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Showbiz Tonight
Judgment Day for Lindsay Lohan; Claims of Fergie Fraud; Brand-New Jesse James Confession; Bret Michaels Wins "Celebrity Apprentice"; Brittany Murphy`s Husband is Dead
Aired May 24, 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 - judgment day for Lindsay Lohan. In court, Lindsay hears it from the judge today and it wasn`t pretty.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You`re not allowed to drink any alcoholic beverage. (INAUDIBLE) upon court`s order.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, Lindsay`s very first interview since the judge issued a warrant for her arrest while she was in Cannes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I wasn`t partying in Cannes. I was there for work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST (on camera): I`m Brooke Anderson right outside the Beverly courthouse where SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on top of all the breaking Lindsay developments today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wild claims today of Fergie fraud. The explosive secret tape revealed today of the former Duchess of York allegedly getting paid for secret royal access.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH FERGUSON, FORMER DUCHESS OF YORK: Five hundred thousand pounds, when you can, to me - open doors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jesse James, brand-new catch-me-if-you-can confession today about cheating on Sandra Bullock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE JAMES, HUSBAND OF SANDRA BULLOCK: I knew I would get caught eventually, and I think I wanted to get caught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - judgment day for Lindsay Lohan.
I was right there today at the Beverly Hills courthouse where the party queen of Cannes finally decided to grace the law with her presence. Well, sorry, Lindsay, as the song goes, you fought the law and the law won.
After dodging justice in high heels at parties in France, Lindsay Lohan finally showed up in court today after missing a date last week because a dog ate her passport or something like that.
The judge in the case, who I`m sure did not appreciate putting off her vacation to deal with this, laid down the law to Lindsay today. And boy, is Lindsay`s life going to change. And wait until you see the remarkable brand new interview that Lindsay - was just released today by Hollywood TV with Lindsay because we may just have to pull out the Showbiz Lie Detector.
HAMMER: Well, once again, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has assembled a truly all-star cast to get us through all this insanity. Right now, with me, in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, the host, of course, of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ- MITCHELL" right here on HLN. In Hollywood is Shaun Robinson, who is a weekend co-host and correspondent for "Access Hollywood."
I`m not going to lie. We could not wait for the showdown today between the judge in Lindsay`s case and Lindsay`s attorney. And I`ve got to say, it`s pretty clear to me the judge won on all fronts.
Listen to this. The judge ordered Lindsay not to drink alcohol. Ordered Lindsay to wear a so-called SCRAM bracelet that will defect if she is drinking. And Lindsay now has to undergo random drug testing.
Jane, it was pretty clear to me watching this judge today, she was having none of Lindsay`s nonsense anymore.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUE WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": I love this judge so much, I think she should have her own TV show called "Tough Justice." She laid down the law and you could almost see the smoke coming out of this judge`s ears because she had to postpone her own vacation today because of Lindsay`s irresponsibility.
And despite all that, Lindsay saunters in several minutes late. That is thumbing your nose at the court. And this woman laid down the law and said, "No, you`re not going to be able to get away with not wearing the ankle bracelet. And no, you`re not going to be able to go to Texas. You`ve got consequences for your irresponsibility and your inconsideration."
And you could see Lindsay`s face. She was just shocked at - "Oh, my God, I`m finally having to pay for something I did?"
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: It`s like she`s never experienced that before.
HAMMER: Yes. She kind of looked like, "Really? Is this really happening to me?"
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. Exactly.
HAMMER: Well, the judge did make a lot of things perfectly clear today. Lindsay is going to have to wear the so-called SCRAM bracelet, as I mentioned, and that automatically detects if she even touches alcohol.
Now, Lindsay`s attorney made I thought was a really bold move and actually asked the judge to scratch that from the condition of Lindsay`s bail saying that she wanted to make the change for the sake of Lindsay`s fading acting career. Take a look at this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Lohan has a number of upcoming photo shoots as well as continuing to film a movie in Texas. The SCRAM device would interfere with all of that work. Ms. Lohan is not, however, trying to get out of being monitored by the court with respect to alcohol or drugs.
For that reason, our alternative suggestion is that she be random- tested for drugs and alcohol - for drugs and alcohol - in the manner the court sets forth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, cry me a river. She`s got photo shoots. Now, I get the fact Lindsay`s trying to get her career back on track, and that actually is a good thing. But Shaun, I don`t think today was the day for any attorney to be asking for special favors from this judge.
