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Showbiz Tonight
Miley Cyrus` War; Lady Gaga Lets Loose; Jerry Seinfeld`s Gaga Slam; Is Kate Gosselin Looking for Love?; Tom Cruise`s Candid Daddy Confession
Aired June 22, 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, HOST: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Miley`s war. A provocative Miley Cyrus picture sparks new outrage today. But is she courting controversy on purpose? Today, it`s a fired-up SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate. Does Miley really need to sex it up to stay successful?
Lady Gaga lets loose. Gaga`s bizarre new tell-all. Are her outrageous antics just an act? But wait, there`s more. Jerry Seinfeld steps in to Gaga land. Seinfeld`s shocking Gaga slam today.
Kate Gosselin`s surprising revelation. Is she really lonely and looking for love?
Tom Cruise`s daddy drama. Cruise`s candid confession about being a dad. Who is really in control?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: She looks at me and she goes, "Dad, I don`t think you should try to force me to do something I don`t want to do."
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City with big news breaking today. There is an explosive new battle in Miley`s war.
It`s a new day, and yet another provocative photo of Miley Cyrus is sparking brand-new outrage. And once again, it`s tied to controversial celebrity blogger Perez Hilton who, of course, got slammed for posting a questionable photo of the teen star just last week.
Well, he is not backing down. Neither is Miley. In fact, she just released her brand new album, and she is making sure her racy performances are generating big buzz today. Her provocative costumes have us all wondering if she`s actually courting controversy on purpose. We can`t help but think that Miley may actually be stealing a little page from the Britney Spears handbook on transforming from child star to young woman. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the breaking news - Miley`s hot-red road through controversy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
(voice-over): Miley Cyrus can`t be tamed, and neither can her feud with celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, nor the outcry over the 17-year-old`s increasingly sexy image.
Today, Perez Hilton posted another low-blow at Miley on his Web site. It`s a photo of Miley from this performance at this weekend`s Much Music Awards. We`re not going to show you that photo, but let`s just say it`s a snapshot of Miley in the midst of a wardrobe malfunction.
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": The leotard moves in a weird way and exposes a little bit of extra skin that maybe she wouldn`t have wanted people to see.
HAMMER: Just a week ago, Perez got all kinds of heat for posting a link to another Miley photo that appeared to show her in another malfunction of her revealing wardrobe. Perez lost sponsors in the whole outcry and some people even wanted him arrested for child porn.
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": It`s criminal to distribute it. It is criminal to distribute it.
SHERRI SHEPHERD, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": And he should be in trouble.
HAMMER: But with today`s fresh shot at Miley, it`s clear Perez hasn`t learned his lesson.
SERAFIN: The fact he is out there posting it again shows he`s not apologetic.
HAMMER: During last week`s controversy, Perez appeared on Joy Behar`s HLN show. He said he`s not the one sexualizing Miley.
PEREZ HILTON, CELEBRITY BLOGGER: It`s not doing anything worse than Miley herself has been doing recently. All the over-sexualized things she has been doing -
HAMMER: Yes, with her skimpy outfits and her racy performances, Miley is definitely stepping up her sexy-and-17 antics to promote her album, "Can`t Be Tamed," which released this week. But some fans who watched Miley play an adorable everyday girl disguised as a pop star on the Disney show "Hannah Montana" -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I need two incredible seats for tomorrow night.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sorry, I`m sold out.
HAMMER: Are now upset at Miley`s new real-life disguise as a sexed up Miley Gaga.
SERAFIN: Clearly, the choices she made with "Can`t Be Tamed" with some of the outfits she`s been wearing have all caused a bit of controversy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you know you are getting some heat for the video, "Can`t Be Tamed?"
MILEY CYRUS, SINGER: Yes.
HAMMER: On "Good Morning America" Miley made no apologies for her new adult transition.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do you think that some people just want you to stay the little 12-year-old Hannah Montana? They can`t let you go.
CYRUS: Yes, there`s definitely - I`m just like, whatever. I`m being myself to the full extent, like there`s nothing that I`m holding back.
SERAFIN: She clearly does not want people to think of her as Hannah Montana forever. This is definitely her transitioning into that Britney Spears phase.
HAMMER: Yes, a decade before a teenaged Miley sang -
(MUSIC)
You had a teenage Britney Spears singing -
(MUSIC)
As Britney herself tried to go from teen Disney star to the not-so-innocent adult pop star we know her as today. The results were mixed. It`s clear Miley is following the same good-girl-gone-bad route. But "In Touch Weekly`s" Kim Serafin points out Miley`s transition is different in one respect. So far, all of her acting out is strictly on stage.
