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Showbiz Tonight
Paris Busted!; "Biebs" is the Word; John Mayer`s New Rant
Aired August 30, 2010 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
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A.J. HAMMER, HOST (voice-over): Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Paris busted. Paris Hilton allegedly caught with cocaine. Will she go back to jail? The showbiz flash point today. Paris Hilton arrested again. Are you surprised?
Lady Gaga`s startling drug confessions today. Outrage over Gaga`s unbelievable revelations that doing cocaine helps her make music.
Oprah`s shocking new admissions today. Oprah Winfrey on not having children. The one thing she will never let happen on her show again. But wait, there`s more. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the secrets today of the very last season of Oprah`s talk show.
A Brad Pitt shocker. Is he quitting Hollywood?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
Brooke Anderson, host: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today. Paris busted.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Paris Hilton is in trouble with the law yet again. Paris was arrested in Las Vegas this weekend on suspicion of cocaine possession. Cocaine allegedly found in her bag. And her shocking story has changed so many times about how she ended up with the stuff, it`s just making our heads spin today.
So, the big question today, will Paris go to jail again? Remember, she served 23 days back in 2007. Remember, Paris pretty much promised to never get in trouble again after that. Well, today, it sounds like the same old Paris.
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HAMMER (voice-over): It`s a desperate time for Paris Hilton. Her reign as the queen of the reality show has been taken over by Kim Kardashian. Her rep as Hollywood`s biggest bad girl, Lindsay Lohan owns that title now. And what about Paris Hilton`s crown as the biggest party girl starlet?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was happy that I found actually a hot guy.
HAMMER: It`s all snooki now. So, how can this former "It" girl get back on top of the Hollywood naughty list?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Paris Hilton has a court date.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is in connection with her arrest for alleged cocaine possession.
HAMMER: That`s a good start. Paris Hilton was formally charged with a felony today after police in Las Vegas allegedly found her with cocaine. It all started when Hilton and her boyfriend were pulled over on the Las Vegas trip.
SGT. JOHN SHEAHAN, LAS VEGAS POLICE DEPARTMENT: The vehicle was stopped due to a strong odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle.
HAMMER: Police say a crowd formed on the strip to watch the commotion, so they took Paris inside the Wynn Hotel security office.
SHEAHAN: While in the security office, she extracted a tube of lip balm from her purse. At that time, a plastic bindle containing a substance believed to be cocaine fell from her purse in claim view of the metro lieutenant.
HAMMER: Oops.
NINA PARKER, PRODUCER, TMZ: She`s officially charged with possession of a controlled substance.
HAMMER: In a statement, Paris Hilton`s attorney tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "I encourage people not to rush to judgment until all of the facts have been dealt with in a court of law." And in a twitter statement after her arrest, Hilton says, quote, "I`m so thankful to all my fans for all the love and support you are giving me."
PARKER: She faces anywhere from probation to four years in prison.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you there`s one potential problem for Paris.
Do you remember the Paris hoopla that exploded back in 2007 when she served 23 days in jail for alcohol-related reckless driving? Well, prosecutors remember too.
Could she go back to jail for this?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": She really, really could.
HAMMER: "In Session" legal contributor, Sunny Hostin, tells me with her previous history, Paris can get into serious trouble if it`s found she`s not keeping her nose clean.
HOSTIN: When you have a prior history, especially involving drugs and alcohol, judges do take that into consideration. Prosecutors do as well.
HAMMER: But Paris might already be planning her defense.
PARKER: She`s claiming that it`s not hers.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained the official police report of Hilton`s arrest. Police say that after the cocaine fell out of the purse, Paris claimed the purse belonged to a friend even though Paris admitted to owning other items in the purse.
PARKER: She was able to fill it with her credit cards, $1,300 of her own money. She`s saying for some reason she didn`t notice the cocaine, she thought it was gum.
HAMMER: Paris successfully used the drugs aren`t mine defense just last month after she was arrested for marijuana possession in South Africa. Charges against Paris were dropped when someone else in her group copped to having the weed.
