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Showbiz Tonight
The Tale of the Mel Gibson Tapes; Lindsay Lohan Already in Rehab?; The Story Behind Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston`s Engagement; Could "Kate Plus 8" Be Shut Down?
Aired July 15, 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, HLN HOST: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - the tale of the tapes. Startling claims today about the tapes allegedly of Mel Gibson ranting and raving and whether they are the real deal. Were the rant-and-rave tapes tampered with before they were made public? As SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, does it really matter?
Startling news today that Lindsay Lohan may already be in rehab, just days before she is set to get thrown in jail. And could it mean she won`t wind up behind bars?
The story behind Bristol Palin`s engagement to Levi Johnston revealed today. Another "Us Weekly" bombshell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRISTOL PALIN, SARAH PALIN`S DAUGHTER: He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Is your face getting red?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Could Kate Gosselin`s new show be shut down? A lawmaker demanding today that "Kate Plus 8" be investigated.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, coming to from you New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HLN HOST: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - were the alleged Mel Gibson tapes tampered with before being released?
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. That was the startling claim being made today, that perhaps the tapes of a man suspected of being Mel ranting and raving were somehow edited before they were released. And even if they were, to quote my good friend Joy Behar, "So what?"
Because today, we got another heaping help of Mel`s purported verbal beating of his ex-girlfriend. And just like the other tapes, the man screaming like a wild person taps into his Merriam Webster dictionary of the most obscene words ever.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): The rants kept on coming today -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): You`re very jealous and you`re very mean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) because I like to show what you mean really is.
HAMMER: "Radar Online" today released more of the alleged Mel Gibson recorded rants against his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva. And they were just as vile as the others.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): (EXPLETIVES DELETED). Gold digger! All true! You (EXPLETIVE DELETED) proved it to me.
HAMMER: Today`s recordings are the fifth batch posted on "Radar Online." And if it is Mel Gibson on these tapes, this would make it his longest series, one more than the "Lethal Weapon" movies and two more than his "Mad Max" series.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): I spent too much (EXPLETIVE DELETED) money on you!
HAMMER: But as a mad nation reacts to the ugly, offensive and sometimes racist things Gibson allegedly says on today`s recordings as well as previous ones -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): If you get raped by a pack of (EXPLETIVE DELETED), it will be your fault.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you a new question emerged today. It is possible that these damaging tapes were altered?
JEFF ROSSEN, CORRESPONDENT, NBC NEWS: Why is her voice so clear while his isn`t? Are the tapes edited?
ROBIN ROBERTS, CO-ANCHOR, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Were those recordings of the profanity-filled arguments between Gibson and his ex- girlfriend? Were they tampered with?
HAMMER: Morning talk shows today were obsessed with the topic, a day after "HollywoodLife.com" posted an explosive analysis.
BONNIE FULLER, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, "HOLLYWOODLIFE.COM": We went to two top forensic experts. Both said that the tapes had been tampered with. The forensic experts we talked to said that the files were edited to delete names and potentially to delete phrases, and in order to splice together certain portions of the conversations.
HAMMER: Bonnie Fuller, editor-in-chief of "HollywoodLife.com" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT their analysts believe Oksana most definitely made the recordings with professional help.
FULLER: That`s why you hear her voice so clearly.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): You`re very mean.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): Yes. You know what mean is now, don`t you?
FULLER: Mel`s voice is less clear because he`s on a speaker phone calling in.
HAMMER: But this morning, the "Today" show had a dissenting view from another audio expert.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There is no evidence of any editing or erasures.
HAMMER: TMZ reports Mel Gibson`s attorneys plan to give police investigating a domestic abuse claim against Mel evidence that the "Radar Online" recordings were altered.
KIM SERAFIN, EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": If there is some question as to whether the tapes were edited, it can at least take a little bit of credibility away from Oksana.
HAMMER: But Oksana`s attorneys tell TMZ tampering claims from Gibson`s side are, quote, "unfounded." And "Radar Online," the Web site that is posting the recordings tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Top experts certified the tapes are genuine and authentic. To say otherwise is simply a defense strategy."
"Mel simply cannot deny he said these hateful words, spewed these vicious rants, and had these conversations. The real question is when will he take responsibility for his words?"
Whether or not it is Mel Gibson`s voice on the recordings -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): (EXPLETIVES DELETED), gold digger!
HAMMER: No amount of editing could possibly make these words any less disturbing.
SERAFIN: It doesn`t explain the words he uses. It doesn`t explain the racial rants. It doesn`t explain the anger. And listening to the tapes, there`s really no excuse for anything that he says.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And the possibility that the tapes may have been tampered with raises all kinds of new questions today. And that leads to the "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" today - even if the tapes were altered, does it matter?
