Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Jesse James` Abuse Excuse; Hollywood`s Obsession with Sex; Jesse James` Interview Secrets; Defiant Fergie; Jessica Simpson`s Brand-New Confession
Aired May 26, 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 - Jesse`s abuse excuse. The startling new claim today from Sandra Bullock`s husband on why he cheated on her. He says he was an abused child.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE JAMES, SANDRA BULLOCK`S HUSBAND: It wasn`t so much getting the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) beat out of me or getting my arm broken. I was a terrorized kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But wait. There`s more. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals why Jesse broke his silence to a "Nightline" reporter. She is right here today for the headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Defiant Fergie. The disgraced duchess caught in a fraud scandal out in public today, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there. What`s Fergie saying now?
Jessica Simpson`s brand-new confession today to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I should have never been slammed for being fat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hollywood`s obsession with sex. Our explosive and exclusive SHOWBIZ special report.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming you to from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - Jesse`s abuse excuse.
HAMMER: Yes. At long last, we are learning today Jesse James` excuse for his cheating on Sandra Bullock. He says his father abused him terribly as a child.
Jesse`s first tell-all is fully out today and you will not want to miss it when I go one-on-one with the reporter who finally got Jesse to talk, because we`re going to be learning the amazing secrets behind her explosive interview.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can also now reveal that instead of Jesse James putting his fire out, well, the infamous biker has apparently poured even more gasoline on it.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JAMES: I took a perfect marriage and a perfect wife and a perfect life and stepmother and like threw it away because of my actions.
HAMMER (voice-over): Jesse James covered a lot of ground in his brand-new interview with ABC News "Nightline," his first since we learned he cheated on his Oscar-winning wife, Sandra Bullock. Jesse told ABC`s Vicki Mabrey he still loves the wife he betrayed.
JAMES: I still really love her and care about her.
HAMMER: He acknowledged their marriage is probably over.
JAMES: We`re getting divorced, 100 percent sure of that.
HAMMER: And he fell apart when he talked about his abusive childhood.
JAMES: Let me take a break for a second.
HAMMER: James even atoned for the photos of him posing in Nazi gear, first posted on "UsMagazine.com."
JAMES: There`s not a racist bone in my body.
HAMMER: But one thing Jesse James is not doing - admitting exactly how many women he cheated on Bullock with.
VICKI MABREY, ABC CORRESPONDENT: We`ve had five women come forward now. Did you have affairs with all of them?
JAMES: I wouldn`t believe everything you read in tabloids. It could have been a million. It doesn`t - you know, bad is bad no matter what it is.
MELISSA SMITH, ALLEGED MISTRESS OF JESSE JAMES: That`s (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
HAMMER: That`s stripper Melissa Smith, one of the women who allegedly had an affair with Jesse responding James` interview today on "Radar Online."
SMITH: I knew I wasn`t the only one. I was never lying to myself.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you James came closer than ever to answering two million-dollar questions. One - why did he cheat on Bullock? And, two - what made him go to rehab after we all found out about it?
MABREY: Did you go for sex addiction? Did you go for anger management?
JAMES: Those were with two of the things I was there for, but the main thing I was there for was with being a victim of childhood abuse.
HAMMER: In an explosive claim, James told ABC his father frequently abused him, both emotionally and physically.
JAMES: He beat my ass pretty good a bunch of times.
HAMMER: James said one time a confrontation with his father led him to fall and break his arm. James says he was seven years old, roughly the same age of his daughter Sunny is now. James struggled to talk about it.
JAMES: It`s really tough for me to think about now because - because Sunny`s the age -
MABREY: You see all those things that happened to you?
JAMES: Sunny`s the age that I was - Sunny`s the age that I was when my dad broke my arm.
SMITH: I was a little teary-eyed, yes, I was. I felt for him. I honestly did.
HAMMER: Even James` alleged ex-mistress expressed sympathy for him today on "Radar Online."
SMITH: I always knew there was a vulnerable side.
HAMMER: James` father denies the abuse allegations but James says being a child of abuse led him to sabotage what he says was a great marriage to Sandra Bullock.
JAMES: It`s about trying to push someone away that I thought was going to leave anyway.
HAMMER: Now, James describes a cordial relationship with Sandra. He says they are co-parenting the baby boy Louis who they adopted shortly before the scandal broke.
MABREY: Will you be in Louis` life?
JAMES: Yes, ma`am.
HAMMER: And James says he`s trying to become a better person.
