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Showbiz Tonight
Lindsay Lohan`s Lawyer Quits; Lindsay Lohan`s Drug Use; Mel Gibson Bombshell; The Mystery About Levi Johnston`s Apology to Sarah Palin; Barbara Walters and Her Heart Surgery
Aired July 08, 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 - is Lindsay Lohan Tweedle Dumb? The absolute outrage over Lohan`s brand-new tweets after getting sentenced to jail. Is she really comparing her situation to international human torture? And the explosive new revelations today about the drugs she`s been taking.
Mel`s brand new reported racial rants. Unbelievable claims about what Mel Gibson said to the mother of his love child caught on tape. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the great mystery today. So how come those tapes aren`t being released?
Another brand-new mystery today about Levi Johnston`s bombshell public apology to Sarah Palin. Today`s "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint." Was Levi forced to apologize to Sarah? Plus, Levi`s greatest lives revealed.
Dramatic news today about Barbara Walters and her heart surgery.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - so many brand-new Lindsay Lohan bombshells we almost pulled out a scorecard to keep track.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. And perhaps the biggest bombshell of them all came late this afternoon. Lindsay`s attorney has apparently quit on her and this just two days after standing by Lindsay`s side as a judge threw the book at Lindsay.
But, wait, there`s more. Lindsay has just sent out a barrage of tweets that could earn her brand-new nickname. Are you ready for this? I`m thinking it`s Tweedle Dumb. That`s because Lindsay seems to be comparing her situation to torture. I know it sounds crazy. But come on, do you think I`d make this kind of stuff up?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): As if a 90-day jail sentence and nationwide scorn weren`t bad enough, Lindsay Lohan got even more bad news today, because late today, we learned Lindsay is apparently losing her biggest defender, her attorney.
TMZ reports that Lohan`s attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley has quit on Lindsay Lohan.
SHAWN CHAPMAN HOLLEY, LINDSAY LOHAN`S ATTORNEY: The reality is, she changed her conduct and she`s now in compliance with the court`s overall order.
HAMMER: The very same attorney who, just a couple of days ago tried, valiantly and unsuccessfully to keep Lindsay out of jail.
JUDGE MARSHA REVEL, LOS ANGELES SUPERIOR COURT: That`s 90 days in jail.
HAMMER: The last we saw of Holley, Lindsay was crying on her shoulder in court as a judge sentenced her to 90 days in jail and 90 days in-patient rehab for violating probation on a pair of DUI arrests.
Earlier today, things seemed just fine between Lindsay and her attorney. In fact, just hours before we learned of her resignation, Holley sent SHOWBIZ TONIGHT a statement blasting Lohan`s sentence.
It said, quote, "We believe that the penalty is far harsher than what others would have received under similar circumstances. That said, Ms. Lohan is prepared to serve her jail time and to comply with the court`s orders."
And literally minutes before SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got word of Holley`s of the apparent resignation, I spoke with Lohan`s estranged father, Michael Lohan. He claimed to me that Holley and others got in the way of Lindsay getting the help he says she still needs for her well-documented substance abuse issues.
MICHAEL LOHAN, LINDSAY LOHAN`S FATHER (through telephone): I understand she`s doing a job. But come on, stop making excuses for this kid. A.J., come on, everyone - it`s time to stop the B.S. with the law and excuses.
HAMMER: Yes.
LOHAN: Face the fact, step to the plate and admit when you`re wrong.
HAMMER: Lindsay is definitely not admitting she`s wrong if her defiant Twitter postings are any indication.
MELANIE BROMLEY, WEST COAST BUREAU CHIEF, "US WEEKLY": Lindsay Lohan has definitely kind of taken it upon herself to use her Twitter as a way for her to express her frustration at her sentence.
HAMMER: Heads were spinning today as Lindsay seemed to be comparing her situation to torture. Lindsay twitted, quote, "It is clearly stated in Article 5 of the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights that no one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment."
BROMLEY: Lindsay is not known as a human rights activist.
HAMMER: Lindsay`s explosive tweeting put in a link to an article of a woman scheduled to be stoned to death in Iran for adultery. Critics had a field day with this today, suggesting she was comparing her own jail sentence to that of unjustly imprisoned women.
"PerezHilton.com" angrily asked, "What the hell are you ranting about, Lilo?"
BROMLEY: I`ve met Lindsay. She`s a smart girl. I don`t think she would possibly ever be comparing herself to a situation in Iran to what she is going through in Beverly Hills.
HAMMER: "Us Weekly`s" Melanie Bromley tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Lindsay`s Twitter rants may be her way of dealing with the trauma of her upcoming jail sentence, which is scheduled to begin on July 20.