Right now in Atlanta, Ryan Smith, who is a host for "In Session" on our sister network, Tru TV. With me in New York is Vikki Ziegler, who`s a family attorney.
So I listened to the five tapes that have come out and edited or not, what`s on these things - it`s vile and it`s disgusting. Vicki, to the "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint," even if the tapes were altered, does it matter?
VIKKI ZIEGLER, FAMILY ATTORNEY: I mean, if they`re altered, the question really becomes can they be produced in a court of law in terms of evidence in a domestic violence hearing and the custody hearing and maybe in the criminal case?
But I think, listen, every judge in America has probably heard these tapes in some form or at least read them.
HAMMER: Sure.
ZIEGLER: So I think Mel Gibson, if it is Mel Gibson, has a major problem of credibility on his hands.
HAMMER: Yes. It really is two points. It`s the whole idea of credibility, because the words are the words. That`s not, I don`t think, what is being contended to have been altered in any way. So Ryan Smith, to our "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint," does it matter?
RYAN SMITH, HOST, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV": I think it does matter. I think you do have an evidentiary problem like Vikki just said. But I think, also, you`ve got to say, "OK, if this was tampered with or changed, was he talking to her on these tapes? Do we hear him say, "Hey, Oksana, blah, blah, blah?"
So I think, you know, you`ve got to not only question is it his voice, you have to question if they`re tampered, and then who was he speaking to? Because these tapes would have to apply to her to have any effect on his domestic violence hearing.
HAMMER: That is an interesting point. And when you think about all the tapes that have been released thus far, I`m sure there are more coming, we have not heard the mention of anybody`s name on these tapes.
Now, "Radar Online" flatly denies that the tapes were altered. I do want to listen to a brand-new portion of this fifth tape that "Radar Online" released today, and this we haven`t heard yet.
The man purported to be Mel Gibson is just furious because he sold his box seats for the L.A. Lakers because, he says, he`s in deep financial trouble. Listen to this.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): I sold it because of you! I don`t have any (EXPLETIVE DELETED) money.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): I have to support you and everybody else. I have to sell paintings.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): Maybe it`s because of them. Maybe -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): I had to sell my box at the Lakers game.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): Well, maybe it`s because of others that you sold it. Why do you - why are you blaming it on me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): Do you need to ask for that when you know what kind of trouble I`m in? I spent more than $5 million on you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): That`s not on me. And that was signed. I was signed -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): Say thank you!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): That was signed to the record label.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): Say thank you now!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (allegedly Oksana Grigorieva): I always said thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): (UNINTELLIGIBLE) now!
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, regardless of who this is, if it`s not Mel Gibson - the rage is certainly shocking. But like a lot of people, I was shocked to hear that man believed to be Mel on these tapes saying he`s got money trouble.
At one point, Mel Gibson was reportedly worth something like $1 billion. But Vikki, certainly, does any amount of financial difficulty justify the rage, the outrage that we`re hearing on these tapes?
ZIEGLER: Never, never, never. People in relationships fight about all different things - money, support, whatever, whoever went out the night before. The problem is you cannot mitigate anything in a court of law based upon those things that he has said, if it is Mel Gibson.
There is no excuse whatsoever to threaten somebody, to cause violence to them under any circumstances, period. The end. I`m sorry if he has money problems. Who could lose $1 billion? I don`t even know you can`t even give that money away.
HAMMER: Yes.
ZIEGLER: But it`s ridiculous. It`s a bad excuse and it`s unacceptable behavior.
HAMMER: And it`s going to be very interesting to see how things unfold as they go to court and they`re going to court next week to talk about the restraining order and other things to see what other evidence, if any, exists to prove some of the claim being made by Oksana, specifically about the domestic violence. L
But let`s not forget, there are those who believe Oksana, herself, might be behind the leaking of these tapes and setting Mel up for a big payout, something she`s denied.
If it turns out that he is in financial trouble and doesn`t have hundreds and hundreds of millions dollars, Ryan, does that just change everything here?
SMITH: Maybe it does. I mean, it really depends on what his assets are and what is she asking for? As far as I know, they`re not married or he doesn`t owe her anything. My big question is what`s going on with the settlement with his other wife? Because that may change the picture for them.
But I think the big thing for him right now is just, frankly, flat-out embarrassing. Not only is he coming off, if it is in fact him, as a raving lunatic, but he is also showing his entire public life out there. So whether she leaked that or not, I don`t think it affects anything necessarily with what`s going on with her.
My big question is, in this restraining-order type of situation, if this was said directly to her during the time after she got that restraining order, he could be in big trouble because that could be a criminal threat.
HAMMER: Yes. And again, we`re going to have to see exactly how things unfold, when they`re expected to be in court about that restraining order next week.