JAMES: A vision of a better life and a better future.
HAMMER: But his alleged ex-mistress says she`s actually on Sandra Bullock`s side on this one.
SMITH: I don`t believe any woman should have to put up with that kind of infidelity.
HAMMER: Jesse James may have finally told his side of this sad story, but he has also raised as many questions as he answered. So it`s clear he hasn`t put this to rest.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: So Jesse may have shed a few tears during this interview. But I`m not so sure Sandra or the rest of the world is ready to forgive him just yet.
Right now in New York is Carolina Bermudez, who is a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and co-host of radio`s "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show." And from Hollywood is Ken Baker who is the chief news correspondent for "E!"
Carolina, Ken, I am so glad Jesse James came clean with why he cheated on Sandra Bullock. It was high time he did that. But I`m not so sure that I buy Jesse`s abuse excuse, that somehow his infidelity is related to his father allegedly abusing him as a child. Carolina, are you buying it?
CAROLINA BERMUDEZ, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Not necessarily, Brooke. It`s hard not to feel sympathetic for him. There were some moments there where you did feel sorry for what he went through as a child.
But I think it all boils down to one thing. He was extremely selfish in his actions. And I think he needed to speak out now out of respect for his wife. I mean, you have mistresses coming forward. You have other people telling their story.
So I think it was time for him to set things straight. I don`t think we necessarily got all of the answers that we wanted out of this interview.
ANDERSON: No. I agree with you. We didn`t get all the answers we wanted. We do know that Jesse certainly couldn`t avoid talking about this forever. Ken, do you think the abuse excuse is going to start getting him some sympathy here?
KEN BAKER, CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT, "E!": Well, I do think that - look, as a human being, you look at him. And whether or not he was making up and fabricating this abuse story just so we feel sorry for him or not, you still have to feel sorry for him.
Because if he is making up the story or fabricating it in some way, that`s really sad. And you have to - sympathy goes out to someone who would concoct that. If it`s true that he was abused, that is truly sad and for a whole other set of reasons, either way he clearly, in that interview, showed a very vulnerable side that he is very damaged, that he has a lot of issues that 30 days in rehab out at basically a resort rehab in Arizona is not going to solve for him. That was definitely clear in that interview.
ANDERSON: Yes. And I feel for him if he had a tough childhood, if he had been abused, if, in fact, that is true. But there is still no excuse for what he did to Sandra Bullock.
And I`ve got to say the ladies of "The View" went with off about Jesse`s interview. But I was surprised that Whoopi Goldberg was actually supportive of Jesse. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": It is very brave to come out and say, "This is what went on." And, again, he did not run over anybody because he was drunk and driving. He did not kill anybody.
So let`s - you know, let`s really take a focus on it because sometimes we get, not just us, but folks get worked up like he is the scum of the earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Whoopi says Jesse did a brave thing and this was not the worst thing in the world. She`s right. He didn`t kill anybody. But, Carolina, what do you say to that? What do you say about Whoopi`s take?
BERMUDEZ: I can`t agree with Whoopi on this one. Because no, he did not kill anyone, but he humiliated Sandra Bullock in front of millions of people -
ANDERSON: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: He most likely killed her spirit for a long, long time. She`s going to have to go through extensive therapy after this.
So, I mean, what are we going to do, put him on public display and flog him? No, we`re not going to do that. But it would have been nice to see a little bit more remorse in this interview. I think the only times when he broke down is when he was speaking about his child and childhood abuse.
So you never saw that despair over losing the relationship that he had with Sandra. And I think that - if he would have shown that, we would be more sympathetic today.
ANDERSON: Yes. He never really held himself accountable for his actions. But you know, watching this interview I really did get the sense that Jesse absorbed a lot of things he probably learned in rehab.
Take a look at what he said about why he thinks cheating is just one of the many reasons he wasn`t a good husband.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I think I do things to sabotage my life, including having extramarital affairs, texting, overworking myself, injuring myself. I think I do a lot of things in my life that I shouldn`t be doing that aren`t, you know, conducive to being a perfect husband, you know. And the affairs is just one of them.
ANDERSON: Ken, come on. Can you really put having an affair into the same category as overworking or texting? Very quickly.
BAKER: Well, on texting, maybe he meant sexting.
ANDERSON: Right.
BAKER: Because then it would make sense what he`s saying.
ANDERSON: Maybe so.