LARRY KING, CNN ANCHOR: The stories about you being -- abusing drugs and the like, parties, wild scenes, all wrong?
PARIS HILTON, ENTERTAINER: People make up so many crazy stories.
HAMMER: After she got out of jail in 2007, Paris strenuously denied using drugs during an appearance on "Larry King Live."
KING: Have you ever been addicted to drugs?
HILTON: No.
KING: Taken drugs?
HILTON: No.
KING: Never taken drugs?
HILTON: Nuh-uh.
HAMMER: But then video showed up online of a woman who looked and sounded a lot like Paris Hilton smoking what looked and sounded a lot like marijuana.
PARKER: Paris Hilton has done a fine job of blaming everybody but herself in the situation.
HAMMER: TMZ`s Nina Parker tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, even if Paris wiggles out of her latest cocaine charges, her credibility on the drug issue will remain a little hazy as far as the public`s concerned.
PARKER: She`s never once taken any personal responsibility any time that she gets in any type of trouble. And you know, I can see why she does it because it seems to work for her.
HAMMER: And with Paris Hilton`s name back in the headlines, it`s clear that Hilton`s getting a dose of her favorite drug, attention.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Paris Hilton, legal drama. They just seem to go hand in hand, don`t they? That brings us to today`s showbiz flash point. Are you surprised that Paris Hilton was arrested again? With me right now from Atlanta, Carlos Diaz. He`s syndicated radio host. Carlos is guest hosting "Issues" with Jane Velez-Mitchell every night this week 7:00 p.m. eastern here on HLN.
And with me in New York, Sunny Hostin, a legal contributor for "In Session" on our sister network, TruTV. Right to you, Sunny, for our showbiz flash point. Are you surprised that Paris Hilton got arrested again?
HOSTIN: I am not surprised. Again, we`re seeing these repeat customers to the criminal justice system over and over and over again. It`s Lindsay Lohan, it`s Paris Hilton, they do this type of thing. And I think it`s because they really aren`t held responsible for it. If you just spent 23 days in prison, why not become a customer again?
HAMMER: It all comes down to that entitlement, doesn`t it?
HOSTIN: Exactly. It`s Hollywood justice.
HAMMER: No surprise, our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page just lit up the wall. It was flowing with comments like this one from Glenn J. who wrote, please, as if this is a surprise to anyone. Besides, her 15 minutes are up. Everyone needs to move on to the next pampered, overindulgent princess whomever she may be.
We`re not going to rush to that. But Carlos, you know, a lot of our Facebook fans not surprised she got arrested again. So, to our showbiz flash point, are you?
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Ha!
HAMMER: Silly question.
DIAZ: I mean, come on. I mean, here`s the thing. It is about entitlement. You guys brought up a good point. It`s not, you know, about partying. It`s not about -- it`s about the fact that you believe you can get away with anything. And her boyfriend by the way, Cy Waits, he`s running excesss, he`s running tryst at the Wynn and encore, two of the biggest and best clubs in Las Vegas.
When you`re in Las Vegas and you`re with people who have power, you feel that you`re untouchable. And I just find it amazing that, you know, she tells Larry King, I`ve never done drugs before. Yet she`s always surrounded by these accusations. And if you borrow someone`s purse, you might want to look through it and go, oh, bag of cocaine, might not want to borrow this one.
HAMMER: This could be a case of where there`s smoke, there`s fire literally. And this arrest really adding to what a banner summer Paris is having, right. I mean, first, she successfully used that same drugs aren`t mine excuse and defense last month in South Africa, and she ended up getting off on that. And now, she`s using the same story right here. Hey, everything else in that purse was hers, just not the cocaine. That`s what she said.
So, Sunny, let`s say the purse is hers, she lent it to a friend, her friend returned it to her and took out everything except, oh, a little bit of cocaine. Does that even matter? I mean, possession is possession, isn`t it?