And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continued to reach out to Mel Gibson for a response and to verify the authenticity of these audiotapes. So far, he hasn`t commented. Ryan Smith and Vikki Ziegler, thank you both.
ANDERSON: Could Lindsay Lohan`s latest shocking decision keep her out of jail? Dramatic new details making news today - is Lindsay now in a sober-living facility five days before she is due to turn herself in to jail?
Real housewives, real train wrecks? "New Jersey Housewives" star Danielle Staub gets her hair weave pulled out. Now, she`s hanging out with Snooki.
And now, "New York Housewives" star Bethenny Frankel makes an unbelievable confession today about leaving reality TV.
Plus, Bristol Palin`s brand new confession today about her fiance, Levi Johnston. Intimate new details about how Levi popped the question again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. PALIN: I came home from work one day and there was tons of flowers all over my room. There were flowers, like rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Love definitely in the air up in Alaska. 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: "Deadliest Catch" farewell to Capt. Phil Harris delivers record ratings for the show. Enrique Iglesias loses World Cup bet, will water ski naked.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York if Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: There`s big news breaking in "The Buzz" today including Courtney Cox`s bombshell Botox confession. And Angelina Jolie on the hunt for a real life spy.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Angelina Jolie, spy hunter. Jolie reportedly wants to get sexy Russian spy Anna Chapman to the Moscow premiere of her upcoming new espionage thriller, "Salt."
But "The New York Post" reports producers don`t know where Chapman wound up after she was deported from the U.S. back to Russia and sent an invitation to her last address in her home country.
The Shaq versus the Bieb. We just learned that Shaquille O`Neal will be going one-on-one with Justin Bieber in the new season of his reality show. ABC says the seven-foot tall NBA star will compete against Bieber in a dance competition. Shaq will take on Rachael Ray in a cooking contest. The show called "Shaq Vs" premiers in August.
Courtney Cox`s Botox stunner. In the brand-new issue of "In Style Magazine, the "Cougar Town" star admits to using Botox to slow down the aging process. Cox says she doesn`t use it often, although she did confess to using so much once she could hardly move her face and felt trapped in her own skin.
But she says, quote, "I don`t have a problem with any of that stuff. If it makes you feel better about yourself and it`s done properly, then fine." The new issue of "In Style" hits newsstands Friday.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: And there is more news making big buzz today. Housewives, house wrecks. Is Bethenny Frankel quitting reality TV for good? The former "Real Housewife of New York" is dropping some big hints that she`s quitting reality TV, but do you believe her?
Right now in New York is entertainment journalist, Cathy Areu.
Cathy, Bethenny starring on the most popular reality show on TV, "Bethenny Getting Married." But in a brand-new interview on "People.com" today, she reveals she might be finished with reality television. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BETHENNY FRANKEL, REALITY TV STAR, "REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK": In five years, I would like to be still on television but in a more daytime talk show type of format. I know that my husband like to have another child, so that is on the table.
My show now is great. I don`t think that I want the cameras in a reality format in my life for that long of a time. I`d probably be institutionalized.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Those reality cameras around all the time would probably drive me crazy, too. Bethenny, as we know, has done at least three reality shows. So I can see her eventually moving on.
I understand that she might want to do that potentially. But Cathy, a lot of people aren`t buying that. What about you?
CATHY AREU, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Well, I actually know Bethenny. I met her back when she was doing the Martha Stewart "Apprentice" show and she loved it. She loves reality TV. I know she never thought of the time she`d be on for so many seasons on other shows.
But she`s a natural. She loves reality TV and reality TV loves Bethenny. So I think if she`s still loved so much by reality TV viewers, she will continue to do it. So I don`t see Bethenny leaving TV any time soon. She may say she wants to, but -
ANDERSON: You know, Cathy - you know her personally.
AREU: I do.
ANDERSON: So I`m not going to dispute what you have to say. But Bethenny says that she would like to do maybe a talk show format in the future.
AREU: I believe her.
ANDERSON: And another reality show star, namely Kate Gosselin, has said the same thing. So, Cathy, who would you watch?
AREU: I would have to watch both. They`re both so great. TV loves them. I love them. They`re so much fun to watch. I think they found out later on in life that the TV loves them and they love TV.
ANDERSON: Yes.
AREU: And it is just a match made in heaven and I`m watching. I`m watching both.
ANDERSON: Maybe they should team up and do a show together.
AREU: I would watch.
ANDERSON: Why not? All right. Yes. Bethenny has got a lot more to say. And you can see more of the interview on "People.com."
I`ve got to move now, though, to another big housewife, house wreck today. We just got the news that Danielle Staub is preparing to sue her co-stars on "The Real Housewives of New Jersey" after they allegedly attacked her and pulled out her hair extensions. Oh, no, they didn`t.