SHAUN ROBINSON, CORRESPONDENT, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": No, no. You are so right, A.J. And you know what, A.J.? I don`t drink, but it sure must be so good because it took all this to get this girl back in court, OK?
You know, we reported that Lindsay was like, you know, 11 minutes late to court. She`s actually four days and 11 minutes late to court. I mean, the judge - like Jane said, she postponed her vacation.
And how much do you want to bet? She probably will get her own judge show after all of this, because she was - Lindsay was thumbing her nose at the court.
HAMMER: Yes.
ROBINSON: And it took all this to get her in? The last thing you want to do is to say, "You know what? I`m a celebrity. I have a photo shoot. Can I not wear that ankle bracelet?" Oh, I`m surprised she didn`t give her two ankle bracelets after that.
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, let me get your take, from somebody who`s right there at the court this morning with Lindsay showing up late. I mean, I was thinking when this was going on and we started getting the note, "She`s not here yet. She`s not here yet." If it were me, I would have been there like an hour or two early.
ANDERSON: Oh, at least, A.J. I could not believe as the time was ticking away. She`s not here yet. She`s not here yet. What is she thinking? And I`ve got to tell you, the traffic was light. A path had been cleared for her in front of the courthouse.
And it was an area roped off so she could enter very easily, not really have to deal or face the photographers, you know, up close. So it was extremely easy for her - no excuses. The only thing was, she was showing disrespect to the judge, who sat there on the bench in the courtroom silently waiting for Lindsay to walk in that door.
I will say this, though, A.J., at least she wasn`t nearly two hours late like she was for a hearing in October. And at least she showed up, which is more than we can say for her hearing last week.
So that`s an improvement. But I do think she needs to invest maybe in another alarm clock or two for that July 6th hearing because it`s getting beyond ridiculous.
HAMMER: Yes. She was only 10 minutes late. She`s rebounding. All right. Things are looking up for Lindsay. But among the many priceless moments at this court hearing today, there`s one that just takes the cake for me. It`s the excuse that Lindsay`s attorney made in court on behalf of Lindsay as to why she missed her last alcohol education class. Watch this.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ms. Lohan`s uncle, her mother`s bother, died last week and that was the reason that she missed the session.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, you`re going into it now. Did she go to the funeral? I`m sorry? Did she go to the funeral?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She did not.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean - what do you think, Jane? That`s unbelievable. The attorney looked as dumbfounded as the judge when she gave that answer.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This poor attorney for Lindsay Lohan - she`s got a tough job and she did her best. I think Lindsay is so used to being surrounded by this entourage of enablers that basically nod yes no matter what nonsense comes out of her mouth that she`s kind of gotten used to people just buying anything she says.
And so it`s very stunning to her when she makes a completely lame, ridiculous excuse and somebody like a judge doesn`t buy it. She`s like, what`s going on here? This isn`t what I - this isn`t in my contract.
ROBINSON: Yes. It`s almost like she was saying, "You know, I was very upset when he died but I didn`t go to the funeral because we weren`t that close." I mean, it was just ridiculous. It was a ridiculous thing to say.
HAMMER: Yes.
ROBINSON: And I also suggest that, Lindsay - next time she goes to court, invest in a few tops that come up a little bit higher. The last thing you want -
HAMMER: Holy molly! Did you see that?
ROBINSON: Are your girls hanging out when you`re in front of the judge.
HAMMER: Look at this. Look at this. This is unbelievable.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes.
HAMMER: Oh, not a really good move. Now -
ROBINSON: That`s a turtle neck as far as Lindsay is concerned.
HAMMER: Lindsay was obviously not speaking other than to her attorney today in court. But we did get a first look today at the very first interview that Lindsay has given since returning from Cannes. She tells "Hollywood.tv" she doesn`t think she`s going to prison because she doesn`t have a drug problem. Let`s look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you still taking drugs?
LOHAN: No. No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you scared you will go to prison?
LOHAN: I don`t see what reason I would go to prison for. I`ve been more than in compliance with everything having to do with the court system. I`ve been up to par and I would be done in two weeks and three days.
Two weeks and four - actually, four days because I missed one class which I had spoken to the people at RideOn programs about because my uncle passed away. And I stayed in New York, you know, to be with my family. I didn`t even go to the funeral because I came back and went to another class.
So I don`t see why I have to go to prison. The only person that`s ever suggested anything like that is my father.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Quickly, Shaun, Lindsay, obviously, has a perfect track record of failing when it comes to getting her act together. Do you think anything is going to be different this time around?