HOSTIN: It doesn`t matter. Possession is possession. If she has it in her possession, and the cocaine is in the bag, it`s her cocaine. I mean, let`s face it. Does Paris Hilton really need to borrow a bag from anyone? Isn`t she sort of this fashionista with a lot of money? Why is she borrowing bags from people? Who would believe that? It`s ridiculous.
DIAZ: And whose bag was it? If you`re going to say it`s your friend`s bag, name the friend. If it`s your friend`s bag, whose bag was it?
HAMMER: Yes. So, Sunny, if the friend -- this is what happened in South Africa. If a friend now comes forward and says, oh, yes, my cocaine. Does Paris Hilton then get excused on this whole deal?
HOSTIN: Unfortunately, that`s possible. And I really hope that someone doesn`t come in to try to take the rap for her. Because when you read this police report, she says the money belonged to her, the credit cards belonged to her, even the rolling papers belonged to her, but the cocaine, no. That was gum.
DIAZ: That was rolling papers.
HAMMER: Got to say, I don`t think much has changed at all in Paris` life since her arrests and jailing back in 2007. Remember, she sat down with CNN`s Larry King in that first post-jail interview and she told Larry, she was tired of the party scene, and definitely she didn`t do drugs. Watch.
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KING: So, the party girl aspect is you like to party, but it`s not drugs?
HILTON: No. I just like to go out and have fun with my friends. I`m an Aquarius. We`re social people.
KING: You`re going to stop doing that? Can you change that?
HILTON: You know, I realize that there are a lot more important things in life. And there`s a lot more things to do, and I`m frankly sick of it. You know, I`ve been going out for a long time now. And, yes, it`s fun, but it`s not going to be the mainstay of my life anymore.
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HAMMER: Yes. OK. Things can change. It`s been a few years and her arraignment is set for October 27th. I guess, we`ll have to wait and see what happened, but as far as I`m concerned, she should stay as far away from where there might be even the hint of possible trouble given her history. Carlos Diaz, Sunny Hostin, thanks guys.
Now, we`d love to hear from you for our exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll. Here is what we are asking today. Paris Hilton arrested again. What about you? Are you surprised? Please, go online to vote at CNN.com/showbiztonight. You can e-mail us to showbiztonight@CNN.com.
ANDERSON: OK. Moving now to big "American Idol" news in "The Buzz" today.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Blockbuster reports out today. Who is the number one pick to be a judge on the show? I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this one.
And Oprah is out with brand new bombshell revelations today. You got to hear what she`s saying about not having kids. And Oprah reveals the one thing she will never do on her show again.
And Lady Gaga`s startling drug confessions today. Outrage over Gaga`s unbelievable admission that doing cocaine helps her make music. Now, I`m a fan of Gaga`s music, but I got to ask, what kind of message is this sending to her fans? Come on, Gaga, get a grip. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER (voice-over): Time now for the showbiz news ticker. More stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: It was fun back in the greenroom because you get to see a lot of people you haven`t seen in a long time. At one point, I was standing next to Tom Selleck and Al Pacino. It was, you know -- it`s a very funny, you know -- it`s still Tom Selleck and it`s Al Pacino. And I`m suddenly, you know, 14 years old again.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Look alive. We need glee club members.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great, just working on some sweet new dance moves with my new dance coach.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Come on. Double down. Hit me. Get that going. Get that going. All right, now, back that mother up.
HAMMER (voice-over): "Mad Men" star John Hammond (ph) Betty White just hamming it up. It was absolutely hilarious opening skit at the Emmy Awards on Sunday night. Now, this was just one of the many unbelievable, memorable Emmy moments. A lot of upsets, a lot of surprises, and yes, even Kate Gosselin made an appearance at the Emmys.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Brooke, I just thought this was one of the best award shows of any of them that I`ve seen in a long time. You were right there at the Emmys catching all the action in person.
ANDERSON: I was, A.J. I was right there and I can tell you there were so many unbelievable moments. I thought Jimmy Fallon did a fantastic job hosting. And today, nobody can stop talking about the opening skit where Jimmy rounded up celebs for that all-star glee club. That was only the start of the night, though. There was so much more.