BROMLEY: I`ve spoken with people who have spoken to Lindsay in the last 24 hours and she is still in a very deep state of shock over the sentencing. She really did not think this was going to happen. She`s upset. She`s trying to cope with it.
HAMMER: Now, Lindsay apparently will have to deal with her troubles with a new attorney who could possibly appeal Lindsay`s sentence.
So with a possible appeal and all of those explosive tweets, it`s all showing us that if Lindsay is headed to jail, it seems she will be going kicking and screaming every step of the way.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So just when Lindsay thought it couldn`t get any worse, has Lindsay officially hit rock bottom?
Right now, in Hollywood is Hyla. He is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com." With me in New York is Midwin Charles. Midwin is a legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV.
Look, I`m not at all surprised that Lindsay`s lawyer quit. Shawn Chapman Holley has represented a whole bunch of troubled celebs in her career - Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton, O.J. Simpson, Michael Jackson. But, Midwin, why do you suppose she quit on Lindsay?
MIDWIN CHARLES, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV: It could be as simple as the fact that her retainer agreement said no appeals. I know when I work with client, there`s a clause that says, "Once a judge makes a final determination in your case, we will not handle your appeal, and if we do, it`s a completely different arrangement, a completely different retainer agreement." So it could be as simple as that.
HAMMER: Well, that`s coming from the lawyer here. Quite frankly, me, I think she just had enough. Honestly, I mean, she just had to have been so frustrated. What about you, Hyla? Did it come to any shock to you that Lindsay`s attorney dumped her?
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST, "5DOLLARPREP.COM": No, not a shock at all. I`m sure that her attorney tried to help her the best that she could within, you know, her legal abilities.
But at some point, Lindsay is going to have to look at the people around her and her friends and her family, to try to help her out. That wasn`t happening. She couldn`t handle the excuses, just like the judge. And she probably said, "I`m out. I quit. I`m done."
HAMMER: Yes. I`m with you, Hyla, too, because it was clear to me how hard Lindsay`s attorney was working to try to get Lindsay off the hook when clearly Lindsay was in the wrong.
I do want to watch a bit of Lindsay`s hearing when it was proven that Lindsay did not attend alcohol ed classes that she was supposed to attend, she was ordered by the court to attend. Lindsay`s attorney tried I thought very hard in a very dire situation. Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLLEY: There`s a different between the letter and the spirit of the law. And in this respect, the law that we`re talking about is the court`s order in December. And the letter of that order is clearly that Ms. Lohan attend once a week.
The spirit, however, is that she take the program seriously. And it`s evident that she has taken it seriously as is reflected in the fact that she is going to be finished with the program, obviously, by - could be the end of this week.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Midwin, clearly clever lawyerly words there, but it always seemed to me watching this attorney that she is smarter than the arguments she was forced to make.
CHARLES: Well, you know, I think what makes is so difficult is if - that argument would work is if the facts backed it up, right? Because what she`s saying is, you know, the spirit is that Lindsay took it seriously.
But her actions do not support that. This is the girl who lied and said that her uncle died and that`s why she didn`t show up. And so the judge said, "Well, did you go to the funeral?" Her answer was no.
So when you make an argument like that as an attorney, you have to be very, very careful because a lot of times, what the client is telling you is not true.
HAMMER: Right. And it seemed like she was grasping at straws. Her job is to get Lindsay off -
(CROSS TALK)
Hey, if you looked around today, Lindsay got slammed everywhere. I want you to take a look at this absolutely bombastic article, and I don`t throw that word around lightly.
It`s by a columnist Andrea Peyser. It appeared in today`s "New York`s Post." She just went off on Lindsay. Listen to this. She wrote, "Blubbering bawling mega boob Lindsay Lohan doesn`t deserve a speck of your sympathy or support, nor a dollop of respect. What Linz desperately needs is a swift kick in the teeth, a foot in the backside and a broom with which to clean up her many messes. She`s finished. Over."
Peyser called for a total boycott of everything Lindsay, talking movies, fashion - everything. Hyla, do you think Peyser is being too harsh there?
HYLA: 100 percent. She`s completely out of touch and out of reality. We`ve seen comebacks in Hollywood. The first one that comes to my mind is Robert Downey, Jr. I read the entire article and she said that career is over and all this nonsense. Absolutely not.
Now is the time we need to embrace Lindsay. We need to apply some empathy. We need to figure out here, how can we help her? I think this is a Britney Spears situation where it took her dad coming in, taking control of her life in order to get things back to normal.
This is what we need to do to Lindsay. Kicking her in the teeth and these stupid words that she was using - the article is horrible and does nothing - it does nothing to help Lindsay.