BAKER: No, but you know - but overall, Brooke, seriously I think the whole problem with the interview was he said the right things but it had all the depth and nuance of an episode of "Tool Academy."
BERMUDEZ: There was no heart.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BERMUDEZ: There was no heart there.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was very superficial. I agree. I wish he would have just admitted that nothing excuses what he did.
OK. Guys, I want to move to another big story breaking today. Inside the emotional interview with Jesse James, the ABC correspondent who sat face to face with Jesse, Vicki Mabrey, is right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to answer all our burning questions about what Jesse said and what it was like to hear him confessions face-to-face. Carolina Bermudez, Ken Baker, thanks, guys.
And now we want to hear from you. It is our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll - "Jesse James New Sandra Bullock Confessions: Do you feel any sympathy for him?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us, showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: A defiant Duchess of York today, not hiding from her controversial caught-on-tape fraud scandal. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is with Fergie out in public today. So what is Fergie saying now? You`ll want to hear that.
Jesse James and Tiger Woods cheating, John Mayer`s unbelievable sex and tell-all about Jessica Simpson. Why is Hollywood so hot for sex?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO TALK SHOW HOST: The funny thing is sex sells. It`s always been the way.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is, until something goes wrong, like Tiger Woods` illicit text messages. Our Showbiz special report today, "Stars` Sex Obsession." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Elton John performing in Morocco despite protests from religious groups. "Glee" fans go gaga for Lady Gaga-themed episode.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Focus on the song.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Couldn`t agree more. Hit it.
(SINGING)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: Well, Jesse James` outrageous new sex confession on "Nightline" isn`t the only shocking instance of a big-time Hollywood celebrity with a dirty secret that was pushed into the spotlight.
Of course, you`ve got Tiger Woods. You`ve got John Mayer and so many more. Well, right now, an exclusive SHOWBIZ special report - it`s Hollywood`s obsession with sex.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): You can`t separate them. Sex and Hollywood are a powerful combination. And they go together like Trump and his millions, like Heidi Montag and her new boobs, like Richard Simmons and his sparkly shorts.
RICHARD SIMMONS, FITNESS GURU: I still have my shorts on. I`m still here. Hello!
DIAZ: The funny thing, sex sells. It`s always been the way.
HAMMER: That is, until something goes wrong, like Tiger Woods` illicit text messages.
DIAZ: We`re finding two things last forever, tattoos and text messages.
HAMMER: Tiger Woods learned that one the hard way when outrageously raunchy text messages surfaced that he allegedly sent to one supposed mistress, porn star Joslyn James. That`s what Joslyn`s attorney, Gloria Allred, claims.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY FOR JOSLYN JAMES: It was a long relationship. We have - we have numerous texts. We have probably approximately 100.
HAMMER: Most of the texts are way too raunchy to recount on this kind of upstanding television show. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can read you one of the tamer texts from Tiger, which allegedly said, "I want to treat you rough, throw you around, spank and slap you." Oh, Tiger, when will you learn?
TIGER WOODS, GOLF CHAMPION: For all that I have done, I am so sorry.
HAMMER: Tiger isn`t the only one who`s sorry for his outlandish ways. Former compulsive Twitter hound John Mayer has had his fair share of sex revelations, especially after he divulged one too many sex confessions about his ex-girlfriend, Jessica Simpson.
He said, "That girl is like crack cocaine to me. Sexually, it was crazy. That`s all I`ll say. It was like napalm, sexual napalm." TMI, John.
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": The public really turned against him and was very outraged with him will sharing these secrets about his ex-girlfriends.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Did he apologize to you?
SIMPSON: He did apologize, but, I mean, at this point, it doesn`t really matter.
HAMMER: Jessica Simpson told the ladies of "The View" she`s over John Mayer and the whole sexual napalm ordeal.
BARBARA WALTERS, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER AND CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You haven`t talked to him?
SIMPSON: No, and he`ll never have this napalm again.
HAMMER: Jessica Simpson may choose to remain silent about her sex life, but that surely isn`t the case for another hot Hollywood bombshell.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Teri, to right, please.
HAMMER: "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher is taking sex to a whole new level. She is taking it public on her new online forum for women will called "Chick Chat."
TERI HATCHER, ACTRESS: Would you rather have eight hours of really great sex or eight hours of really great sleep?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Who wants to have sex for eight hours?
HAMMER: And while she may be the face of an honest, classier version of sex talk, people are still divided over this next Hollywood sex controversy.