SERAFIN: Yes, she`s wearing sexy clothes on stage. But she`s not out partying late at night. She`s not drinking. She`s not doing drugs. She seemed like a really well-behaved girl.
HAMMER: But there say cost to young Miley`s on-stage vamping, and we`re not just talking about cheap shots from celebrity bloggers. There`s the troubling message that Miley`s young fans are getting.
SERAFIN: It`s clearly sending a message to young girls that when it`s time to grow up, all you have to do is get really sexy. Bad message to send? Yes. But is it actually working? It is.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, Miley`s new sexed-up image is sparking one firestorm after another. Now, some say she`s just playing the game, you know, courting controversy to keep her profile red hot. But her critics - they`re shouting from the rooftops that Miley is going about this all wrong.
So today, it`s the great SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate - does Miley really need to be sexy to stay successful? The fired-up Miley showdown is still ahead.
Right now, it`s Gary Coleman`s secrets revealed. Shocking new documents reveal stunning insight into Coleman`s turbulent relationship with his ex-wife Shannon Price in the months before his tragic death.
A secret restraining order just revealed today that Gary took out against Price. And this thing totally conflicts with his ex-wife`s claims of their loving relationship in his final days.
With me right now in New York is Megan Alexander. Megan is a correspondent for "Inside Edition." Right now, in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, who is a syndicated radio host.
So Radar Online revealed today a shocking secret restraining order in this thing. Gary claimed that his ex moved into his home while he was in the hospital and, quote, "has shown a tendency to damage, destroy and steal my property, and I believe she will continue to do so in my absence and while she is trespassing in my home."
Now, I`ve got to point out this restraining order was never actually served. But Carlos Diaz, this is certainly a far different depiction of their relationship than, you know, the really happy one Shannon Price had been painting.
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: A.J., how does this not damage her claim on the estate? I mean, she`s painting this picture of - it was love. They were going to, you know, renew their vows.
She goes to the hospital the day that he`s in the hospital before she pulled the plug and said, "I`m still married to the guy," when in fact they were divorced a few years before.
And the guy is filing a restraining order less than a week after Valentine`s Day of this year. And he`s claiming the exact same things that she did after he died.
HAMMER: Yes.
DIAZ: You know, after he died, she took all the stuff out of his house. And you know, she wanted his truck and the whole thing. And it`s exactly what he claims in this restraining order.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s exactly what he was so fearful about. And Gary did say he went on to file this thing in secret because he felt if she was given any warning, he said he feared that she would be vindictive and damage his property.
Now, as Carlos mentioned, Shannon Price is trying to gain control of Gary Coleman`s estate. I have to believe, Megan, this is going to seriously damage her case. I mean, how can she possibly get anywhere with it now?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Exactly. Restraining order or secret restraining order, it does not look good for Shannon Price. A.J., on top of that, of course, it was revealed that Gary Coleman signed a document asking to be left on life support. And we found out that Shannon Price said no to that.
HAMMER: Yes.
ALEXANDER: Obviously pulled the plug. If they are a common-law man and wife, which is her big argument, wouldn`t you respect each other`s final wishes?
HAMMER: Yes. It brings up a whole lot of questions, particularly when you talk about the "do not resuscitate" order and all of those things. And I`m sure that`s going to start to bubble up to the surface as well. It`s really unbelievable to see this thing.
All right. I do want to move on to another story that`s making big news today. Michael Jackson, the billionaire? Well, it turns out since his death a year ago this week, his estate has generated at least $1 billion dollars in revenue.
Let me run some of this down. I`m talking about $429 million in music sales this year. His film "This is it" with all that rehearsal footage - it brought in almost $400 million this year. His music publishing company reportedly brought in $140 million this year.
Carlos, here`s a guy who was reportedly $500 million in debt when he died. I`m sitting here hearing these numbers hoping the people running Michael`s estate are a lot better at managing his millions than he ever was.
DIAZ: Yes. And you know what? And people sit there and they say, "Oh, isn`t it a shame that he is rich in death and he wasn`t in life." You know what? I disagree. I think this is exactly what Michael Jackson would have wanted, being the giver that he was.
He was always looking out for other people, wanting to give as much of himself as possible. I just watched "This is It" just today, you know, before I came in. And you could see it throughout that video he`s a giving person. This, to me, is poetic justice for everything that he wanted. Now, in his death, everyone is getting rich off of him, and that`s exactly what he would have wanted.
HAMMER: Well, yes. And the people who certainly deserve to get rich off of him -
DIAZ: Right, right.