ROBINSON: Well, let`s hope so. If not, maybe some jail time might actually turn her around. And I don`t doubt that that might come down the line pretty soon.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, we`ll be watching. And if you think the whole Lindsay Lohan story is just outrageous, you`ve got to get a load of this. Big news breaking today about a simply outrageous plan involving the former Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson. Fergie plotting an elaborate mega-moneymaking scheme to sell exclusive access to her ex, Prince Andrew. It`s all caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGUSON: 500,000 pounds when you can, to me - open doors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, this is just incredible. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Shaun Robinson, thank you both. And stay right where you are.
ANDERSON: Paula and Simon back together again? Just in today - is Paula Abdul returning to "American Idol?" Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just got in brand-new details about Paula`s next big career move.
Jesse James` sensational new confession. Sandra Bullock`s cheating husband admitting today he wanted to get caught.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You had the perfect life. You had the perfect wife. Why did you throw it away?
JAMES: It was me trying to self-sabotage my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Britney Spears now has more people following her on Twitter than Ashton Kutcher. Dolly Parton dedicates "I Will Always Love You" to Oprah.
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DOLLY PARTON, COUNTRY SINGER: I just wanted them to help me sing this to you when I say that I hope life treats you kind. And I hope you have all you`ve ever dreamed of.
OPRAH WINFREY, HOST, "THE OPRAH WINFREY SHOW": I`m going to cry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, Ashton Kutcher with a baby bombshell sharing it with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Plus, is Paula Abdul coming back to "American Idol?" Well, here`s what`s happening right now in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Paula Abdul`s surprising return. The dissed "American Idol" judge could be coming back for the gigantic season nine finale on Wednesday. It`s Simon Cowell`s very last show. And "People" magazine reports Paula is on board for a huge Simon sendoff. Simon is ditching "Idol" to begin his own TV talent show, "X Factor," in 2011. And now, Paula has got her own show, too. It`s called "Got to Dance."
Three years of "Glee." The monster hit musical TV show isn`t even finished with its first season, but it`s already being renewed. The show has been such a massive phenomenon that Fox has just made the unbelievable announcement that it`s keeping the show for the next season and the season after that.
Ashton Kutcher`s baby talk backtrack. Ashton recently suggested he and his 47-year-old wife, Demi Moore, may be thinking about having a child. But while promoting his new movie, "Killers," Ashton told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there are no baby plans for now.
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: When I was 25, I was like, I could have instantly have three kids. So in the seven years I`ve been with my wife, we`ve never really had time where it was just the two of us. So that might be nice for just a little while.
HAMMER: Kutcher and Demi Moore have been married since 2005.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. So no surprises from Ashton and Demi for now. But Paula Abdul could soon make a surprise return to "American Idol."
Joining me tonight in Hollywood is Terri Seymour who is a correspondent for "Extra."
Now, Terri, Paula Abdul hasn`t returned to "Idol" since her controversial decision to leave the show after last season. We are hearing today though that Paula could show up as part of a special sendoff to Simon Cowell for his last appearance on the "Idol" stage.
Terri, I`m thinking a lot of people are going to be tuning in to "Idol`s" finale just to see Paula. What do you think?
TERRI SEYMOUR, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I think there is a very, very, very strong chance that Paula could show up. I mean, who - think about it, who would Simon prefer to have on his very last "Idol" show?
So I think lots of people - yes - will be tuning in to see the two of them together again. And I think, for Simon, it will make the night all the more special.
ANDERSON: Yes. And they have such great chemistry. I know a lot of people would be looking forward to seeing them together again even if it were just for one episode of "American Idol."
We`ve got to move on now to another Paula story making big news today. Paula getting ready to launch a new reality show. It`s called "Got to Dance." Now, she would be the main judge, executive producer and act as a mentor for the contestants.
I really think it`s great that Paula is kind of returning to her roots, returning to what she does best and that`s dance. Terri, everybody`s been waiting to see what Paula would do after "Idol." Now, we know. Do you think she waited too long, though? Or is the timing just right for her return to the spotlight?
SEYMOUR: I don`t think she waited so long, because if you remember the last time we spoke, I said, you know, Paula had a number of offers. And she was just juggling, you know, what would be right for her.