HAMMER: It`s an interesting point. You know, I have to tell you, though, a lot of comparisons have been made to Robert Downey, Jr. about Lindsay Lohan, but I think there`s a huge difference here.
It was Robert Downey, Jr.`s drug issues - and he admits it - that got him into trouble, not that he was being a brat and in such denial. But that is not the only startling new revelation today in the Lindsay Lohan jail saga.
Oh, no. Brand-new information revealed today about Lohan`s prescription drug use. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has an explosive and candid reaction from Lindsay Lohan`s father, Michael.
Now, I spoke with Michael late today. I have the interview that you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming up. Midwin Charles, Hyla, don`t go anywhere.
Now, over to you. It`s our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll. We want to know, "Lindsay Lohan`s Twitter Rant: Should she just shut up already? You can vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. You can E-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is investigating big, breaking mysteries today - two big Mel Gibson bomb shells. Late today, police revealed that Mel is being investigated for domestic violence against the mother of his love child. And the big mystery surrounding the alleged tape of Mel`s reported racial rant.
And then, another big mystery today - Levi Johnston`s stunning about- face apology to Sarah Palin. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the mystery behind why Levi is suddenly saying he`s sorry. Was Levi forced to apologize?
Plus, inside Levi`s biggest lies about Sarah Palin. Levi says he`s sorry, but which of his biggest lies is he most sorry about?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEVI JOHNSTON, FATHER OF BRISTOL PALIN`S SON: She was never home. Todd was always out doing his thing on his snow machine and whatnot. And so there was very minimal parenting around the house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Dramatic news today about Barbara Walters and her heart surgery. 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: Betty White`s "Hot in Cleveland" renewed for a second season. "Glee" picks up 19 Emmy nods including best actress, actor for Lea Michelle and Matthew Morrison.
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For lead actor in a comedy series, the nominees are - Jim Parsons, Larry David, Matthew Morrison, Tony Shalhoub, Steve Carell and Alec Baldwin - "30 Rock."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Alec Baldwin gets yet another Emmy nod today for "30 Rock." But today, that`s not the bombshell that has everyone talking. Is Alec leaving the hit show for good? Say it isn`t show, Alec.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Now, Brooke Anderson, you`re in Hollywood. I`m surprised you`re still awake because you were right there early this morning when the Emmy nominations were announced.
ANDERSON: I was, A.J. And today, there were some big surprises, some snubs and downright explosive Emmy controversies, including that Baldwin bombshell. Alec Baldwin may have been nominated today for another Emmy, but it looks like his acting days may be numbered.
Right now here with me in Hollywood is Rachel Zalis who is a contributing editor for "Life and Style Weekly."
So Rachel, Alec has already won two Emmys, three Golden Globes for his role as the loveable but politically incorrect network exec, Jack Donaghy on "30 Rock." All the success and yet, Alec wants to leave the show. Watch what he told CNN exclusively.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEC BALDWIN, ACTOR: As much as I like acting, I know that I would love to have a different life.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Really?
BALDWIN: Oh, yes. Totally.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I mean, it`s --
BALDWIN: A private life, yes. I mean, I think that doing this now for a living has become really, really hard. It`s really hard. And I would rather go do other things and have whatever amount of time I have left in my life, have more of a normal life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Alec says he plans on leaving by 2012. But Rachel, I`m trying to understand why he would give it all up, especially now - especially at the height of his career.
RACHEL ZALIS, CONTRIBUTING EDITOR, "LIFE AND STYLE WEEKLY": I know. Alec, say it isn`t so. He anchors that show. He`s created one of the most colorful characters in TV`s history.
But in truth, he actually didn`t even want to do the show five years ago when it started. And Lorne Michaels and Marci Klein, the producers, really pushed him to do it. And I think he`s really been very grateful. It`s been a great spotlight for him, which, in that sense, he loves in terms of an actor. But he has never liked the paparazzi and the tabloids.
ANDERSON: Yes.
ZALIS: He`s had to weather the nasty phone calls with daughter.
ANDERSON: Yes.
ZALIS: The, you know, bitter divorce with Kim Basinger. So it`s never been --
ANDERSON: Never had the desire to be that sort of celebrity with all that unwanted attention, yes.
ZALIS: Exactly. And I think he would like to reclaim a little of that privacy.
ANDERSON: I can understand why he would want to live his life private, live a more normal life. And I`ve got to say, Rachel, when I was at Emmy nominations this morning, there was an audible gasp in the room when it was announced that Conan O`Brien, this guy, was nominated for an Emmy for "The Tonight Show" even though he got fired from the show.