HAMMER: I would agree with you on that point, Carlos. But again, on the other side of that, Megan, here was a guy who had the vultures always swarming around him trying to get every little piece of Michael Jackson, whether they were owed it or not. I think numbers like this coming out just opens the floodgates.
ALEXANDER: Exactly. I would say yes and no to what Carlos just said because Michael Jackson knew better than anyone else, A.J., that with great success comes a great price.
HAMMER: Right.
ALEXANDER: His insecurities, his problems with himself and how he pulled inside. He was the greatest superstar of all time. The good in all this is that his children are now hopefully being taken care of for life.
HAMMER: Hopefully. And hopefully, whoever is managing it for them is doing the right thing as I mentioned.
Also breaking today, there is a huge tribute planned for this coming Saturday in Hollywood. Today, Michael Jackson`s own mom, Katherine, sent a rare message to all of his fans via YouTube. You`ve got to check this out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE JACKSON, MOTHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: I know that Michael would be very honored and very pleased that his fans all over the world are coming together to celebrate his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Katherine says she will never stop mourning the loss of her son. We`re taking an extraordinary behind-the-scenes look at the tragic day that Michael died. Carlos, Megan, I want you to stay right where you are.
Moving on to Tom Cruise. Of course, he`s certainly one of the biggest stars on the planet, probably the whole galaxy. But there`s one teeny tiny person who tough Tom is apparently no match for, his four-year-old daughter, Suri.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: This is how tends up. She looks at me and she goes, "Dad, I really don`t think you should try to force me to do something I don`t want to do."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, fans are going crazy for Lady Gaga. They love all of her outrageous stunts, her crazy costumes. Jerry Seinfeld, not so much. Jerry slamming Gaga today for using his super-expensive major league baseball seats to show off her very unladylike behavior.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JERRY SEINFELD, COMEDIAN: This woman is a jerk. I hate her. I say I can`t believe that they put her in my box, which I paid for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did.
SEINFELD: This is what you give people the finger and you get upgraded?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Jerry is ticked. 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: Jennifer Garner`s rep shoots down pregnancy reports. Shawn Johnson says "Dancing with the Stars" helped her deal with the stalker scare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHAWN JOHNSON, GYMNAST: It`s great. You know, all the guys were like, "We`ll take care of you." Just being able to stick with the show and having something to focus my energy towards and really have fun, it kind of distracted me from everything else going on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
K. JACKSON: I know that Michael would be very honored and very pleased that his fans all over the world are coming together to celebrate his life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: that was Michael Jackson`s mother, Katherine, giving her blessing for a fan tribute planned the one-year anniversary of Michael`s death. This tribute is planned for Saturday at the Beverly Hilton Hotel. Just checked and tickets are selling for up to $500 at this time.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And today, we are taking an extraordinary look at Michael`s death nearly one year later. I personally find it hard to believe it`s actually been a year since that tragic day.
Well, this week, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you unprecedented coverage of the anniversary of Michael`s death. Right now, Michael`s brothers reveal how they came together the day Michael Jackson died.
Here`s CNN`s Don Lemon for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DON LEMON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): A secluded L.A. mansion. A 911 call.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CALLER: Yes, he is not breathing, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 911 OPERATOR: OK, and he is not conscious either?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CALLER: No, he is not conscious, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE 911 OPERATOR: OK.
LEMON: A 50-year-old man in distress. That man is Michael Jackson.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE NEWS ANCHOR: Michael Jackson, the King of Pop -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE NEWS ANCHOR: Was taken to the hospital. And there were rumors -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He was apparently administered CPR in the ambulance.
LEMON: As the news began to break, on June 25th of last year, Jackson`s brothers, Tito and Jermaine, began to hear grim and troubling reports from loved ones and the media.
(on camera): Do you remember the day?
TITO JACKSON, MICHAEL JACKSON`S BROTHER: My middle son, Terrell, called me on the phone and said, "Dad, is it true what they are saying on TV about Uncle Michael?" I said, "What are they saying?" "They say he was rushed to the hospital and he is not breathing or something like that." I said, "What?"
LEMON: It was Jermaine`s mother, Katherine, who confirmed his worst fears.
JERMAINE JACKSON, BROTHER OF MICHAEL JACKSON: She was already at the hospital. And I called her back and I heard her say, "He`s dead." I couldn`t believe to hear my mother say her child is dead, my brother. And I got weak, very, very weak.
LEMON: Despite his overwhelming grief, it was Jermaine who delivered the family`s official announcement that Michael was dead.