And I mean, she`s go so many titles on the show. She`s a mentor. She`s the head judge. She`s a creative partner. She`s the executive producer. You know, she`s really, like, fully all-hands-on-deck. And I think this is - this is what - you know, she`s made her decision. This is what she wants to do next.
ANDERSON: It sounds like a terrific opportunity for her. Could be a big hit. And you know, ever since Paula left "Idol," there have been tons of talk about Paula and Simon working together in the future.
Now, with Paula gearing up to launch her new show, Simon working on his new show, the "X Factor," Terri, what do you think the chances are of them working together again at this point?
SEYMOUR: Well, now that she`s doing "Got to Dance," she`s obviously not going to be doing the "X Factor." But I wouldn`t rule them out working together in the future. You know, Paula adores Simon and Simon loves Paula. So I think at some point, they will definitely, 100 percent, do something else together again.
ANDERSON: Yes. Seems like they have a mutual admiration. Terri Seymour, always good to see you. Thanks.
HAMMER: Well, Bret Michaels continues to stare down tragedy and beat his life-or-death battles. But was he risking it al by showing up to the "Celebrity Apprentice" finale?
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DONALD TRUMP, HOST, "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE": Bret, I have to tell you - you`re hired.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there with Bret just moments after his amazing "Celebrity Apprentice" win. Is it time for Bret to take a break?
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BRET MICHAELS, SINGER AND "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE" WINNER: When I won that, I couldn`t help but pound the table and jump up and down. And it was the best feeling in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There is a bizarre twist today involving the death of actress Brittany Murphy - her husband found dead more than five months after she died.
Fergie`s shady deal? This is nuts. The Duchess of York caught on tape, trying to cut a deal for exclusive access to the royal family. It is just so sad. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Miss America Organization confirms pageant will air on ABC through 2013. Janet Jackson shows off sleek, new hairdo while in London.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The most important part of your life was the time that you spent with these people.
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HAMMER: Just in today, 13.5 million people tuned in to watch the last "Lost," the series finale on ABC. It was the top rated show on Sunday night.
I`m a huge "Lost" fan. I really thought the series finale was excellent. Last night, it was the battle of the series finale. You had "Lost" up against the season finale of "Celebrity Apprentice." I was absolutely thrilled seeing Bret Michaels winning after all he`s been through, especially.
And as great as Bret`s emotional win was, more people did tune in to watch "Lost." And a lot of those people watching "Lost" happen to be big fans of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We`ve got so many SHOWBIZ iReports today, a lot of fans who could not wait to share their "Lost" finale thoughts with us. And we are playing a few of those for you in just a bit.
ANDERSON: There`s a new member on team Sandra Bullock. Former "Grey`s Anatomy" star, Katherine Heigl, was never one to mince words. And today, she is taking on people who criticized Sandra`s decision to adopt her new baby boy, Louis.
You may remember that Sandra caught some heat for adopting an African- American baby. Well, Katherine tells us all those critics are out of line. Heigl is also a mother. She adopted her baby girl from Korea nearly a year ago.
Now, Heigl is going to bat for Sandra slamming all those critics who questioned their motives for adopting. Watch Heigl`s fired-up reaction to the controversy when we caught up with her while she was out promoting her new film, "Killers."
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KATHERINE HEIGL, ACTRESS: I don`t want people to refer to my daughter as my adopted daughter, Naleigh. She`s my daughter. She`s mine. And I`m hers forever and forever. And this isn`t like - it`s not, you know - it`s not like - it`s not a pair of shoes or, you know, a car you`re getting from another country and people think you should buy American and all of this nonsense.
It`s a child without a family and without a home. And if you can provide that, and you want to provide that and you have love in your heart for another being in this world, please tell me what could possibly be wrong with that. And those criticizing, I would love to know what you`ve done lately.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Moving on now to the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the bottom of the hour.
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JAMES: I knew I would get caught eventually. And I think I wanted to get caught.
HAMMER: Jesse James making a shocking confession today about cheating on Sandra Bullock. He wanted to sabotage his marriage. Unbelievable.
Bret Michaels is one tough dude. He won "Celebrity Apprentice," but was he risking his life?
Plus, why in the world would Sarah Ferguson, of all people, try to sell access to the royal family. The shocking scam is all caught on tape today. 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: Sean Hayes set to host 64th Tony Awards June 13th. R.E.M. spending the summer working on their new album.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Fergie fraud? The Duchess of York caught on tape today allegedly getting a whole bunch of cash for access to the British royal family.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGUSON: 500,000 pounds when you can, to me - open doors.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brett Michaels, risking death? He wins "Celebrity Apprentice" but shows up at the finale against doctor`s advice. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks Bret today, why did he gamble on his life?