And today, breaking news that Danielle was seen out partying with, get this, Snooki from "Jersey Shore." Cathy, a sign of the apocalypse or a match made in reality heaven?
AREU: A match made in reality heaven. I mean, these both are women who have been beaten up on their own reality shows, so why wouldn`t they hang out together? They know what it`s like to rough it out in front of millions of people.
So why wouldn`t they hang out and drink and talk about it? So these two women are perfect for each other. They should have a show together. I think it`s perfect.
ANDERSON: You know, Danielle and Snooki are slowly but surely trying to take over the world through fighting and fist pumping and partying and reality TV and now, each other. What is the world coming to?
All right. Cathy Areu, we`ll leave it there. Thanks so much.
HAMMER: Brooke, you mentioned Kate Gosselin. But could Kate Gosselin`s new show be shut down? The absolutely outrageous new reports that an elected official is launching an investigation into Kate Gosselin and her kids. So could this lawmaker actually pull the plug on "Kate Plus 8?"
Breaking news today. Has Lindsay Lohan gone to rehab just days before she`s set to go jail? Could it mean she won`t wind up behind bars?
Also, Jennifer Love Hewitt`s stripper confession. J. Love revealing today pole dancing does her body good. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, it`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: "Late Late Show" host Craig Ferguson tweets he and wife are expecting a baby. Taylor Swift is hosting live Web cast for fans July 20th.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take 50.
TRACY MORGAN, COMEDIAN: You know where I can get some weed? When I say "in," you say "victus." In - in - in - somebody better say "victus" or I`m going to pull a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Christian Bale. I`m invictusible!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Did you see this? The outrageous Tracy Morgan up to his usual hysterical high jinks once again. Tracy just revealed his audition tape for "Invictus" at last night`s Espy Awards. Now, of course, Tracy didn`t get the part but he definitely got everyone laughing.
Now, Morgan Freeman may have gotten the role and an Oscar nod for playing Nelson Mandela in "Invictus." But what if Tracy Morgan had played Mandela? I know Tracy would have gotten a nomination for a Razzie Award. Check out more of Tracy`s wickedly funny skit at last night`s Espy Awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MORGAN: Now, I`m just going to go off the top of my head, all right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: "Invictus" audition, take one.
MORGAN: Look, Jason Bourne(ph), my name is Nelson Mandela. And I did not break out of jail to hang out with a bunch of losers. What this country needs is less apartheid and more together-tide.
I have a lot in common with Nelson Mandela. He was imprisoned for his beliefs. I was once looked up for being (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at the food court.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take 50.
MORGAN: You know where I can get some weed? When I say "in," you say "victus." In - in - in - somebody better say "victus" or I`m going to pull a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Christian Bale. I`m invictusible! I`m Nelson Mandela and this is (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, he is out of his mind. By the way, Tracy Morgan is one of the featured comedians in the brand-new issue of "GQ" magazine which is out today.
ANDERSON: There is a big debate on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page, everybody fired up about the alleged tapes of Mel Gibson. It`s hard for me to believe, but there`s a lot of support for Mel.
Kristin G. writes, "He isn`t completely innocent, but I do have sympathy."
But Torri C. says she`s done with Mel, "He makes me so mad. I am done with Mel."
HAMMER: And now the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Is Lindsay Lohan really in rehab right now? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is setting the record straight today. Can anything be done to save a jail- bound Lindsay from actually being thrown in the slammer?
Kate plus an investigation? Why a lawmaker is investigating Kate Gosselin`s new show and could have it shut down.
Bristol`s love confession. Bristol Palin revealing a brand-new Levi Johnston bombshell today, all about how Levi got her to say yes the second time around.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. PALIN: I came home from work one day and there were tons of flowers all over my room. There was a flower - like rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Michigan couple convicted in John Stamos extortion case. Ryan Reynolds as "The Green Lantern" on the new "Entertainment Weekly" cover.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, startling Lindsay Lohan news today. Has Lindsay checked into rehab just days before she`s set to be tossed in jail? And could this keep Lindsay from lockup?
The real story behind Bristol Palin`s engagement to Levi Johnston. Intimate details revealed in a brand-new today. New "Us Weekly" confessions -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. PALIN: I came home from work one day and there was tons of flowers all over my room. There was a flower, like, rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kate plus more drama? Can Kate Gosselin`s new show be shut down? A lawmaker is demanding that "Kate Plus 8" be investigated for the kids` sake.
Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," Betty`s "white hot" streak continues. And Bono`s message to fans.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to from you New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Big news breaking today - it`s a whopper of a question for Lindsay Lohan - to jail or not to jail?