This sexy Miss USA contestant photo shoot caused a major uproar after pageant owner Donald Trump revealed each and every Miss USA contestant decked out in their skimpiest skivvies.
ALEXANDER: We`re reducing these girls to just sex symbols when they are so much more.
HAMMER: But Donald Trump tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this isn`t about sex. It`s art.
DONALD TRUMP, OWNER, MISS USA FRANCHISE: The photos are beautiful. The girls are beautiful. And it is artsy and we`re living in a different age.
HAMMER: We are living in a different age, but "Inside Edition`s" Megan Alexander tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT there`s a real danger that Hollywood in general is taking sex way too far.
ALEXANDER: We are push being the envelope more and more on what is sexy and what is too much in Hollywood.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Jessica Simpson may have spoken out against her ex-boyfriend John Mayer`s outrageous confessions about their sex lives, but that`s not all she`s speaking out about today.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the brand-new Jessica Simpson interview. And Jessica drops a bombshell of a confession, clearing up for the very first time on TV what she thinks is the biggest misconception about her. We`re going to have that in just a moment.
ANDERSON: The secrets of Jesse James` first TV interview you since he cheated on Sandra Bullock. The ABC reporter who got Jesse to open up is right here. It`s the headline making interview you will see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I don`t think I have a sex addiction where like, you know, I`m running around, trying to have sex with everyone and I can`t stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And fearless Fergie. The disgraced Duchess of York is not hiding from her outrageous fraud scandal. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is with Fergie today. Wait until you hear what Fergie is saying 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: Author writing unauthorized Sarah Palin book moves next door to her Alaska home. Bristol Palin tells "Harper`s Bazaar" getting pregnant at 17 was humiliating.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? Can Jimmy Kimmel make a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich faster than it takes Tom Bergeron to announce the new "Dancing with the Stars" winner? Tom is a great guy but part of his job is dragging out the drama for a long time.
And this was definitely the case as he was about to announce Pussy Cat Doll Nicole Scherzinger as the big winner on the "Dancing" finale on Tuesday night. So Jimmy decided to have a race. Check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": Let`s see if I can make a peanut- butter-and-jelly sandwich before Tom Bergeron gets to the winner`s name. All right? Go.
TOM BERGERON, HOST, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": After 10 demanding weeks of competition, the winners and new champions of "Dancing with the Stars" are -
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(LAUGHTER)
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
KIMMEL: Did I make it? Should I go back and make another one? I actually could have ground the peanuts myself during this time.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Peanut-buttery goodness. Very good. Nice going, Jimmy. That looks really good.
ANDERSON: With a lot of time to spare. OK. Right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is giving you the hot list of the sexiest, the most va-va-va-voom Hollywood women of all time. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and "More" magazine have teamed up to name the sexiest leading ladies in Hollywood.
"Sex and the City" stars Kim Cattrall makes the list. She`s sexy on and off screen. Jennifer Aniston is also on the list of sexiest women. She`s gorgeous and funny. And so is Julia Roberts who makes the list not just because she`s a beautiful, talented actress but she`s a mom, too.
And then, there`s the phenomenal Helen Mirren at 63 years old. She sports a red bikini better than some teenagers. And there`s more to that list. To read it all, check out the newest edition of "More" magazines on newsstands now.
HAMMER: Time now for the showbiz lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Of course, everybody is talking about the absolutely riveting new Jesse James interview. Doesn`t get better than this. And today, we`ve got the secrets of that interview. The correspondent who got Jesse to open up answers your burning questions right here.
Jessica Simpson`s fat fury. Jessica speaks to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And she is rightfully sick and tired of being called fat.
Heidi Montag`s outrageous new claim that she has no friends or family. Heidi, maybe it`s because nobody can recognize you since you had all that plastic surgery. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker." These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Popular TV host Art Linkletter dead today at age 97. "Celebrity Rehab" country singer Mindy McCready out of hospital after mystery ailment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - why Jesse James finally broke his silence. The secrets behind Jesse`s unbelievable new TV interview. The "Nightline" correspondent who got Jesse to speak is right here today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: I don`t think I have a sex addiction where, like, you know, I`m running around trying to have sex with everyone and I can`t stop.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jessica Simpson`s fat fury. Her shocking new confession today to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. She is sick and tired of people calling her fat.
The Duchess of York on the defense today. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT right there with Sarah Ferguson out in public. Wait until you hear what she`s telling us today about her caught-on-tape scandal.