JERMAINE JACKSON: And you have to go out from that hospital and you have to tell the world. I couldn`t believe that I was announcing my brother`s death for the world. It was - I was numb, very numb, because it was like a nightmare.
My brother, the legendary King of Pop, Michael Jackson, passed away on Thursday, June 25th, 2009 at 2:26 p.m.
LEMON: Jackson`s death had barely started to reverberate around the world when dark revelations began to emerge, revelations about a pop icon`s final days and a secret world of addiction.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Don Lemon for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And make sure you tune into CNN this Friday for a one-hour special on Michael Jackson, "The Final Days." It airs at 8:00 p.m. Eastern.
Moving on to Lady Gaga. Now, Gaga, I love your music. But you know, you may have crossed the line this time. When everybody`s favorite guy, Jerry Seinfeld, is mad at you, you know you`ve done something wrong. Jerry, sounding off today about Gaga`s bizarre baseball stunt in his super- expensive baseball seats.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SEINFELD: This woman is a jerk. I hate her. I say I can`t believe that they put her in my box, which I paid for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did.
SEINFELD: This is what you give people the finger and you get upgraded?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Miley`s war. The provocative new Miley Cyrus picture that has led to new outrage today.
And Kate Gosselin`s surprising revelation. Is she lonely and looking for love? Seriously, really? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, it`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Jackson family planning private memorial to remember Michael. Lights go out on "Jimmy Kimmel Live," he finishes show on computer webcam.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUSTIN BIEBER, POP STAR: The oil disaster in the gulf has been a big problem, but every little bit can help. There`s no such thing as being too young to pitch in. And this is urgent. What we do now can affect our future.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hollywood responds to the gulf oil disaster. Justin Bieber`s passionate plea, calling on all of his young fans to get involved in helping to raise awareness and money for all of those impacted by the gulf oil disaster.
And Justin Bieber was just one of the many celebrities taking part in a very special CNN telethon, all to raise money for gulf coast residents. Ryan Seacrest, Jenny McCarthy, Alyssa Milano, Pete Wentz and others all answered phone calls, answered E-mails during a very special edition of "LARRY KING LIVE," "Disaster in the Gulf: How You Can Help Telethon."
I want you to check out how Herbie Hancock and Indie Arie helped out by performing what I thought was an amazing rendition of John Lennon`s "Imagine."
(SINGING)
HAMMER: A huge thanks to Indie and everybody who helped out. But I want to give a special thanks to all the people who donated more than $1.8 million for this obviously very worthy cause.
Well, as we move on, Lady Gaga`s been taking a lot of heat lately. Some are saying she is a Madonna copycat. I want you to check out this iReport from super Gaga fan Jason Aslan(ph) who is from Iron Mountain, Michigan. And Jason says, "Hey, Gaga. She is one-of-a-kind."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JASON ASLAN, LADY GAGA FAN: It`s kind of hard to come up with new material. I mean, you are going to refer to her as maybe an old Madonna or, you know, she copies a lot of things that Madonna does. Well, maybe Madonna was her idol.
All entertainers now have idols that they look up to, whether it`s Madonna, Michael Jackson, Elvis Presley or whomever. So no, I don`t think she is being a copycat. I think she is using what she has in her head, and she is using it to her advantage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Jason. We appreciate your iReport. Hey, are you fired up about something you saw right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT? Well, by all means, grab your camcorder, your webcam, your cell phone camera, whatever you`ve got to make a video and just head on over to CNN.com/ShowbizTonight to send us your iReport so we can put it here on the show.
Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here is what is coming at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Fans go gaga for Gaga. But today, Jerry Seinfeld is ticked at Lady Gaga for what she did on one of his most prized possessions.
Tom Cruise is certainly one of the biggest action stars in Hollywood. But Tom just revealed today the one thing he is no match for, his four- year-old daughter.
Kate Gosselin has a big problem. Kate`s surprising declaration. She needs help finding a date. Is Kate really lonely and looking for love? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here comes And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Man accused of stalking "The Hills" star, Audrina Patridge pleads no contest. It`s true! Oprah favorite Charice is joining "Glee" cast.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Jerry Seinfeld`s shocking Lady Gaga slam today. Gaga catches more heat over her erratic behavior at a New York Mets game in Jerry`s fancy stadium sky box.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SEINFELD: This woman is a jerk. I hate her. I say I can`t believe that they put her in my box, which I paid for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did.
SEINFELD: This is what you give people the finger and you get upgraded?
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Miley`s war. A new Miley photo sparked outrage today but is Miley Cyrus courting controversy on purpose? It is a fired-up SHOWBIZ TONIGHT debate. Does Miley really need to sex it up to stay successful?