HAMMER: A whopper indeed, Brooke. There are big developments today in the Lindsay Lohan legal drama, just days before Lindsay is scheduled to begin her 90-day jail sentence.
I`m talking total mayhem here. There are brand new reports today that Lindsay has a new lawyer, O.J. Simpson`s former attorney, Robert Shapiro. Adding to the drama today, Lindsay has reportedly checked into a sober living home days before she`s supposed to go to jail.
But why, oh why? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to set the record straight.
Right now, in Atlanta is Ryan Smith who is a host for "In Session" on Tru TV. And with me in New York - it`s Cooper Lawrence, who is a syndicated radio host and author of an excellent book called "The Cult of Celebrity."
So I was surprised to hear that Lindsay reportedly checked into the sober living home. By the way, it happens to have been founded by none other than her maybe new lawyer Robert Shapiro.
Check out this - it`s brand new video from "Radar Online" today. It`s Lindsay`s mom Dina and ex-girlfriend Samantha Ronson are outside of this home in West Hollywood. Cooper, Lindsay is obviously very troubled. But does it make sense that she would be checking into a sober living home just days before she is supposed to be going to jail?
COOPER LAWRENCE, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST AND AUTHOR: Like everything Lindsay does, it doesn`t make sense. Sober living is for people that have been through completed rehabilitation programs, a 30-day program.
You don`t go to sober living before you go to rehab. The idea of sober living is you do that after - after you`ve been clean so you can figure out how to function as a sober person in society.
HAMMER: Yes.
LAWRENCE: So it makes zero sense. She doesn`t - I don`t know why she`s there. Has she been in rehab the past 30 days secretly? It makes no sense.
HAMMER: Well, there was a lot of talk. People said, you know, she should have checked into rehab before her court date and that could have potentially helped her avoid a possible jail sentence which, of course, she ended up getting.
So I`m wondering now if she`s hoping, Ryan, she can actually kick her jail sentence by preemptively going to a sober living home, but it doesn`t really make sense to me. What about you?
SMITH: A.J., your instincts are spot-on. I think that exactly what they`re trying to do here. Now, we don`t know yet, but if Robert Shapiro is representing her, he may be saying, "Look, she`ll be in the sober living home and then I can go in front the judge."
And the idea was she would serve 90 days in jail, and then go to rehab. If he can appeal to the judge and say, "Look, judge, the point was to get her rehab in the first place. We got her there. She`s in a sober living home. She`s recovering. So that`s a better option than throwing her in jail which doesn`t -
LAWRENCE: You have to go to rehab first and then you go to sober living. It`s like going to your honeymoon before you get married. Doesn`t make any sense.
SMITH: Yes. But I think if you`re the judge, if you can play this in front of the judge and you can say, look, she`s getting the services you thought she should get in the first place, you`re accomplishing the goal without getting her to jail.
Not saying I agree with it. I`m just saying it might be a very smart plan to keep her out of jail which is the number one goal.
HAMMER: Well, you know, to Cooper`s original point, I think anything having to do with Lindsay Lohan, quite frankly, is just confusing.
SMITH: Yes.
HAMMER: And this just adds to, you know, about - there`s confusion over the sober living home, confusion over whether or not Robert Shapiro is her actual lawyer. So, you know, when there`s confusion, enter Michael Lohan who spoke out today. Brooke, what did he say?
ANDERSON: A.J., Michael Lohan told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively today that, yes, it`s true, that Robert Shapiro is Lindsay`s lawyer even though Shapiro won`t confirm that. And yes, it`s true, Lindsay`s in a sober living home.
He told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Bob is representing her, but tell me why is it I had to cry from the mountain for Lindsay to listen to me, and now, finally, she`s doing what I said? None of this would have happened if Lindsay and Dina had listened to me."
OK. We know this isn`t the first time Michael said that Lindsay needs help. But it`s obvious her mom and dad still fighting and Lindsay in the middle. Cooper, I think it`s critical for Lindsay`s parents to put their differences aside, join forces right now because their daughter is really at the most fragile point in her life.
LAWRENCE: Yes, she is. And look what happens. Michael Lohan takes credit as if he has anything to do with this other that the fact that if he would have said, "Here`s how I take credit. I screwed her up. It was because I was a terrible parent and so was Dina."
Instead, he`s still blaming Dina. And now, saying he`s the big hero that came through. This is the very problem, the fact that parents won`t say, "Let`s sit down as a family and try to figure out why Lindsay has gone awry, what we`ve done to her."
I mean, I know Lindsay is this creature that everybody is attacking. But really she comes from this family that did this to her and they`re taking no responsibility to this very day.