Conan tweeted this right after, "Congrats to my staff on four Emmy nominations. This bodes well for the future of `The Tonight Show with Conan O`Brien.`" Rachel, you know that Conan is loving this. It`s like he`s getting the last laugh.
ZALIS: I love it. You know, I think he`s just handled it with such humor and class. But come on, the biggest story of the Emmys was "Glee" and Conan is certainly feeling that today.
You know, he`s at home jumping up and down in his bed. I mean, this is a late-night talk show smackdown, if you ever saw one. I mean, Leno has to be embarrassed.
ANDERSON: It certainly is a late-night smackdown and we`re all excited here at CNN, because in family - Conan O`Brien is joining TBS later this year for a new talk show. But congratulations to him and all the nominees. The Emmys will be handed out August 29th. Rachel Zalis, thank you so much.
ZALIS: Thank you.
HAMMER: You know, I think a lot of people are still really baffled over Lindsay Lohan printing the words F.U. on her fingernail in court. What the heck was she thinking?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I wasn`t missing the classes. I wouldn`t do anything if I wasn`t working.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, today Lindsay Lohan explains away the obscene expletive printed on her fingernail when she was begging and pleading to the judge for leniency. Was she really sending a message to the judge?
So does North Korea have Bieber fever? You`re not going to believe this. Is Justin Bieber taking his tour and his hair to the communist country?
So have you always wanted tO take home a piece of MTV`s "Jersey Shore?" Well, I am happy to tell you, now you can. Snooki`s hair. The Situation`s abs. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to tell you how you can own your very own tanned and toned "Jersey Shore" action figure. Oh, goody. 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: Special edition of "Avatar" with eight extra minutes coming to theaters August 27th. "Mad Men" earns 17 Emmy nominations topping all dramas.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Listen, I`m not here to tell you about Jesus. If you already know about Jesus, either he lives in your heart or he doesn`t. Every woman wants choices. But in the end, none wants to be one of 100 in a box. She`s unique. She makes the choices and she`s chosen you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, we learned today that LeAnn Rimes says she is quitting twitter. LeAnn continues to get slammed for her controversial relationship with actor Eddie Cibrian. They, of course, got together while they were both married to other people.
And LeAnn`s fans are apparently still pretty blue about that. So LeAnn has just announced she is not tweeting for a while. She writes this, "Taking a break from Twitter for a while. It`s unhealthy for me and my family to have to read negative comments from people whose opinions have no bearing on my life. I love my fans so very much and will return one day soon. God bless you all."
ANDERSON: Big news breaking in "The Buzz" today. Don Johnson sues his old show "Nash Bridges" and wins an unbelievable payday. And dramatic news about Barbara Walters` return to television following her heart surgery. It`s all making big news in "The Buzz" today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Don Johnson`s gigantic payday. A California jury has just awarded him more than $23 million. Johnson sued the companies which produced his hit TV show, "Nash Bridges," for six seasons claiming that they cheated him out of millions in profits. Some of the producers said the show lost money overall and that`s why they didn`t pay Johnson.
Barbara Walters` big comeback. Walters has just announced that she will make the very first live TV appearance since leaving "The View" for health reasons.
The 80-year-old "View" creator says she`s going to rejoin her co-hosts on July 12th and she`s going to do it via Skype. Walters made an abrupt announcement back in May that she would leave the show to have heart valve surgery.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook is just overflowing with outrage over Lindsay Lohan`s obscene manicure the day she was sentenced to jail.
Ivette B. thinks that Lindsay`s message should have cost her more days in the slammer, "I think Lindsay`s hidden intention was to give the judge a subliminal message by way of her manicure. I think these celebrities that believe that they are above the law get way to little of a sentence."
Now, Brittni F. says Lindsay said a lot with her obscene fingernail. She writes, "Just shows how careless she is. She`s not sincere. She`s just looking to get off easy."
ANDERSON: And now, the showbiz lineup. Here`s what is coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Dramatic new details about Lindsay Lohan`s drug use. Lindsay`s dad, Michael Lohan, tells us what he thinks in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Mel Gibson bombshell. Late today, police reveal that Mel is being investigated for domestic violence against the mother of his love child. Plus, the big mystery about alleged tapes of Mel`s reported racial rant.
Levi Johnson tells Sarah Palin he`s sorry. But was he forced to apologize? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Paul McCartney surprised Ringo Starr on stage for his 70th birthday at Radio City. HBO World War II miniseries "The Pacific" tops Emmy nods with 24 nominations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You see bricks?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, sir.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, dramatic new details just revealed today about Lindsay Lohan`s drug use. Today, Michael Lohan responds to his daughter Lindsay`s drug dilemma. It`s the headline-making interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Brand-new Mel Gibson bombshell. Late today, police launch a major investigation into allegations of abuse from the mother of his love child. Plus, the big mystery about alleged tapes of Mel`s reported racial rant.