Tom Cruise`s daddy drama. Cruise`s candid confession today about being a dad. Who is really running the show, Katie, Tom or four-year-old Suri?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: This is how it ends up. She looks at me and she goes, "Dad, I don`t think you should try to force me to do something I don`t want to do."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - Lady Gaga`s big album news and a new "Housewife" singing sensation.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes pt the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
And we have big news breaking today, Miley`s war. Miley Cyrus has a brand new album just out. But it`s the fired-up debate over her sexed-up image that everybody is talking about today.
Some are saying she`s just playing the game, courting controversy to sell her album. But is Miley going about this all wrong? Or does she really need to be sexy to stay successful?
Joining me from Hollywood, Carlos Diaz. Carlos is a syndicated radio host. And with me in New York, Megan Alexander who is a correspondent from "Inside Edition."
So a week after Perez Hilton got slammed over a questionable photo of Miley Cyrus, today, Perez posted another unflattering picture of her. Clearly, the criticism is not bothering him. Doesn`t seem to be affecting Miley either.
She is moving full steam ahead with the racy performances. She`s promoting her new album. Megan, I think, you know, she is intentionally courting all this controversy to keep people buzzing about her. I mean, it is pretty obvious how calculated it is to me.
ALEXANDER: You know what I think is hilarious about this conversation, too, A.J.? She is already a superstar. She`s already made $1 billion, of this she was projected to in 2009. So she has already been successful without being sexy. Now, I know she wants to be a mature superstar -
HAMMER: That`s right.
ALEXANDER: And now, she feels she may need to go this route. But that`s only one path to take. Case in point, somebody like Alicia Keys who is known for her talent and her musicianship instead of her sexiness.
HAMMER: Yes.
ALEXANDER: And who are her role models? She frequently says Britney Spears, which - we know how that ended up. So who in her team is encouraging her? There is a couple different ways to go here.
HAMMER: Yes. And look, Britney Spears ultimately worked out. But wow, the fire she had to walk through to get where she is now. And I think Miley could be potentially about to walk through that same fire.
And I have to say we are getting a huge response to this. To our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have been raging. A lot of people are sounding off on whether Miley really does need to be sexy to stay successful.
We hear it from both sides. We have Benny calling in from Texas. And Benny thinks that Miley doesn`t really have a choice in the matter. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
BENNY, CALLER FROM TEXAS: I think she`s being pressured. I don`t think it is so much Miley. I think she is being pressured by probably people who work for her to keep up with the Gaga and the Madonnas and the Katies and the Ciaras in today`s pop.
And it is really a shame. I really feel sorry for her and I really blame her parents. You know, so - that`s what she has to do. That`s what she feels like she has to do and it`s really - it`s sad.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, there`s something to that. Benny, we thank you for your call. I always say, and Megan alluded to this, look, talent will speak for itself. But Carlos, what do you think? Does Miley - in order to compete, does she have a choice in the matter? Is this what she needs to do to stay successful?
DIAZ: You know, listen. I don`t think we need to see the shots we`ve seen on Perez Hilton that was seen in the last few days, the one that was posted today and the one that was last week -
HAMMER: Yes, Carlos, but to be clear, she is not putting those - selecting those shots.
DIAZ: Right. Right. And she is not. But here is the thing. The same week that Amanda Bynes basically retired from acting because she has tried to stay clean after being on Nickelodeon.
You know, I mean, are we mad at Zac Efron? He is on the cover of "People" with - oh, my god - his shirt off. And he is from "High School Musical." I mean, when a guy does it, it`s OK. But when a girl does it, when she sexes things up, it`s "Oh, my gosh. She should stay the same person she has always been."
She is getting older. She is getting more mature. Sure, she is 17. Maybe she`s a few years out of her time. But at some point, she has got to break out of that Disney image so she doesn`t stay the child star.
HAMMER: But does it have to be -
DIAZ: She is huge right now.
HAMMER: But does it have to be done, Carlos, by being sexy and by putting - it`s certainly her prerogative to do that.
DIAZ: You have to show - you have to show that you are changing, that you are evolving as an artist. And granted, I think 17 is a little old - I mean, 17 is a little young. Maybe 18 or 19. But here is the thing, Britney Spears -
HAMMER: But is that the only way. Carlos, you`re suggesting that going the sexy route is the only way to evolve.
DIAZ: Yes. Britney Spears - Britney Spears` first video that was ever really popular - Britney Spears` first video where she was very popular was when she was in a schoolgirl outfit that had the bare midriff.