Plus, more stories breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - Sandra Bullock is getting a big award. And which scripted TV show has the best ratings?
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 - cheating secrets revealed. The inside story behind a big interview with Sandra Bullock`s soon-to-be-ex-husband, Jesse James.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going one-on-one with the ABC "Nightline" correspondent who sat down with Jesse James in the exclusive headline- making interview and got Jesse to break his silence on the cheating scandal that destroyed his marriage to America`s sweetheart, Sandra Bullock.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MABREY: What did you tell her?
JAMES: I told her basically everything, you know, that I had affairs outside of our marriage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: With me right now in New York is Vicki Mabrey, who is the correspondent for "Nightline" who scored this really terrific interview as I was telling you before we went on here. And congratulations, Vicki, on the ratings.
MABREY: Thanks.
HAMMER: Number one in late night last night. And clearly, there is no shortage of interest in this story.
MABREY: I am amazed -
HAMMER: Yes.
MABREY: That there is so much interest in this story.
HAMMER: Well, a lot of people really want to know exactly what was going through his head. And I really think you got to the heart of this. But what I want to know and I think what a lot of people are wondering is why exactly he did the interview. Was it to save face? Was it to perhaps save his -
MABREY: You know, I asked this interview. I went to his PR person. I asked her for an interview, and she said, "I`m sorry, he`s in rehab. He`s not talking." Later on, she E-mailed me back when he came out and said, "Do you still want to talk to him?"
Because here`s what he said. Yes, he issued written statements saying, "I cheated on my wife. I was wrong. I deserve everything bad that`s coming my way." That`s what he said. But he said, while he was away, things started to snowball.
He said, first it was he was a Nazi. Then, it`s he`s a white supremacist and a racist. Then, he was a homophobe. Then, he had a dog- fighting ring. He said things were just going out of control.
And he said, this is a quote, "I am not a monster. I am not the monster that people are making me out to be. Yes, I was unfaithful to my wife. That is a terrible thing. But I`m not a monster."
HAMMER: So it wasn`t any one thing in particular. It really seemed to be the whole package of everything that was happening?
MABREY: No. I think it was just he felt that things had just snowballed out of control. And if he didn`t speak up, then it would just continue to go. Like he said, "What am I going to be next week, a terrorist?"
HAMMER: He must have been an incredible pressure cooker really going into it. I`m sure he was quite nervous before he sat down.
MABREY: Well, of course - I mean, well, he must have been nervous sitting down. Believe me, I was nervous sitting down.
I mean, imagine when you`ve done something wrong and you have to tell the person that you`ve wronged how difficult that is. Can you imagine sitting down across from a stranger and telling them your deepest, darkest secrets?
HAMMER: Yes.
MABREY: And for me sitting on the other side and listening to this. And the woman that was on before saying she didn`t see enough remorse. I was drowning in mea culpa by the end of this. If there had been any more mea culpa, I would have had to leave the room.
HAMMER: OK. Well, that`s very interesting. Sitting right there, catching his vibe, not only his words, face-to-face you did feel a great deal of remorse coming from him on all things, not just, "Hey, I screwed up."
MABREY: This is not a politician who, you know, comes out and issues a statement and it`s all very formal and the wife is standing there. This is a guy who said through his PR agent before this, "No softball questions. Don`t want this to be a puffball interview. I want people to hear and I want to get this word out there. I`m sorry and I want people to know it."
HAMMER: Yes. Not a softball among them. I mean, you really - I was telling you before we went on, you asked every question that I could have thought of.
MABREY: That`s good. That is good.
HAMMER: And so many more. And obviously, we`ve been dealing with the story for a long time. Did you get a sense when the camera stopped rolling, Vicki, that he was relieved?
MABREY: He`s relieved in the way that he has been to rehab. And suddenly, I think people who go into rehab and come out feel like, "Now, I know myself. It`s - my eyes are open. I`ve been enlightened to something."
And just for the record, we were able to corroborate because we would not - ABC News would not go on the air and let somebody make all kinds of allegations, especially damning allegations, like that against someone. We had to second-source his stories.
HAMMER: Right. Yes. Which I would certainly expect.
MABREY: Which - yes.
HAMMER: One thing that really took me and a lot of people by surprise is when he said that he knew he would eventually get caught cheating on Sandra.
MABREY: Doesn`t everybody think when they`re doing something you know you`re going to get caught? Eventually this is going to come to an end?