And Jesse`s shocking admission. Sandra Bullock`s cheating husband wanted to get caught?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You had the perfect life. You had the perfect wife. Why did you throw it away?
JAMES: It was me trying to self-sabotage my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, more stories breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." Will Carol Burnett host "SNL?" And is MacGruber an explosive success or a big bomb?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 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 - Fergie`s fraud. It`s the astounding fallout today after the caught-on-tape shocker that is rocking the British royal family and the world.
HAMMER: This is unbelievable, Brooke. The Duchess of York, Sarah Ferguson, appearing to ask for more than $700,000 from a wealthy businessman in exchange for meeting her ex-husband, Prince Andrew - you know, fourth in line to the British throne. Yes, that`s Prince Andrew.
Well, that wealthy businessman actually turned out to be an undercover reporter for Britain`s "News of the World." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT bringing you the remarkable brand-new details today about Sarah`s shame and sordid plot.
Right now in Hollywood, June Sarpong - she is an entertainment journalist. In New York, Ben Widdicombe - he is a celebrity journalist.
This story bums me out, guys. I`ve spent time interviewing Fergie over the years. I always really, really liked her.
And now, to hear that she was apparently making the shady deal to sell access to Prince Andrew, this is really shocking. The prince is also a trade representative to England. It`s not just what Fergie says, but what she does, too. You`ve got to watch this.
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FERGUSON: Next. On to the next thing. 500,000 pounds, when you can, to me - open doors.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It would be Prince Andrew?
FERGUSON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is that a deal?
FERGUSON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But I`ve got to give you $40,000?
FERGUSON: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Which I`ve got now as a deposit. Which is in my safe. But how am I going to give it to you? I have got a bag, can`t put it in a bag, can we?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. I`ve got to tell you, I didn`t even want to believe this was true after seeing the video. Ben, were you as stunned as I was?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: I was completely shocked. Like you, I`ve had the chance to meet the Duchess of York over the years, and she seemed so charming in person.
She`s in about as much as trouble as she could possibly be at this point. As a subject of Her Majesty herself, I can tell you, you don`t want to mess with that queen because she will cut a wench.
And to the British, the royal family are as sacred as apple pie and motherhood are to the Americans. She is in hot water here and I really think that she`s going to be biggest villain in the country right now.
HAMMER: And Ben, I appreciate you editing your language there. I don`t think "wench" was the word you wanted to use. But what everybody wants to know today is how in the world Sarah Ferguson could be part of what appears to be a plot to sell royal access for some $700,000?
Sarah says that after her divorce from Prince Andrew in 1996, she only got about $20,000 a year. But then, Fergie moved to America. She seemed to be living the American dream. She became a spokesperson for Weight Watchers. She launched her own media company. So Brooke Anderson, what the heck happened?
ANDERSON: Yes. Here`s what happened, A.J. She ended her Weight Watchers deal a couple years ago. And her private company went belly up, reportedly leaving Fergie $1 million dollars in debt, which leads us to her pitiful plot caught on tape by "News of the World" trying to get hooked up by using her ex-husband`s connections. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s nothing to do with him because I know he`s very active in the Middle East. He`s been doing lots of - he was in Abu Dhabi - Bahrain. Bahrain.
FERGUSON: No, no. He is - he is - he`s - you know, he can`t work there. He can`t work anywhere because the Prince of England.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, but his job is trade, isn`t it? Isn`t it his job?
FERGUSON: Yes, it is. But he meets the most amazing people. And he just throws them my way.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He throws them your way, fantastic. Well, and you throw them my way.
FERGUSON: Yes. But we - we - I`ve never said that.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: He, June, what buzz are you hearing today about this from the other side of the pond? Are people feeling sorry for Fergie that she had to go to this extreme? Or are people angry at her for this greed?
JUNE SARPONG, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, you know, it`s funny. I think the Americans have been much more sympathetic. Back home, people are furious. They are disgusted.
You know, this isn`t the first time. Obviously, something similar happened with Sophie Wessex. So it seems a lot of the wives get up to (INAUDIBLE) shenanigans. There`s just no excuse. As far as the British people are concerned, the general consensus is, you know, there are a lot of people losing their homes back in the U.K.