She was never as popular when she was strictly on Disney. When she sexed it up, that is when she became super mega-popular.
ALEXANDER: That is only one with example, though. One example. You don`t need to dress like a prostitute. You don`t.
HAMMER: Yes. And I think quite, too, what Carlos was saying a moment ago, Megan, we are not going to see Justin Bieber in this kind of a controversy when he is turning 18 years old and needs to change his image. There is a double standard. I think we can easily acknowledge that.
DIAZ: There is a total double standard. A guy takes his shirt off and he`s on the beach, we`re saying, "Oh, look at that body." It`s OK for guys to do it. But when a woman sexes it up - does she need to sex it up? She is more than just a sex symbol. It is a total double standard.
HAMMER: Yes. I`ve got tell you, though, I think there is a real risk of this backfiring on her. We have seen other artists like Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears ultimately weather the storm.
But she is off to a pretty rough start here and we know the media has changed even in the past few years since Britney went through it all.
All right. I do want to move of on to another star who is in the midst of some bit of a controversy. From sexy Cyrus now to Lady Gaga getting slammed today by Jerry Seinfeld.
I never actually thought I would say that out loud. In a brand-new interview with sports radio, WFAN, Jerry, one of my favorite guys on the planet, slams Gaga for giving the middle finger while attending a Mets game at Citi Field and then taking over Seinfeld`s luxury box. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
SEINFELD: I wish her the best. But you know, you know, you take one A off of that and you`ve got "gag." It`s a - I don`t know, know, what these young people think or how they promote their careers.
I`m not one of these "all publicity is good" people. You know, you can - people talk about, you know, you need exposure. You could die of exposure.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s right.
SEINFELD: And I don`t understand how this is good for her, but I`m sure she understands her milieu better than I ever could.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They don`t escort her out of Citi Field.
SEINFELD: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They escorted her to your luxury box.
SEINFELD: You know, I changed my mind. You`re right. This woman`s a jerk. I hate her. I can`t believe they put her in my box, which I paid for.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They did.
SEINFELD: This is when you give people the finger and you get upgraded? Rhinestone bikinis and giving people the finger.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And then she goes to -
SEINFELD: She is talented. I don`t know why she is doing this stuff.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I think he has a great point. It`s not like he`s saying she gave the finger, not that there is anything wrong with that. He doesn`t like it. It sounds, Megan, like Jerry is having some fun here. But it also sounds like there is a bit of truth in his humor here.
ALEXANDER: Sure. And he owns the box and he did not give approval for her to sit there. So he is saying, don`t pull me into all of this. Look, the man is successful, too. I think there is a nugget of wisdom in there.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, really, if you are going to look at an ultimate example of success without - like he said, he`s not an "all publicity is good publicity" thing, maybe pay a little attention to Jerry.
Well, Gaga is continuing to shock everyone with her antics. She gave a brand-new interview to "Rolling Stone" magazine. And in this interview, Gaga does admit that sometimes she is does feel insecure.
Let me read some of what she says, "When I wake up in the morning, I feel like any other insecure 24-year-old girl. And then I say, (EXPLETIVE DELETED), you`re Lady Gaga. You get up and walk the walk today."
All right. So let me get this straight. Gaga goes from flipping the bird at a baseball stadium to admitting that she has to remind herself who she is. Carlos, clearly here, she is admitting a lot of her antics are a part of an act.
But I`ve got to tell you, I do think if she keeps this up - and I love Lady Gaga, but I think if she continues to go this way, not rein it in a bit, it could backfire on her. What do you think?
DIAZ: There`s a girl named Madonna who has been doing it pretty well for a lot of years, you know. And Lady Gaga does have talent. So the talent along with her, you know, having the daringness that she does - and by the way, if Jerry Seinfeld - I`ve interviewed him at baseball games.
He is funny at baseball games. That`s what he does. Lady Gaga is controversial, so at a ball game, she is supposed to be controversial.
HAMMER: All right.
DIAZ: I disagree with Jerry all the way with this. The only thing that Lady Gaga went wrong with this is you can`t go to a Mets game, wear a Mets jersey and then wear a Yankees jersey like in the same month.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: If you`re a real New Yorker, it`s one or the other. Carlos Diaz, Megan Alexander, thank you.
Well, Tom Cruise is certainly an international superstar, interplanetary superstar. He snaps his fingers, people jump to his attention. Well, that`s what happens when you`re Tom Cruise, right?