HAMMER: Ryan Smith, let me ask you something. Obviously, she needs some help. Clearly, she wants to avoid going to jail on Tuesday which is what is supposed to happen. What should she be doing right now?
SMITH: You know, I think she should be kind of keeping her mouth quiet. I think the whole family, like Cooper said, everybody get on the same page. Stop with the blame game, because the problem is judges are people, too. They see TV. They see the media. And they see what`s going on here.
And I think this judge is very concerned about Lindsay Lohan not really understanding what this court proceeding means. Meaning like if you`re sitting there and just flaunting the idea that, "Hey, I`m not going to show up at this hearing. I`m going to violate my probation," she wants to put a stop to that.
So I think, right now, you be quiet. You stay under the radar and you show that you want to put rehab first. I agree with Cooper. I don`t think sober living necessarily does that. But I think the lawyers are hoping -
(CROSS TALK)
LAWRENCE: It does it afterwards. You`ve got to go to rehab first.
SMITH: But I think they`re showing if they can show she`s on this page, then maybe, just maybe, "Hey, you can see that I`m trying to make myself into a better person. That`s what you wanted in the first place."
HAMMER: Well, there is another new and disturbing development today. Celebrity blogger Perez Hilton has just revealed a leaked song that he claims is on Lindsay Lohan`s latest album. The title of the song - and I find this very eerie - it`s called "Too Young To Die." I want to play a bit of it for you right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: OK. Cooper, you know I consider myself somewhat of a musicologist. And I think any basic music fan knows you don`t always take lyrics seriously. But again, Lindsay Lohan is who we`re talking about here. And there seems to be a lot of parallels in those few lyrics that we just heard to Lindsay`s own life.
We can hear her singing about crashing her car. Should we be worried when you hear that as a psychology expert? Are you worried?
LAWRENCE: It makes me nauseous, because it makes me think that this woman is crying for help and no one is really listening. This was the experience of an addict where they can`t stop.
They see the train coming toward them and nobody is pulling them away off the track. And that`s exactly what she`s describing in this song that she can`t get out of this cycle.
And the parents aren`t helping and the law isn`t helping. A lot of time addicts feel like, "I don`t know what else to do." And I think these lyrics are very literal for her.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s really telling. And she says, "I don`t want to die." So you know, I think we can take that as a good thing.
LAWRENCE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: But she recognizes, perhaps, that she`s lost. I don`t know. That`s how it seems to me.
LAWRENCE: Clearly.
HAMMER: There was also this today. There is also this today. I want to show you Lindsay Lohan revealed on the cover of the brand-new "GQ" magazine in Germany.
Take a look at this picture. Remind you of anything? This is Lindsay. She is topless on a beach wearing big old boots to cover up her SCRAM bracelet.
Ryan, I`ve got to say I look at this and it really reminds me of Anna Nicole Smith. Does it strike you at all in that way, too?
SMITH: I think it does. And I think it`s just the kind of behavior that the court is trying to get her not to do. Don`t flaunt this kind of stuff. What happened to Anna Nicole Smith was a tragedy. And kind to play off of that I think is a major mistake.
I think Cooper hit it on the nose. You know, the thing is lawyers or anybody like that can`t control what this woman thinks. She has to believe that the process is going to work for her, and she has to get herself help.
But to keep kind of doing these things, alluding to Anna Nicole Smith, I wouldn`t - I mean, we don`t know for sure. But I think that`s a really good point. I think she needs to lay low.
And these kinds of pictures and flaunty kinds of things aren`t helping. Someone needs to tell her to stop, get herself to rehab and just stop with the silliness and believe this could be a very bad process for her.
HAMMER: Yes. And you think about the enablers who ultimately helped lead to Anna Nicole`s down fall. I believe that is what is happening with Lindsay Lohan as well. I agree with you, Ryan.
SMITH: Yes.
HAMMER: Cooper Lawrence, Ryan Smith, thank you both.
ANDERSON: First, it was "Jon and Kate Plus 8." Now, it`s "Kate Plus 8." But I`ve got to tell you, some are calling it one big hot mess. Brand-new drama for Kate Gosselin`s new show. Today, a lawmaker demanding that "Kate Plus 8" be investigated for the kids` sake.
The intimate, never-before-heard details about how Levi Johnston popped the question to Bristol Palin the second time around. It`s all revealed in a new interview out just today with "Us Weekly."
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B. PALIN: I came home from work one day and there was tons of flowers all over my room. There was a flower, like, rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: From romance to stripper poles. Jennifer Love Hewitt reveals to the ladies of "The View" today why she put a stripper pole in her house.
If that`s not startling enough, just wait until you hear the "View" hosts reveal their own pole dancing past. Oh, you heard me. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time to roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: $1 million sexual harassment lawsuit against Steven Seagal dismissed. U2`s Bono updates fans about his health after back surgery.