There are a lot of people are going through financial problems. They are not committing fraud. You know, Fergie has far more options than your average person, so there`s no excuse - no excuse at all. She`s finished there.
HAMMER: Well, she`s not making excuses, which at least is the one positive thing that I`m seeing through all this as it unfolds. Fergie is not denying any of this. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did obtain a statement from Fergie right after the story exploded.
And here`s what she`s telling us. "I very deeply regret the situation and the embarrassment caused. It is true that my financial situation is under stress. However, that is no excuse for a serious lapse in judgment and I`m very sorry that this has happened."
"I can confirm that the Duke of York was not aware or involved in any of the discussions that occurred. I am sincerely sorry for my actions. The duke has made a significant contribution to his business role over the last 10 years and has always acted with complete integrity."
Fergie has always been such an inspiration at least here in the United States to people through her charity work, working with Weight Watchers.
Ben, she is putting it all out there. She is not making any excuses. Do you think that Fergie is going to get some sympathy because of that?
WIDDICOMBE: No, not really. I mean, she has apologized. She had to apologize unequivocally immediately which is what she did. In my opinion, she has only one out of this situation and that`s the rehab option.
Because if you look at the video, she was drinking red wine in it. Towards the end, to my ear, it sounded like she might have been slurring a little bit. To me, the only way she can possibly rehabilitate is to say, "I was drinking. I`m entering rehab. I apologize." Not a strategy that works as well in the U.K. as it does here, but I think that`s her only option.
HAMMER: OK. And we can`t confirm whether or not she was drinking. And I`m happy to hear you talking about some sort of selling royal favors rehab, you know. That would go to figure given all we`ve seen lately from celebrities at least here in the States.
Now, Fergie does go out of her way in a statement that I just read to you. And even while she`s caught on tape to really stress Prince Andrew - his hands are clean in all of this. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FERGUSON: Yes. And that is the key to him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure.
FERGUSON: Because as long as - if anybody ever, ever, never, ever, ever, ever - he never does accept a penny for anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, of course not. No.
FERGUSON: No, no. He does not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I know.
FERGUSON: He does not and will not and he is completely whiter than white.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sure. He`s a prince, I mean. He doesn`t need to, doesn`t need to. Thank God, at least princes are -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is just stunning, isn`t it? Now, Fergie and Prince Andrew, for everything we knew, had this great relationship. They even lived next door to each other. June, I don`t think that Fergie really ever meant to hurt anyone. She just really seemed desperate here.
SARPONG: Yes.
HAMMER: But that`s not really an excuse.
SARPONG: Yes - no, you can tell, you know, she didn`t want to hurt anybody. She`s a lovely, lovely woman and she was desperate. And apparently, she`s called Prince Andrew many times and he now hasn`t returned her calls.
So it seems that that brilliant relationship they had is probably in a lot of trouble now as well.
HAMMER: Yes.
SARPONG: I mean, I really feel sorry for her actually.
HAMMER: Brooke, let me bring you back in. You and I love a good comeback story. We`ve covered more of them than we can probably count. But do you think she could ever recover from something like this?
ANDERSON: Oh, this is going to be a tough one, A.J. And if she does, this is going to take a lot of time, because nobody is going to be able to forget this. She showed she`s a desperate woman and we are always going to associate her with this awful plot. It`s going to be really hard to forget.
HAMMER: Not the kind of legacy you want to leave. June Sarpong, Ben Widdicombe, we thank you for being here tonight.
ANDERSON: I`ve got to give Bret Michaels credit. He won "Celebrity Apprentice" just after suffering a brain hemorrhage and a stroke. But showing up at the finale was against the doctor`s advice. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the after-party to ask Bret about his big win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELS: When I won that, I couldn`t help but pound the table and jump up and down. And it was the best feeling in the world.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: A big, bizarre showbiz mystery today. Brittany Murphy`s husband found dead just a few months after she died.
And I cannot get over Jesse James` startling admission today. Why Sandra Bullock`s cheating husband says he wanted to ruin his wonderful marriage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I knew I would get caught eventually. And I think I wanted to get caught.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, it`s time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Robert Pattinson, Kristen Stewart, Taylor Lautner to attend "Twilight" convention. "MacGruber" bombs at box office, pulls in $4.1 million, new "Shrek" makes $71 million.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Welcome to the resistance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Resistance?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We fight for freedom and ogres everywhere.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: Holly I have to tell you, we all love you. And Bret, I have to tell you, you`re hired.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Bret Michaels wins "Celebrity Apprentice" after surviving a near- fatal brain hemorrhage. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, right there at "The Apprentice" finale. And we had to ask him, was he scared about pushing himself to soon?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And we will have Bret`s very first reaction after winning "Celebrity Apprentice" in just a moment.