It works on everyone, except one very outspoken four-year-old. Tom`s candid daddy confession. Intimate new details about who is really running the show at home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: This is how it ends up. She looks at me and she goes, "Dad, I really don`t think you should try to force me to do something I don`t want to do."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kate Gosselin`s surprising revelation after her marriage reality TV meltdown. Is she really lonely and looking for love? I will tell you what Kate is saying today.
And the queen goes topless. Well, Helen Mirren, who played the queen in the Oscar-winning movie. She is naked in a tub and doesn`t care who sees her. We`ve got the eyebrow-raising new pictures just out today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here comes And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Lady Gaga to reveal the title of her new album at midnight on New Year`s Eve. "Real Housewives of New Jersey" costar, Danielle Staub, debuts new song -
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Nicole Richie`s new legal trouble today and she is blaming her kids. You remember back in her wild child days, Nicole got arrested for DUI after getting busted driving the wrong way on the freeway.
Well, she served an hour in jail for that. She has been on probation ever since. But today, the judge reportedly said Nicole is going to stay on probation until 2011. Why? Well, Nicole says being a mom of two has actually gotten in the way of her court-ordered alcohol education classes. The judge says he will end Nicole`s probation once she finishes all of her classes.
I want to move on now to Tom Cruise`s daddy drama. Tom gave a brand- new interview today, and he gives us a rare glimpse into his most private role in life, a dad. I`ve got to say, this side of Tom may be winning him some new fans.
Right now from Hollywood, Kristin Dos Santos. Kristin is with "E! Online`s" "Watch with Kristin." Also right now, Ben Widdicombe. Ben is a celebrity journalist.
So we have seen Tom in all kinds of pretty big roles, as a pilot, a samurai, secret agent. Hey, you know, basically, don`t mess with Tom at least in the movies.
Well, in this brand-new interview today on "Good Morning, America," Tom revealed he cannot play tough guy with one of his leading ladies, his four- year-old daughter, Suri. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CRUISE: You know, we have rules, but we try to work with getting their agreement on things as opposed to work with their own determinism, like trying to explain. You know, like I say to Suri, "You really - you really should eat this protein. I really want you to eat this protein if you`re going to have that sugar."
And this is how it ends up. She looks at me and she goes, "Dad, I really don`t think you should try to force me to do something I don`t want to do." You know what I mean? And I`m like, "OK. Well, it`s really good for you."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`ve got to say I really like seeing this side of Tom. Kristin, are you with me? There is something, you know, kind of cool about seeing this big action hero wrapped around his little girl`s finger. He is almost wussy-like in the best possible way.
KRISTIN DOS SANTOS, E! ONLINE`S "WATCH WITH KRISTIN": I agree. I have to say this is a far cry from the Tom we once knew who was jumping on Oprah`s couch. And I think he is clearly trying to do away with that image still, you know, six years later.
HAMMER: Unbelievable, too.
DOS SANTOS: He`s trying to bring back that same Tom that we once knew and loved. And I think this is the way to do it. You know, when you think of a four-year-old, putting him in his place over protein versus carbs and eating what she wants to eat. And Katie has also said she wears what she wants to wear.
You know, I think she has a very endearing side to the two of them. The one caveat is, when that girl is about 12 and still wearing those heels, she is going to be taller than him. And I think then maybe daddy will put his foot down.
HAMMER: And I think about that couch jumping thing - I think it is time to let it go, please. I mean, really, it happened a long time ago and people still are grasping on to that.
Tom, by the way, is promoting a new film called "Knight and Day" right now. And in this film, he plays a tough-as-nails agent. Ben, I have to believe, just like Kristin said, Tom showing his mushy daddy-ness is going to win him all kinds of big points with fans.
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Well, you know what? There is no question that Tom needs to appeal to a younger generation because he has aged past 40. And he`s doing this kind of action film. He`s talking about his kid.
He wants this younger generation of fans to come in. I think the film looks great. And of course, he`s doing a media blitz. So we all want to know about Suri because she`s so adorable. She sells magazine covers. I think Tom should spend as much time as he can talking about Suri as a way to win the audience back.
HAMMER: And you know, look, what parent doesn`t light up when they get to talk about their kids? All right. I`ve got to move on to more big news just in today about Kate Gosselin.
The question is, is Kate oh so lonely? Now, Kate has denied reports that she was actually in the market for a dating show. But I want you to check out what she told reporters when they asked her about the possibility of a show.
She said, "I am lonely and I do need help and I`m not mean like everyone says I am." You know, just goes show, you could have millions of fans and you can still he be pretty darn lonely.
Kristin, you know, if she is lonely, why not look for love on a reality show? A lot of people are doing it.
DOS SANTOS: I have to say, I think in this case, I would be against a reality show because I can`t understand how it would work out to have eight children in the house with perhaps all of her suitors?