HAMMER: I guess. I wanted to take a look at what he said when you asked him why he threw it all away. Let`s roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAMES: 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. It was me trying to self-sabotage my life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. So he told you he wanted to get caught cheating on Sandra Bullock. And quite frankly, and in reading the blogs and checking our Facebook page, a lot of people are scratching their head at that answer.
MABREY: I know. They`re really surprised at that.
HAMMER: What do you make of that?
MABREY: He said he knew it was him trying to sabotage his life, that in a lot of ways what he says is that he has had this hardscrabble kind of scratch-and-claw kind of life.
And all of a sudden it was perfect and wonderful and a little bit too easy. And this is very pop psychology. But deep in - in the back of his mind he was thinking, "This isn`t going to last. This isn`t my life. She`s going to figure out who I am, that I`m this worthless nobody and she`s going to leave me. So I might as well just blow it all up."
Now, you may not understand it. I may not understand it. Everybody writing on the blogs may not understand it. But in his mind, that`s the reason that it happened.
HAMMER: No. It was very interesting -
MABREY: I said, is this because she was gone, because you were bored, because you were unhappy? He said, "It`s not that. It was me sabotaging my life."
HAMMER: Which, of course, that was what everybody had been speculating when all of this first broke.
MABREY: Well, yes.
HAMMER: It was, because, "Oh, she`s off on a movie set. I`m a bad boy. I`m going to do that." It was interesting to hear him actually be able to say that.
MABREY: He said - I know. He said he has this new insight about who he is and that`s what going into rehab - I said, did she tell you that you needed help? He said, "People have been telling me that for years," and he kind of laughed about it.
HAMMER: Well, as I mentioned and as you well know, everybody is talking about this today. Our Facebook page - it is lit up.
MABREY: I believe it`s blown up.
HAMMER: I believe we`ve overloaded the servers at Facebook. Brooke Anderson, tell me, what are people talking about? What are people saying?
ANDERSON: Well, you know, there wasn`t a lot of sympathy for Jesse, A.J. Cheyenne M. wrote this on our wall, "Spare us the sob story. Like every other cheater, your only regret is you got caught. These people make me sick."
And we also asked our Facebook fans what they would want to ask Vicki about her "Nightline" interview with Jesse. And Michelle M. wrote this on our wall, "Did she think Jesse`s kids would still be in Sandra`s life? It would be like losing a mother for them, I would think." So Vicki, what sense did you get about that? Will Jesse`s three kids still be an integral part of Sandra`s life?
MABREY: Well, he says yes. And he says he also wants to be part of baby Louis` life. And she actually said in the "People" magazine interview that she gave that she hopes there can be some kind of relationship so they can co-parent, which is exactly what he was saying as well.
He said that his children are very, very hurt by this because they love her so much. And he says he knows that he not only hurt her but he hurt his children as well. And so he`s hoping that all of them can still have some kind of part in each other`s lives.
HAMMER: I just want to ask you quickly. You lived with this story for a long time before you sat down and did this incredible interview. Now that it`s done and he said what he said, do you think he can ever recover?
MABREY: I think we`ll be on to the next scandal by tomorrow or the next day or day after that. And pretty soon he will have forgotten and he says that he wants to see himself as a decent person. And Americans love a redemption story.
HAMMER: That`s true.
MABREY: And we love to forgive people. So hopefully, that`s what this will be.
HAMMER: Vicki Mabrey, I really appreciate you sharing the insight to what you experienced sitting there with Jesse James with us. This was a long time coming. Thanks again.
MABREY: Thanks.
ANDERSON: All right. I still cannot get over what Sarah Ferguson was caught doing on tape. She was going to accept 700,000 bucks for access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.
Well, today the duchess is on the defense. She`s in public today. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there with her. Wait until you hear what she tells us about the scandal.
Jessica Simpson`s fat fury today. Jessica tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s sick and tired of being called fat, which I think those criticisms are all totally ridiculous in the first place.
And you know how Lindsay Lohan is wearing that alcohol monitoring bracelet, how she`ll get randomly tested for drugs? Well, today, I can tell you that Lindsay may be allowed to use some drugs. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Sandra Bullock to receive "MTV Generation Award" at 2010 MTV Movie Awards on June 6th. Tom Cruise talks marriage and fatherhood in new issue of "Esquire" magazine.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, Heidi Montag says today she has no friends. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is right there as the new "Dancing with the Stars" winner is crowned. Oh, Kate Gosselin is there, too. It`s all making big news in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Dancing off a winner.