Another big mystery today, was Levi Johnston forced to apologize to Sarah Palin? Plus, Levi`s lies exposed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSTON: Sarah was never home. Todd was always out doing his thing in his snow machine or whatnot. So there was very minimal parenting in that house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - watch out, the "Titanic" is coming, this time in 3-D. And "SNL`s" Emmy record breaker.
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 - Lindsay`s drug use revealed.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained Lindsay`s probation report. I can tell you there are explosive new revelations today in that report about the drugs Lindsay Lohan has been taking.
I want you to look at this. Lindsay`s on Zoloft. Zoloft is an antidepressant. She`s also on the antidepressant trazodone. The report also reveals that Lindsay takes Adderall, and Adderall is used to control attention deficit disorder. She takes Nexium and that`s acid reflux, as well as Dilaudid, which is an extremely powerful painkiller.
Now, for a very long time, Lindsay`s own father, Michael Lohan, has been preaching about Lindsay`s supposed addiction to prescription drugs. And he`s complained nobody`s been listening. This afternoon, I spoke with Michael Lohan to get his take on the revelations about Lindsay`s prescription drug use. And I asked him if he now feels vindicated.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
M. LOHAN (through telephone): Very sadly vindicated. You know, I wanted this. I brought it up with Dina and Lindsay way before I went public on it and I knew what it was doing. And A.J., I`m glad you brought this up because if you look at the combination of the drugs these doctors or so- called doctors have put her on, I mean, it`s a cocktail.
I`m surprised that she hasn`t fallen to the fate of her friends. It`s horrible. I mean, when you`re mixing Zoloft, Adderall, Dilaudid, Nexium and - I mean, some of the other opiates that`s just in your system (INAUDIBLE), it`s insane. Drugs to go to sleep, drugs for depression, drugs for weight loss, drugs to wake up for, drugs for pain, drugs for heartburn. Give me a break.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. It is wild hearing that all together. Michael Lohan obviously not mincing words today about Lindsay`s prescription drug use.
With me right now in New York is Jane Velez-Mitchell. Jane, of course, is the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL" right here on HLN and the author of the fabulous book, "I Want." And from Hollywood, it`s Ken Baker, who is the chief news correspondent for "E!"
HAMMER: OK. When you hear all of that, I mean, there`s no question, is there, that this young woman, Lindsay Lohan, needs some serious help.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: She desperately needs rehab, A.J. And what really shocks me is that the powers that be have cleared her to take that drug cocktail?
First of all, it can be very dangerous. We know how many celebrity ODs have you and I discussed involving drug cocktail. Secondly, how on earth can you get sober when you`re high? These are powerful mood-altering drugs.
The definition of sobriety is that you`re not under the influence of drugs like this. So obviously, the people who were clearing her to do these drugs and saying it`s OK because it`s doctor prescribed -
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Know absolutely zero about addiction.
HAMMER: Yes. The painkiller, in particular, Dilaudid, is said to be more powerful than morphine. I mean, come on. Ken Baker, I know you spoke with Michael Lohan as well. And I think this revelation about all of the prescription drugs that Lindsay is on, without a doubt, is a wake-up call that Lindsay still seems to be in denial about, don`t you think?
KEN BAKER, EXECUTIVE NEWS EDITOR, "E!": Yes. Well, you know, you spoke to Michael, and Michael told me that he feels as though the prescription drugs is the problem. That is exactly her problem right now.
She`s not doing cocaine. The alcohol that was possibly detected a few weeks ago with that SCRAM bracelet, it was .04. It was very minor. She`s clearly not drinking in any serious way right now. It is the prescription pills that is the problem.
And something that`s interesting in court right now is before she does check into jail on July 20th, they are going to evaluate all the drugs that she is on to make sure that they are legitimate prescriptions and are necessary.
But she is going to have to wean herself off of these things eventually. She`s going to have to get into rehab, as Jane says, and deal with this.
One thing Michael that said that was really interesting is that when he was in the courtroom on Tuesday and he looked in his daughter`s eyes, it was like there was just glass. It could have been a doll`s eyes. And he says it is because of those prescription pills.
HAMMER: And she says she`s been taking them as long as she can remember. And it`s not just the drugs that are the problem according to Michael. It`s also people.