ANDERSON: A.J., it`s clear that Bret Michaels is riding high. But Jesse James - how low can you go? Today, Jesse is a sorry cheater. And we`re getting brand-new details from Sandra Bullock`s cheating husband after he finally admitted to the world that, yes, he messed up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I took a pretty amazing life and amazing success and marriage and everything and kind of, you know, threw it away by my own hand.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Yes, nice going, Jesse. So what was he thinking when he cheated on Sandra Bullock? In an absolutely baffling new revelation, Jesse says he actually wanted to get caught.
Right now, from Hollywood is Kim Serafin who is a senior editor with "In Touch Weekly." Also from Hollywood is Ken Baker who is the chief news correspondent for "E."
Kim, Ken, Jesse James wants to clear the air about a lot of things in this brand-new interview with ABC`s "Night Line." But here`s the thing I wanted to know the most. Jesse, why did you cheat on Sandra Bullock? Take a look at his answer which aired today on "Good Morning America."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: When I was doing it, one, I knew it was horrible. It made me feel horrible. And two, I knew I would get caught eventually. And I think I wanted to get caught, you know. I think it`s - I don`t think I know for a fact now what it was, you know. I mean, it was me trying to self-sabotage my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So to me, it sounds like he was being completely self-serving, trying to sabotage his own life, no concern for Sandra, no concern for the kids. He says he wanted to get caught. Ken, does it make any sense to you?
KEN BAKER, CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT, "E": I sort of have a mixed bag take on this whole thing. I`ll tell you, first of all, you know, how unfortunate is it that this guy finds himself in this position that he did this all to himself.
It`s very sad. I don`t know about you. I watch it and it`s just very pathetic. Now -
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: That being said, I have to say this - he said he knew it was horrible and he felt horrible. Well, what he`s not saying is that he must have enjoyed something because he was doing this apparently with a lot of girls over a long period of time.
So I don`t know if it always felt horrible, so he`s not being totally honest. But I did do some quick research because this whole self-sabotage thing, it turns out - there`s a whole field of psychology that gets into this, why people self sabotage.
Now, we know he spent about a month in rehab. Maybe he underwent some counseling. He`s gotten some buzz words that he`s now using, talking about self-sabotage.
HAMMER: Right.
BAKER: But I think he is just in the beginning of a stage of finding out more about himself why he would do something so self-destructive.
ANDERSON: Yes. And back to his enjoyment, I think we know what he was enjoying about all this. OK. Jesse confirmed to ABC correspondent -
(CROSSTALK)
ANDERSON: Yes. He confirmed to ABC correspondent, Vicky Mabrey, that Sandra definitely moving forward with the divorce. But by the looks of Jesse in this new interview, he is still trying to get past what he did. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I spent my whole life or my whole life with the kids and with her trying to protect her, you know, and protect her from everything. But the most hurt she`s ever been caused is by the person that wanted to protect her.
So it`s really - it`s terrible and she`s going to be hurt for a long time, you know. I don`t know, it`s hard for me to talk about a little bit, because, you know, I still really love her and care about her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Oh, come on. On the surface, all this talk, way too little, way too late. Kim, quickly, though, do you think there`s a chance that Jesse is actually taking steps towards redeeming whatever shred of dignity he does have left, if he does?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Maybe personally, but publicly, this does not seem to be doing the trick. It really does seem like he doesn`t really know what he`s talking about yet. He`s in the beginning stages, like Ken said. He is just repeating stuff that we already know. He feels terrible. Sandra feels terrible.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SERAFIN: He messed up his life and his marriage. You know, it doesn`t seem like he`s figured anything out yet. And it`s not really playing really well on TV.
ANDERSON: Yes. Doesn`t hold a lot of weight with me. All right. I`ve got to move now to another story just in today. Bret Michaels wins "Celebrity Apprentice" after his brush with death.
You know, he survived a life-threatening brain hemorrhage and appendectomy, and just last week, a small stroke. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there to witness Bret`s amazing return and he told us how he`s doing now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHAELS: The doctors advised me not to travel at all. But I`ve got to tell you, I took the blood thinners and stuff for my heart. I feel great. And like I said, I don`t want to make fun, but I started to feel like I had become, like, a lab - a rat boy - a medical experiment of trying to even out everything going on.