I mean, that is what she did on "Dancing with the Stars." She brought her partner into the house to live with her because that was the only way they could make it work and still have time to spend with her children.
HAMMER: Yes.
DOS SANTOS: So you know, I really feel like she does need to focus to on being a mom at some point. And she is already shooting two shows for TLC. So to do a dating show on top of that might be a little outrageous.
HAMMER: Well, Kate is on the new "OK" magazine. The cover line reading, in part, "The lonely single mom is changing her controlling ways and focusing on love." So she needs something.
But Ben, quickly, I`m thinking she will have a pretty impossible time finding a date unless she can find a guy who hasn`t been near a TV or a magazine stand in three years.
WIDDICOMBE: Listen, I think reality show audiences are sophisticated enough today to realize a dating show is a job for her. And any guys who go on the show are not looking for love. They`re looking for a piece of the pie, a piece of the fame. She is not going to find a partner on a show like that.
HAMMER: All right. Ben Widdicombe, Kristin Dos Santos, thank you guys so much.
Moving on now to new revelations today about Salma Hayek and that crazy snake scare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god! Oh, my god!
SALMA HAYEK, ACTRESS: Get the snake!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Poor Salma. Look at that. That snake scared the living daylights out of her. Well, today, she is telling all about what really went down and she is revealing the hero who saved the day.
Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Katy Perry says she wants Rihanna to strip at her bachelorette party. "Twilight" fans camp out in L.A. ahead of "Eclipse" premiere on Thursday.
HAMMER: Now, it`s the SHOWBIZ buzz list. These are things that we sure at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT cannot stop buzzing about all this week. Eminem`s new album "Recovery" is definitely a summer iPod must-have. Something else for our beach bags.
You know, Kindles and all those other E-readers. A lot of them have slashed prices.
And Vince and the boys are back. I`m psyched about this - "Entourage" returning for season seven. And that happens on HBO on Sunday.
No soup for you. The original Soupman, or the Soup Nazi as was called in the classic Seinfeld episode, reopens his original New York City restaurant.
And celebrity chef, Anthony Bourdain doesn`t mince words. His new book is "Medium Raw." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Thank you, Charles. Well, the bachelor`s match-making track record gets worse as another couple bites the dust. And Dame Helen Mirren gets naked. All that making news in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The queen goes topless. Oscar-wing actress Helen Mirren is 60, sexy and not afraid to show it. Mirren`s racy new photo shoot in "New York" magazine shows the star provocatively posed to promote her latest role as a whore house madam in the new film, "Love Ranch."
Mirren tells the magazine, "I`m getting less notorious as I get older. People forget that I ever was."
A big bachelor breakup. Controversial bachelor couple Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi suddenly split after a few months together. Just last month, the reality TV couple was talking about wedding plans. But they aren`t giving out any details about what led to the breakup.
Tori Spelling, a "90210" outcast? Spelling tells Ryan Seacrest she doesn`t get any love from her former co-stars from "Beverly Hills 90210."
TORI SPELLING, ACTRESS: Talking about how all my cast members hate me. People say, "Oh, do you mean like during `90210?`" I say, "No, we were great friends during `90210.` You know, we were friends after 90210.`" They all came to my first wedding. And then, all of a sudden, I married Dean. I don`t know what happened. I lost all my cast members.
HAMMER: Spelling admits the "90210" cast fight is her perception and just a, quote, "fun story." She`s currently promoting her new book "Un- chartered Territory."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Salma Hayek-Pinot`s snake freak-out revelations. Salma, who recently started using her married name professionally, was doing an interview just the other day with Maria Bello and Maya Rudolph for their new movie "Grown-Ups" when they spotted a big old snake.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my god. It`s not going to come up here.
HAYEK: Oh, my god. Get the snake. Somebody do something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, this morning on "Live with Regis and Kelly," Salma gave the lowdown on the snake drama and the hero who saved the day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAYEK: It was a five-foot snake that was hissing and the head was up and it goes by really fast. But the really dramatic part about it is that when the snake was, like, came out, we saw it, the 40 people around us, they left. They left.
There were bodyguards, like men, really, big, tough. They ran. And if it hadn`t been for Maya Rudolph`s hairdresser who came with his little hairbrush - shoo, shoo, started pushing the snake away. Once the snake was already out the chair, I don`t know what would have happened.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I am so glad that nobody was hurt. But I`m still trying to figure out how Salma balanced on that chair in those high heels. It`s crazy.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern. It`s Monday through Friday. And please don`t forget we are still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
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