Michael telling me that he thinks there are way too many enablers in Lindsay`s life. He even cited Lindsay`s own attorney, Shawn Chapman Holley, who apparently quit on Lindsay late today, as one of the enablers. Listen to what Michael about Chapman Holley.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
M. LOHAN: My reaction is going to be the same as it was prior to all this - Shawn Chapman Holley is as much of an enabler as anyone else, because she knows that I was trying to work this - I`m going to release a statement. I`m going to tell you what Shawn Chapman Holley told my lawyer and told myself.
Prior to this happening, weeks ago, even a month ago, she said, "Michael, I know Lindsay has a problem." She met me in New York City, as a matter of fact. "Michael, I know Lindsay has a problem but I`m stuck in a very, very hard place. Morally, as a fact - morally, I know I`m supposed to tell Lindsay to go into rehab and get help. But ethically, as an attorney, I have to do what she wants me to do."
And I say to her, "Shawn, if she dies in the process, are you going to feel any guilt or responsibility for that?" But she couldn`t answer me.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Shawn Chapman Holley for reaction to Michael`s claims. As of show time, we haven`t heard back. But Jane, I mean, think about what he said. She really was in tough spot, wasn`t she?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: She is because she`s an attorney. She`s not an interventionist. She`s not a drug counselor. She`s not a psychiatrist. She`s not even a good friend.
Nevertheless, as an attorney, she has an obligation to the truth. And if she really knows that Lindsay is high on drugs and she`s representing something else to the court, that`s a problem. But, again, it`s this darn loophole.
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: If that`s not high but it`s high, then it`s almost a self- defeating mechanism. It doesn`t really make sense to say, "You have to be sober, young lady, but you can take all of these drugs that make you high." It`s crazy.
HAMMER: It is crazy and I don`t know how that`s ever going to end. Now, there`s one thing that Lindsay`s attorney did do before she apparently suddenly quit earlier today. She reacted for the very first time to all the uproar over Lindsay showing up in court with the F.U. words on her middle finger.
Now, she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT this, "The fact is, the words could barely be seen by the naked eye. A courtroom camera, purportedly there to accurately chronicle the proceedings, would use a telephoto lens to zoom in as it did to Ms. Lohan`s fingernail as a commentary on the entire issue."
Barely seen by the naked eye. I`m sorry. That, to me, does not seem like a good excuse for someone, Lindsay Lohan in this case, to be showing up in court with an obscenity on her finger. I mean, I read that statement, Ken Baker, and I think this lawyer totally missed the point.
BAKER: Well, I think that, also, you have to look at what happened in that courtroom on that day. We saw her at one point, she put up her dukes like this and she was like all feisty.
She went in there for a fight. She wasn`t in there to persuade or make an argument. She knew she was in there for a fight and that`s how she looked at it. She was very defiant.
And guess what? She was on her Twitter yesterday and she`s tweeting about how this is somehow a violation of her constitutional rights and it`s somehow unfair. She`s inferring that.
So this is someone clearly who is not accepting the punishment. She`s clearly not accepting the responsibility. She still is fighting and is angry. And any interventionist that I`ve spoken to about Lindsay or about any of these cases says that, you know what, this is very common.
I`m sure Jane can speak to this a lot better than I can. She`s just - she is just fighting out and she`s fighting it. They have to pin her down --
HAMMER: yes.
BAKER: And put her into jail before she will even address this stuff.
HAMMER: Well, let`s hope that she`s an entirely different person and a healed person, at least to the extent that she can be in the time she`ll be away when she gets back. Jane Velez-Mitchell, Ken Baker, thank you both.
We`ve been asking to you vote on our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll. It is this - "Lindsay Lohan`s Twitter Rant: Should she just shut up already?" I know you`ve got something to say about this. So vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail your thoughts to showbiztonight@cnn.com.
ANDERSON: Levi`s lies exposed. Levi Johnson shocked the world when he admitted he lied about Sarah Palin and her family. But was Levi forced to tell the truth?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHNSTON: Sarah was never home. Todd was always out doing his thing on his snow machine or what not. And you know, so there was very minimal parenting in that house.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Breaking Mel Gibson news. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT confirmed police have opened up an investigation into the shocking abuse allegations involving his ex-girlfriend, the mother of his love child. The incredible new twist today to Mel`s dramatic breakup.
How would you like to reach out and touch The Situation`s abs? I know a lot of the ladies would love to, and now, you can, sort of. Step right up and get your "Jersey Shore" action figure. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: 3-D version of "Titanic" coming in 2010 to commemorate 100th anniversary. "Saturday Night Live" is now the most Emmy nominated TV show ever.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: The time has come for the Sarah Palin Network.