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BONO, SINGER: I`m great, rebuilt by German engineering. Better design, I`m told.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) what you want! You don`t think I`ll do it!
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HAMMER: It`s official and I`m psyched. Tom cruise will star as Ethan Hunt in "Mission Impossible 4." No director for this thing yet, but Tom Cruise will not star in the movie. He is producing it, too.
Paramount Pictures revealed the news to diehard fans on Twitter today. So mark your calendars. "MI 4" blasting the theaters Memorial Day 2011. 2011.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
And Brooke, of course, we`ve just found out how Levi Johnston proposed to Bristol Palin.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. In a brand new interview released today, Bristol Palin opens up about Levi`s romantic proposal. She even makes Levi blush. But the big question still remains - will the touching video be enough to convince Sarah Palin to come to the wedding?
Right now, in New York, is Albert Lee. He is the deputy editor for "Us Weekly." Also in New York is Cathy Areu, who is an entertainment journalist.
Albert, Cathy, we were all shocked - shocked, I tell you, when Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston went to "Us Weekly" - yes, "Us Weekly" and not Sarah Palin, Bristol`s own mother, to reveal that they`re back together and engaged again.
And today, "Us Weekly" released an interview they did with the newly engaged couple. Watch Bristol reveal how Levi popped the question.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. PALIN: He proposed - let`s see. I came home from work one day and there was tons of flowers all over my room. And there were flowers, like rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed with a box. And then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. There was no hesitation at all. Is your face getting red?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Young love. Young love. The two are obviously smitten with one another from the looks of the video. Cathy, what do you think? Should this video silence the video conspiracy theorists out there who think the engagement is part of some master plan of Sarah Palin`s to run in 2012 for president?
AREU: I think there`s nothing like young love to ruin a presidential run for a president. I mean, I don`t know I can`t imagine that she would endorse something like this. They truly are in love.
But this is the guy, the kid who really came out and said she`s just a liar and she`s just running for president. And he said these awful things about her. And there he is with her daughter. I mean, he hates his mother-in-law to be. I just can`t imagine that she would endorse this.
ANDERSON: But he did apologize for that, Cathy. He did publicly apologize and said he lied about Sarah Palin and the family -
AREU: I don`t know.
ANDERSON: OK. You don`t know about this. All right. Well, Bristol, not the only one making confessions to "Us Weekly." Levi Johnston steps up and admits that, at times, he was an absentee father to his 18-month-old son, Tripp. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LEVI JOHNSTON, FATHER OF BRISTOL PALIN`S SON: I really haven`t - I wasn`t there for Tripp and Bristol. And now, I am and it feels great. I love them both very much. And you know, as a father, I can`t explain, you know - I missed out on a lot of his life and I can`t get that back.
I`d probably just seen him crawl or walk - or walking for the first time - his first word. You know, I missed all that. But more importantly, I guess, now is I`m here now and I`m going to make it right.
B. PALIN: Whenever we`re even just in a car driving together, it`s like all this feels right or just watching TV together or when we took Tripp fishing the other day. It just feels right to be a family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I`ve got to say, Levi has got to pick up the energy a little bit. All right. I do think it is about time that Levi stepped up to the plate. But we also know Sarah Palin did not exactly give a ringing endorsement of their engagement.
And there`s speculation she may not even attend the wedding. Albert, I think Palin will ultimately give them her blessing. What do you think?
ALBERT LEE, DEPUTY EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": Well, you know, I mean, it`s interesting. She released that statement yesterday. She said that Bristol strives for forgiveness and redemption to a level that we all struggle to achieve.
I think Sarah Palin, clearly, is still struggling herself. You know, she`s made no bones about, you know, her difficult relationship with Levi. I mean, these two families, though, the Palins and Johnstons, have had such a fraught relationship.
And you know, you certainly don`t get the sense that Sarah Palin is going to be hosting, you know, the showers any time soon. But you know, certainly, you know, Bristol really wants her mother to be there. She wants her father to walk her down the aisle.
And you know, Levi says, you know, that he is truly sorry. He privately apologized. He publicly apologized. So they`re laying the groundwork for that.
ANDERSON: Hopefully, they`re all being sincere and Levi is being sincere and they will just be a happy family and be there for baby Tripp.
Well, I`ve got to tell you, one person who is having a field day with this whole thing is comedienne Kathy Griffin who`s been joking for a long time that she and Levi have had a long-running relationship.
Today, Kathy posted a video on her Web site showing the world how she`s dealing with a broken heart. Watch.
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON: Cathy, very quickly. Does this just show that Levi kind of still remains a big joke in a lot of people`s eyes?