With me right now, in Hollywood, to talk about the big moments of the night, Tanika Ray. Tanika is an entertainment journalist, and she was also right there at the Emmy Awards last night. And in fact, Tanika, take a look at this. You and I got this picture together on the red carpet.
TANIKA RAY, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Finally!
ANDERSON: Right before the action started. I know every awards show we say, we got to get a picture, and then we get busy and we don`t do it.
RAY: We look adorable.
ANDERSON: It was fun. OK. I got to tell you -- enough about us, right? I got to tell you. I knew this was going to be a really good show.
RAY: Oh yes.
ANDERSON: When Kate Gosselin made an appearance in the opening skit. You got to check it out.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hey, guys! I can help. I`m a great dancer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh -- thank you so much, Kate.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But we already have way too many people.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. Sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK, we need more people.
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ANDERSON: OK, Tanika, I`m thinking it was a brilliant move on Kate`s part. She was self-deprecating. She`s keeping herself relevant, on people`s minds.
RAY: Really? Is that what you`re thinking?
ANDERSON: I`m thinking you`re going to say, what was she doing?
RAY: What was she doing there, America?! But you know what I love, this is the genius of Jimmy Fallon. This is what`s so great about him and producing this show is that Tina Fey and all the other stars there were actually making fun of Kate. I don`t think Kate realized that.
ANDERSON: I think she knew going into it.
RAY: It wasn`t good enough. She`s not a good enough an actor to make an "SNL" skit where self-effacing is actually funny. It actually made her look silly, in my opinion.
ANDERSON: I disagree. Not a Kate fan, we know that.
RAY: Not a Kate fan.
ANDERSON: OK. So, we`re going to move now to another huge, very memorable moment at the Emmys and that was when "Modern Family" won for best comedy series. Tanika, I loved this. I love this show, but a lot of people thought "30 Rock" should win a fourth time, or "Glee" should win. What do you think?
RAY: What I love is that the Emmys, they spread the love around, you know. "Modern Family" hit with a huge bang this year and for them to ignore that would have been a misfire. I think it was fantastic. Everyone`s been talking about "Modern Family" all year.
ANDERSON: Yes.
RAY: For them to win was totally justified in my opinion.
ANDERSON: A well-deserved win.
RAY: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: OK. And A.J., I got to tell you, there was a whole lot of love for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the Emmys. I caught up with "Burn Notice`s" Sharon Glass and the one and only Kathy Griffin on the red carpet and they said they are huge fans of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Take a look.
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SHARON GLASS, ACTRESS: It`s encouraging, it`s fun, and you`re intelligent, and it`s not nasty.
KATHY GRIFFIN, ACTRESS: I might do an open letter to A.J. Hammer right now. I can`t even control myself.
ANDERSON: Why?
GRIFFIN: Because I love SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and I watch it every single night. Now, you put the light on. When I say I love SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" it`s me, Kathy Griffin. I love SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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ANDERSON: I think Kathy Griffin is a little obsessed with our A.J. OK. We got to go right there, Tanika Ray --
HAMMER: Stalker, and you know, also restraining order. That`s all I can say about that.
ANDERSON: Oh, you like it, A.J. You know you love it.
HAMMER: Let`s move on, shall we?
Ladies, John Mayer`s furious today. Do you know what, he`s really ticked off about reports that he and Jen Aniston are getting back together, and he`s going off on his Twitter account, on his blog.
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HAMMER (voice-over): John, I get you`re mad but didn`t you say you`re going to be quiet and give the old Twitter thing and blogging a rest?
Oprah Winfrey out with a brand new bombshell revelation today. You got to hear what she is now saying about not having kids.
And Brad Pitt`s jaw-dropping confession.
TOM FOREMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Could you see yourself at any point giving up acting to do this?
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: Um -- sure.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Wow. Are you really quitting Hollywood, Brad? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time for the showbiz news ticker. More stories from the newsroom making news today.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You kind of think you haven`t got a chance in hell of winning after five times, but it is always such a gift and a surprise to be invited to the party.