TINA FEY, ACTRESS (as Sarah Palin): All Palin, all the time until 2012 when I haven`t decided what I`m going to do but I`m probably going to run for president. I`m Sarah Palin. Good night.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Right now, Levi`s biggest lies revealed. Like a lot of people, I was shocked when we just heard about the big news that Levi Johnston made a very public, over-the-top apology to Sarah Palin.
But it is the extraordinary lengths he went to, to do that have a lot of people wondering if Levi may have been forced to tell the truth. Here is CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Remember the days when the televised feud was hot?
JOHNSTON: Sarah really didn`t like me.
MOOS: Hot.
FMR. GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK): I hear he goes by the name Ricky Hollywood now.
MOOS: Hot.
JOHNSTON: I have things that can, you know - that would get her in trouble and could hurt her.
PALIN: He doesn`t have anything on me.
JOHNSTON: I`m taking it off.
PALIN: I call that porn. Yes.
MOOS: Well, now, he`s gone from pornographic to apologetic. Levi told "People" magazine, "I publicly said things about the Palins that were not completely true." The trouble is, he didn`t specify which things were what he called "youthful indiscretion."
(on camera): Leaving us to ponder which ones were lies. For instance, was this one true or false?
JOHNSTON: Sarah was never home. Todd was always out doing his thing. So there was very minimal parenting in that house.
MOOS: Or maybe he made up this one.
JOHNSTON: When she called her kid retarded.
PALIN: That`s heartbreaking to know he would say such a thing and that`s not true.
MOOS: Or maybe this was the whopper.
BARBARA WALTER, TV PERSONALITY: One of the worst things he said about you again and again is that your marriage is terrible and that you`re on the verge of divorce.
PALIN: Yes, I don`t know how he`d be making that one up.
MOOS: Or could he have been lying when he answered this question about Sarah Palin?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And do you think she`s an honest person?
JOHNSTON: Yes, I do, for the most part.
MOOS: Now, the feud seems to be between Levi and his sister, Mercedes. She says he won`t let her see baby if she doesn`t stop blogging about the Palins. Levi`s sister seems to think he`s lying about lying.
She blogged, "Not only is he being controlled like a puppet, but saying that all his comments and stories were lies is absurd."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: I`ve got to tell you, everybody is asking the same question today, why in the world would Levi Johnston suddenly do a 180 and change his tune about the Palins? Which brings us to our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint," was Levi forced to apologize to Sarah Palin?
With me, tonight in Hollywood is Hyla, who is an entertainment journalist for "5DollarPrep.com." Right now, in New York is Midwin Charles who is a legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV.
Midwin, out to you first. What do you think? Is it fishy that Levi is doing such a dramatic about-face? Some are suggesting that perhaps the Palins had some information that led to Levi being forced to apologize.
CHARLES: Well, either that or his reality deal fell through and his sources of income are just not looking too particularly steady for him right now.
And so perhaps they offered him something that he simply could not refuse which was like, "Look, here`s a check, because you`ve got nothing else coming in. You`re not particularly suited to do much. And so, here you go. Keep your mouth shut."
ANDERSON: So you think maybe he got a little bit desperate. Hyla, what`s your theory? Do you think he was forced to apologize?
HYLA: I don`t think he was forced. I think all his options are exhausted.
CHARLES: Yes.
HYLA: He went for the homerun with everything, right? He gave divorce rumors and inside scoop. Then, he posed naked. What else can he offer the public?
ANDERSON: He threw in everything but the kitchen sink.
HYLA: Everything is gone. He`s like, "OK. What can I do? I might as well say sorry." She has to accept the apology. She said so on "Oprah" that she would accept him with open arms. So this is a win-win. He got his cake, then he gets to eat it.
ANDERSON: It`s so confusing. People think he`s lying about lying now. He`s just like, wait, can you believe with this guy anymore. But at least, he`s coming clean, in a sense.
OK. I`ve got to move now to another big story making big news today. Just in to the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, late today, we learned that police here in Malibu, California, have launched a domestic violence investigation involving Mel Gibson.
Police looking into the allegations that Mel attacked his ex- girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, in January. Midwin, we learned this today as more reports surfaced about reported audiotapes where Mel is raging against Oksana, hurling racial epithets. Why do you think somebody is reportedly leaking quotes from the tapes but nobody is actually releasing any tapes?
CHARLES: You know, I think that`s actually bizarre the way this is going down. But the fact that they have opened an investigation into this domestic violence abuse case definitely indicates that there are some facts there that is making law enforcement say, "You know what, we need to check into this."
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, for a comment. As of show time, we heard back from Gibson`s rep who said this, quote, "Can`t comment on something I`ve never heard nor confirmed even exists. Remember, this is a legal matter sealed by court order."