And I`ve got to tell you something. I feel - even though I`m beat up, I feel great right now. I`m really happy.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. Ken, very, very quickly, do you think he`s taking too many health risks right now?
BAKER: Well, I`ll say this. If he feels like a lab rat now, if he keeps traveling the country and plans like going on tour in just a few days, he`s going to be in a lot more serious condition than a lab rat.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: He`s got to be really careful. When I saw him limping on that stage last night, I really felt like, you know, this is too much, too soon. He should be at home on satellite. He shouldn`t have been there.
ANDERSON: Yes. He needs not push it too far. Kim Serafin, Ken Baker, thank you both, guys.
HAMMER: This is such a bizarre showbiz mystery today. Brittany Murphy`s husband found dead just a few months after her death. What happened to him?
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Orlando Bloom to play the bad guy in new "Three Musketeers" film. Carol Burnett won`t do "SNL" but says she`d love to guest star on "Glee" or "30 Rock."
ANDERSON: Today, we are on the Hollywood A-list with Russell Brand. He is in this very funny new movie, "Get Him to the Greek" that I was actually into. I did this scene with Russell on the set of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that he seemed to pretty much make up as he went along which he just told me is the same thing he did for the entire movie.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera): I really enjoyed -
RUSSELL BRAND, COMEDIAN: No, really.
ANDERSON: I know - I really enjoyed filming a scene with you and Rose Byrne. It turns out a pivotal scene in the movie.
BRAND: Vital.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BRAND: It`s one of the same that sends me over the edge in the film because of meeting you, because of what you do to me.
ANDERSON: I don`t think you looked at the script. I couldn`t keep a straight face. How do you come up with al that stuff?
BRAND: Just what I do right. It`s like, there`s all words and ideas floating through the world. If you clear your mind, all words and ideas can go into your mind and say them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Two big bizarre and shocking showbiz mysteries today. The widower of Brittany Murphy has died. Simon Monjack was found dead Sunday night in Hollywood. No word right now on exactly what killed the 39-year-old screen writer.
"People.com" does say it may have been a heart attack. "People" also reports that Brittany Murphy`s mom found Monjack`s body. Murphy died in December from a combination of pneumonia, an iron deficiency and multiple drug intoxication. Those drugs were legal.
ANDERSON: A.J., another showbiz mystery making news today, a former producer on the show, "Survivor," whose wife was killed while the couple was on vacation in Mexico. is back in the United States today.
Mexican officials had named the guy, Bruce Beresford-Redman, as a person of interest in his wife`s death. They also told him not to leave the country. But he is back in Los Angeles today which a lot of people are saying is suspicious.
HAMMER: Well, the "Lost" finale ratings are just in. About 13.5 million people watched six seasons come to an end on Sunday. I was a big fan of the show all the way through. It had a remarkable, very talented cast. Great writing. And it`s the type of show that I doubt we`re ever going to see the likes of again.
So many stories, so many plot twists. I thought the finale was terrific, satisfying on "Lost" standards. People are going to be talking about this for a long time.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: She said we were leaving.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, moving on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That clip from the finale and the final scene. You know, people are going to be talking about the finale for months to come - years to come perhaps. A lot of people fired up today with lots of debates online.
We also got a bunch of homemade video today - SHOWBIZ iReports. David in California gave the finale two thumbs up.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID FROM CALIFORNIA: Sad to see it end, but I`m happy that they ended it in a way that honored the magic of the show, the magic of the storytelling. And I think they set the bar pretty high for series television on what should be expected from the series and how it can satisfy an audience.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I totally agree with that. Now, check out this iReport from Jason in Texas. Jason is actually having a hard time letting go.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON FROM TEXAS: I loved it. It was spot-on perfect. Well, not perfect, but it was pretty darn close. It`s going to enrage some people. It`s going to make other people happy. That`s great.
I love that kind of finale. The only thing that I see wrong with this now is that I`m going to have to find something to do on Tuesday nights. And I`m thinking it`s going to involve going outside. That scares me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Brooke, I totally get that, though. This is one of the few shows that I`ve watched through the entire series from the very beginning. I`m going to miss it.
ANDERSON: Wow. Those writers were brilliant. I know you`re going to miss it.
HAMMER: All right. I`m a little sad. I shed a little tear last night, but I will move on. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: We are still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
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