindsay is broke and partying way too hard. Take a look at what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
D. LOHAN: Lindsay will spend money, but she has people that run what she does. Lindsay doesn`t really pay her bills; someone else does. Lindsay isn`t in charge of her finances; other people are. I`m not going to talk, obviously, about any personal issues.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wait a second, Dina. I`m a little bit confused. You just said, "I`m not going to talk about any personal issues" at the end of an interview in which you talked about Lindsay`s personal issues. Michelle, is this just nuts?
FIZER: It`s nuts. She`s totally enabling her daughter. But you know, Lindsay is 23 years old. She is - she is a grown woman and it`s high time she start taking care of her business. You know, if it has to do with the mom managery(ph) with the - of the celebrity, it happens and it works.
Look at Beyonce and her mother, Tina. Look at Brandy and her mother, Sonja Norwood. I mean, it absolutely can work and I think that they need to get Lindsay in some treatment, rehab or, you know, straight to prison.
What about Downey, Jr. - Robert Downey, Jr.? I mean, who knew he would go straight to the bottom and then he`s right on top again with "Iron Man?"
ANDERSON: Right.
FIZER: So, it can happen.
ANDERSON: Yes, he is. He definitely redeemed himself. Well, Dina is getting slammed for this today and that`s why we`re saying that, Dina, you are the newest recipient and you certainly deserve the distinguished new SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Slammy Award. Congratulations.
All right. Ben Widdicombe, Michelle Fizer, thank you both.
HAMMER: All right. As we move on, Heidi Montag sure has changed a heck of a lot lately. Can you say 10 plastic surgeries in one day? Heidi`s big decision today. You won`t believe what she`s changed now. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: NBC`s "Parenthood" ratings on the rise, 7.2 million tuned in Tuesday. 13.5 million viewers helped make Fox`s "Glee" the top rated TV show on Tuesday.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Heidi Montag sure has changed a lot lately, her face, her breasts - 10 surgeries in one day. And now, Heidi is making another change. It`s a change of heart.
Yes, the star of MTV`s "The Hills" has reportedly decided not to move forward with a sexual harassment lawsuit against "The Hills" creator, Adam DiVello.
Now, Heidi claims DiVello touched her inappropriately during a cast photo shoot last month. Heidi`s husband, Spencer - well, he backed up Heidi`s sex assault claims. And now, he`s apparently backing her once again with this decision to drop are the lawsuit.
Of course, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Speidi and MTV, but we did not hear back from them as of show time.
ANDERSON: OK. A sexual harassment case against magician David Copperfield disappears. And wait until you hear Melanie Griffith`s shocking new drug confession. It is all happening right now in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): David Copperfield`s great escape. A model who accused the magician of sexually assaulting her has just dropped her lawsuit against him. Lacey Caroll had claimed Copperfield molested her on his private island in the Bahamas three years ago.
But prosecutors decided there was no case. She dropped her lawsuit after a judge told her she would have to testify about the attack under oath. The woman has been previously charged with making false sexual assault claims against another man.
They mugged Kumar. Kal Penn, star of the "Harold and Kumar" movies, just got mugged in Washington. Penn, who has been working for the White House, was robbed at gun point. Possible bad news for the mugger. TMZ reports that Secret Service is now on the case because one of the two cell phones stolen from Penn is government property.
Melanie Griffith`s addiction confession and it`s a good confession. In brand new interviews, Griffith is revealing she now has a handle on the substance abuse issues that have haunted her for more than 30 years.
She calls addiction a monster, saying, quote, "If I feed it, it will always want more and more. So now, I`m letting it starve to death in a corner."
HAMMER: All right. So on Tuesday, we asked you to vote in our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll. Thank you, Jay. Right now, I have just been handed the incredible final results. Here was the question, "`Dancing with the Stars`: Are you surprised Kate Gosselin lasted this long?" Look at these results, really one-sided. Eighty-seven percent of you say yes; 13 percent of you say no.
A lot of E-mails came in, too. Here`s one from Linda in California who is glad Kate got the boot, "I`m glad Kate went home. She can`t dance."
Caitlin from Texas says Kate now has time to focus on bigger, more pressing issues, "Now that Kate has been voted off, she can focus on her custody battle with Jon."
It was a valiant effort on Kate`s part. I think she got to hang in there a couple of extra weeks, Brooke. But congratulations to her for making it that far.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: Thanks for watching. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And don`t forget, we`re still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
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