BERGERON: Nicole and Derek.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there as Pussy Cat Doll Nicole Scherzinger and partner Derek Hough were just named the winners of this season`s "Dancing with the Stars."
NICOLE SCHERZINGER, SINGER, PUSSY CAT DOLLS: I`m just really blessed. I wouldn`t be here without him.
DEREK HOUGH, DANCING PARTNER OF NICOLE SCHERZINGER: It`s been amazing. I`m not going to lie. This whole experience has been phenomenal.
HAMMER: The entire cast of the season came back for the finale, including Kate Gosselin who tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she was happy to be back.
KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR: I am alone. People don`t really understand my life. And I`m either in New York or L.A. a lot if I`m not at home. So for me it was getting together with people who understand my world a little better.
Rihanna`s counterattack. Rihanna`s now reportedly countersuing her former trainer. Her trainer sued Rihanna last year claiming she was owed $26,000 in unpaid fees and expenses. TMZ reports Rihanna just filed her own suit claiming her former workout guru was paid some $24,000 for services that were never performed.
Heidi Montag tweets, "No friends equal no problems." Reality show star and plastic surgery queen just posted a startling tweet rant saying, quote, "PS, I have no friends. The ones who are pretending to be friends or family are crazy, angry, broke and bitter."
She also tweeted her last plastic surgery was the best decision of her life saying, "I truly look the way I have always dreamed. I love America and freedom."
ANDERSON: More big news just in today - defiant Fergie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there as Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, went very public for the first time since she was caught on tape asking for more than $700,000 in cash for access to her ex-husband, Prince Andrew.
And today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was the only entertainment news show to ask her the question everybody wants to know.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah, could we just have your reaction to the "News of the World?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It is the explosive new Fergie moment caught on tape. You will see it only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Right now, in New York is Carolina Bermudez. She was the senior editor for "In Touch Weekly" and co-host of radio`s "Elvis Duran and the Morning Show." And in Hollywood is Terri Seymour - she is a correspondent for "Extra."
Carolina, Terri, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was there with Fergie today at a major booksellers` conference in New York City. She was promoting her children`s books and she defiantly joked about her situation. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SARAH FERGUSON, FORMER DUCHESS OF YORK: I`m delighted to be standing here. It was quite difficult for me to get to Javits Center this morning - one or two people in the way. But then you might have read that.
Actually, when I was going to talk to you about my books, I suddenly realized maybe I should take a leaf out of one of my own books. My books are the "Helping Hand" books, and there`s a set of four. And one of the books is "Ashley Learns about Strangers."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It is funny, and I`ve got to say I am really amazed to see Fergie not backing down, joking about her scandal in public like this. Carolina, are you shocked by Fergie`s defiance?
BERMUDEZ: Not really. I mean, I think Fergie has a reputation of being kind of the loose cannon of the whole royal family. So it`s not surprising that she would make light of it.
But I think it`s the best way to handle a scandal like this, because you don`t want to get, you know, defensive in front of everyone. You want to have a little bit of fun with it so everybody else can laugh along with you. And then soon enough everyone forget about the whole situation.
ANDERSON: And she has got to be mortified, though, that first she stooped to such a disgraceful level and then the whole world saw it. But she did put on a brave face. She signed copies of her books after her speech today.
And watch what happened when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asked her about getting caught up in that sting by the "News of the World" newspaper. You`ve got to see this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah, could we just ask you your reaction to the "News of the World?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`m sorry. I`ve got to ask you (INAUDIBLE).
(CROSS TALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sarah, just one word. Your reaction to the video?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. No response. Sarah seemed to be done talking about the scandal. But she wasn`t shy about being seen. Terri, most Hollywood stars would be out of sight for months after a scandal like hers. What does it say to you that she came out like this?
TERRI SEYMOUR, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I really think it says, you know, what a fighter Sarah is. I mean, like you said, so many Hollywood stars would with shy away from it and go into hiding.
But she`s coming out. She`s confronting it. She`s admitting she`s made a mistake. And it`s going to stop it from snowballing out of control. I think it`s the best way she could have handled it. Good for her.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And, you know, I`m wondering, though, if her defiance may turn some people off. We`ll just have to wait and see, though.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there. I`ve got to move on to this because we were right there for another big star exclusive - Jessica Simpson`s new weight fury today. We were in Beverly Hills as Jessica was honored at the Gracie Awards last night for changing perceptions of beauty with her reality show "The Price of Beauty."