OK. All right. The fact that Mel`s team is not issuing a denial about the existence of any tapes makes me think that maybe they do exist. And Hyla, if so, would we really be shocked?
HYLA: No, we wouldn`t be shocked at all. But how many more things can happen to Gibson before he is completely buried. He seems to be still in the business and have somewhat of a career and working. But at some point, there has to be a tipping point and let`s hope that this is it.
ANDERSON: Yes. And just when you thought that maybe Mel had changed --
HYLA: Maybe --
ANDERSON: And could move forward with his life and his career, then he`s mired in another mess. If it`s all true, the guy has got serious, serious issues. Hyla, Midwin Charles, thank you both.
HAMMER: So does North Korea have Bieber fever? Justin Bieber is obviously a huge hit around the world. Just don`t look for him to be playing North Korea any time soon. A Web site launched an online campaign to send Justin to North Korea and it got over 600,000 votes.
But Justin`s record company says the whole thing is a big online hoax. But who knows, maybe having Justin Bieber play North Korea could actually help them improve international relations.
He`d have a lot to talk about with North Korea`s Kim Jong Il, right? I mean, they both seem to spend mad amounts of time on their hair.
ANDERSON: Yes. And hey, everybody knows that "Jersey Shore`s" Snooki has got some really big hair. Now, she`s got a big old head to match. Looking for the perfect gift for that special someone this year? How about a "Jersey Shore" action figure? Yes, get them while they`re buffed and tanned. 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: Kim Kardashian announces she will launch a second fragrance February 2011. ABC`s "Modern Family" receives 14 Emmy nominations including Best Comedy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I got Chinese.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Sweet. I`m starving.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Oh, we have guests.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Yes, we were just having a little jam session. You know Dylan(ph). This is Craig. This is Neal.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I`ll always remember him as the stranger holding my baby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Did you see this? The "Jersey Shore" stars as bobble heads. Something really seems appropriate about this, doesn`t it? Check out Snooki with a big head to match her big hair. Come on, Snooki doesn`t have blue eyes. They`re bloodshot red, aren`t they?
But I`m here to tell you these bobble heads do more than wobble. They talk too. Guess what The Situation says? He says, "This is the situation." Genius, isn`t it? You can really only recognize D.J. Paul in these bobble heads, well, that`s what`s it says on his headphones that are around his neck. Get your "Jersey Shore" bobble heads while they last. Brooke?
ANDERSON: OK. A.J., I`ve got to say I had a blast at today`s big Emmy nominations. There were a lot of surprises and I really think the Emmys this year are going to be all about the newcomers, the fresh faces.
Consider this. ABC`s "Modern Family" scored a whopping 14 nominations. "Modern Family" just one of the many new shows that racked up lots of Emmy nominations today.
And a big round of applause right now for Jesse Tyler Ferguson. He is absolutely hysterical on the show and he had us cracking up when we caught up with him today. Check out what Jesse told us about his life now that he is on a hit show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSE TYLER FERGUSON, ACTOR: Well, sometimes they just yell the name of my show, like, as if it`s my name. "Modern Family." I don`t know really how to respond to that. I just sort of nod with the acknowledgment, but that`s what I hear most.
Ironically, I hear that more than anything else, just yelling the name of the show. I remember this one woman came up to me. She was, "You are on the middle." And I said, "No, I`m not." She goes, "Yes, you are." I said, "No, I`m not." And she goes, "No, modern wife." I just said yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sometimes that`s best. Well, on Wednesday, we asked you to vote our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. As you see, I have just been handed the final results. "Lindsay Lohan Sentenced to Jail: Did she get what she deserved?"
An extreme majority has spoken today. Look at this - 92 percent of you said yes, she got what she deserved. Eight percent said no.
A ton of E-mails coming in on this. Jesse in California supporting Lindsay writing, "The entertainment industry introduces young stars to drugs and alcohol. Lindsay got in too deep. It is not Lindsay`s fault."
The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines have been ringing nonstop today with calls about Lindsay. Jennifer from Georgia says Lindsay should have gotten even more jail time.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JENNIFER, CALLER FROM GEORGIA: No, I don`t think it was fair she got 90 days. I think she can deserved a whole lot more than 90 days. And that is proof in the pudding for me with her walking in with the F.U. on her middle finger. She is one disrespectful little girl that deserved every bit of what she got.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Jennifer. We appreciate your call and we would love for you to call us at "Showbiz on Call" and sound off on Lindsay or anything at all. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time. This is the number - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ. That is 1-888-728-2899.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT now live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And please, do not 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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