AREU: I think Kathy really likes Levi. They really hit it off on her show. So I think Kathy has feelings for Levi. I don`t think he`s a joke. I think we all love him. And I think we all can relate to a guy that doesn`t like his mother-in-law.
ANDERSON: Secretly, Kathy`s in love with Levi -
AREU: Yes.
ANDERSON: Angling for a big date.
AREU: Yes.
ANDERSON: OK. We`ve got to move now to big Kate Gosselin news. Looks like TLC might have to change the name of her show to "Kate Plus trouble."
Today, a Pennsylvania lawmaker asking the state to look into the working permits for Kate`s six-year-old sextuplets. And this isn`t the first time Kate and TLC ran into this problem.
So Albert, do you really think that "Kate Plus 8" could be yanked off the air?
LEE: Well, you know, I mean, the state authorities and State Department of Labor is really taking this seriously. You know, they`re looking into accusations that they made that some officials may have bent the law to make a special exception for Kate Gosselin, that she may have gotten special treatment.
Certainly, this is a case where, you know, the law has not kept up with the fact that a lot of the television and film industry they moved into reality entertainment. The laws need to be updated. So you know, it`s a very muddled area, so this story certainly is not over.
ANDERSON: It`s certainly is. It`s a gray area. We`ll have to wait and see how this all shakes out. Albert Lee, Cathy Areu, thank you both.
HAMMER: I love Jennifer Love Hewitt, one of my favorite celebrities. But wait until you hear her stripper pole revelations today.
Jennifer reveals to the ladies of "The View" why she put a stripper pole in her house. But you won`t believe what "The View" hosts revealed about their own pole dancing pasts. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Betty White to guest star on NBC`s "Community" this fall. John Mayer kicks off summer tour in Charlotte, North Carolina on Thursday.
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ANDERSON: Intimate details revealed just today about the over-the-top wedding plans for the daughter of former President Bill Clinton and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
Chelsea Clinton is set to marry Marc Mezvinsky on July 31st in a small town at upstate New York. But that`s the only thing that`s small about this shindig. Details about Chelsea Clinton`s wedding have been extremely hard to come by.
But part of the A-list guest list has been leaked today. According to "The Hudson Valley News," President Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand, Steven Spielberg, and Ted Turner have all been invited to the wedding at a 26,000 square foot mansion.
But how will this mix of heads-of-state and Hollywood heavy hitters get to the wedding 90 miles north of NYC? Possibly by helicopter. There`s a plan for the biggest VIPs to chopper in to watch Chelsea walk down the aisle. Others might take a private train. Now, that`s pretty cool.
HAMMER: That`s very cool. Well, moving on now to something that may be just as cool but for slightly different tastes.
Jennifer Love Hewitt is starring in a new movie on Lifetime. It`s called "The Client List." Now, Jennifer plays a mom who turns to prostitution to support her family.
Well, this morning, on "The View," guest hosts Stephen A. Smith asked about Jennifer`s special training for the role.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN A. SMITH, GUEST HOST, "THE VIEW": Well, you know, Jennifer, I don`t know if anybody else up here would ask you about this. But I heard you took pole dancing classes for this.
JENNIFER LOVE HEWITT, ACTRESS: I did.
S. SMITH: Yes, she did. I heard about that.
HEWITT: I did.
S. SMITH: I want to know - I would personally like to know what that was like for you and whether or not that`s something you still do right now.
HEWITT: Well, I do have a pole in my house now, yes. Have you ever seen pole dancing, or -
S. SMITH: Yes, I have.
HEWITT: You have, OK. So you know what it looks like. OK. It`s really - it`s very good for your body and just for - and for sexuality purposes I wanted to sort of just feel empowered and good and everything about it. So I -
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I`m ashamed to tell you that once, when I was a guest on "The View" there was a pole dancer. And I think Joy and I tried to get up the pole, on the pole.
JOY BEHAR, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": You were under me, pushing my butt up the pole.
HEWITT: By the way, it`s really hard. And I have respect for those girls. It is not just like put on -
GOLDBERG: Yes. So do I.
HEWITT: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love Jennifer Love Hewitt. "The Client List" airs on Lifetime on Monday.
ANDERSON: On Wednesday, we asked you to vote in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. Just moments ago, I received those final results. "Bristol Palin and Levi Johnston Engaged Again: Do you really think they`ll get married?" Forty-four percent of you say yes. But 56 percent say no.
Here`s some of the E-mails we received. Julia from Louisiana writes, "It is encouraging to see two very - two young people try to mend fences and be a family. Kudos."
Vandy from California, "Sarah Palin is playing politics with the whole family. Bristol would never make the decision to get married if she did not get her mother`s consent."
HAMMER: Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: 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.
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