We asked Jess what perception she wants people to change about her and her own image. And Jessica - well, boy, she let it rip, especially about those tabloids calling her fat. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIMPSON: As far as misconceptions, I mean, I wasn`t overweight so I should have never been slammed for being fat, because I wasn`t and I`m not. And I always try to put my heart out there and I try and give the reality of who I am, you know.
But the media can definitely make up their own reality of who you are. And it does - you know, it does make people form opinions about you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, she has been called a lot of mean things - airhead, bimbo, just to name a couple. But here`s the new name I`ve got for her - role model. Carolina, quickly, what do you think? I really am just loving this new, confident Jessica.
BERMUDEZ: I love the new, confident Jessica as well. And I think she`s doing a lot of women a service. Just because you`re not a size two or a size zero doesn`t mean that you`re fat. Right now, what people are looking is a Jessica Simpson that is healthy.
They want to remember the Jessica Simpson that was in those daisy dukes before. And you know what? That`s not the reality. That was a role.
ANDERSON: That`s right.
BERMUDEZ: So now, she`s just being herself.
ANDERSON: And she is embracing how she looks and she feels good. And it`s refreshing. It`s inspiring. Way to go, Jessica. Carolina Bermudez, Terri Seymour, thanks, ladies.
HAMMER: All right. Am I reading this right? It says Lindsay Lohan may be allowed to use drugs? Is this right? Lindsay has got to submit to random drug testing. She`s got to wear this alcohol monitoring bracelet. But pills? Really? 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: Miley Cyrus will do a music special for ABC set to air June 18th. CBS` "NCIS" is the highest-rated scripted series of 2009-2010 TV season.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Hey, Lindsay Lohan is required to be randomly tested for drugs. But get this - she can still take two drugs and not get in trouble for it. A California judge ruled that Lindsay needs to wear an alcohol monitoring bracelet and submit to drug testing.
But TMZ reports today that Lindsay can still take two drugs she has prescriptions for, Adderall, used to treat a hyperactivity disorder and Ambien, a sleeping pill. Lindsay is required to show the court proof of prescriptions.
The problem here, TMZ also reports that some of Lindsay`s friends and her father Michael say these drugs are part of what`s messing Lindsay up.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, I know that we`re getting a lot of calls in to "Showbiz on Call" today about Lindsay Lohan.
ANDERSON: We certainly are, A.J. And most people calling don`t really have any sympathy for Lindsay. Listen to Becky from New Mexico.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BECKY, CALLER FROM NEW MEXICO: You can`t just go running off to another country when you have a court date. And just because your name is Lindsay Lohan, you shouldn`t be allowed to get away with it.
But if that had been you or me or anybody else, even though I`m not in the habit of breaking the law, I still disagree with the special treatment that celebrities get. That`s not right. And she should be held accountable for her actions.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thanks, Becky. And remember, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open. Here is the number - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, over on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page, a lot of people pretty much feel the same way, that Lindsay is getting what she deserves.
But Laura C. thinks we should do something for Lindsay. She writes, "The poor girl needs help and it`s obvious she`s not getting it from her mom who insists on partying with her. I think the mom needs parenting classes."
Well, Brooke and I post stuff on Facebook all day long. You can join the debate. Simply head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to become a fan.
ANDERSON: All right. I want to send a big shout-out today and lots of hugs to our very own Robin Meade. Robin, who hosts "Morning Express" here on HLN, just won a Gracie Award.
The Gracies are given out each year honoring programs created for women, by women and about women. Robin won 2010 Outstanding News Anchor. We were right there on the Gracies red carpet in L.A. And we got Robin to reveal one of the reasons why her show is so successful.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBIN MEADE, HOST, "MORNING EXPRESS": We have on the show what we call the cereal test, because I think there`s things you want to hear about in the evening maybe on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that you don`t want to hear about in the morning.
We call it the cereal test. So you don`t need all the details in the morning that might gross you out. We call it the cereal test.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s OK, Robin. We`ll take out all the gross stuff, too. She`s so humble. Robin says this Gracie Award is for her entire staff who all come in every day around 2:00 a.m. Congratulations to Robin and the entire "Morning Express" crew. Well-deserved.
HAMMER: Brooke, you may not know this - I`m president of the Robin Meade Fan Club.
ANDERSON: I bet you are.
HAMMER: That`s true. 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: And still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on HLN.
END