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(SINGING)
HAMMER (voice-over): Oh, tell me more, tell me more. Justin Bieber wants to be Danny Zuko today. Yes, I can tell you Biebs is the word. Justin wants to star in "Grease."
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HAMMER (on-camera): Justin Bieber tells the UK`s "Sun" that he would love to be a cast member as Zuko in the 1978 classic if they do a remake of the movie, the original, of course, starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Bieber wasn`t even born when it came out. He`s only 16. But Justin says he is a big fan of the flick. And Miley Cyrus, she is the one that he wants to play Sandy.
Justin says Miley would be great as the good girl turned naughty girl. You know, Miley really seems to be doing that in real life, so that could work. The Biebs also is hopelessly devoted to Susan Boyle joining the cast with him. He thinks she could play Rydell High School principal McGee.
ANDERSON: Good idea. And A.J., how about the three Jonas Brothers maybe as the T-birds, and Paris Hilton maybe as Frenchie?
And speaking of Paris, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page was on fire today with the news that she`s been arrested on suspicion of cocaine possession. Velvet W. has just had it with the badly behaving stars. Such a shame, young Hollywood train wrecks from Paris to Lindsay. I pray one day they look in the mirror and see what they`ve become and make a change.
Robin D. writes, you would think that girl would know better by now, but sometimes, people have to get in trouble, knocked down several times before they learn.
The showbiz on-call phone lines are ringing and ringing today about this. Jasmine from Texas is really upset.
JASMINE FROM TEXAS: I can`t believe that Paris Hilton was found with cocaine. This breaks my heart. I love Paris. I just pray that it wasn`t hers and that she gets help if it was hers because it`s a really sad situation. This is far more worse than alcohol. I just hope she gets help.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Jasmine. Remember, cocaine was allegedly found on Paris. She says the purse was not hers. Nothing is proven yet.
HAMMER: Now the showbiz line-up. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Oprah`s shocking new admissions today. Oprah Winfrey on not having children and the one thing she will never let happen on her show again.
Blockbuster reports out today. Who is the number one pick to be a judge of "American Idol"? I think a lot of people are going to be surprised by this.
A startling lawsuit today. Are you ready for this? It could actually knock "Jersey Shore" off the air for good. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the showbiz news ticker. More stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
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HAMMER (voice-over): Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Lady Gaga`s startling new drug admission today. Is she glamorizing cocaine use? New outrage over Gaga`s unbelievable revelations.
Oprah Winfrey`s brand new baby confessions today. Does Oprah regret not having children? It`s Oprah in her own words.
John Mayer`s new Jennifer Aniston rant today. John goes nuts about whether or not he`s dating Jen again.
Plus, breaking today from the showbiz news ticker, we are backstage with Emmy winner, Jim Parsons, and big news about Betty White`s latest gig.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking in the buzz today. Earth shattering new interviews today, A.J.
HAMMER: That is right, Brooke. Brad Pitt reveals he might quit acting. John Mayer`s new Jennifer Aniston rant and the "American Idol" judge guessing continues with big news today about Elton John.
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HAMMER (voice-over): Elton on "Idol"? Brand new reports out today say "American Idol" producers` number one pick to be a judge is still Elton John. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with "Idol" executive producer, Nigel Lythgoe, at the Emmy awards. He promises to unveil the new panel in the next few weeks.
NIGEL LYTHGOE, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, AMERICAN IDOL: There isn`t another Ellen DeGeneres just to pluck out of the hat or certainly not another Simon Cowell. So, you`re looking for other people who will have great chemistry.
HAMMER: Lithgoe says they`re still in negotiations with a host of star candidates.
Brad Pitt to quit Hollywood? Pitt tells CNN that his charitable efforts to rebuild New Orleans from disaster have inspired him.
PITT: These people are pioneers here, and now, they`ve built the greenest neighborhood in the world.
HAMMER: Pitt also says he might quit acting to pursue his future as a developer and joked that his other job as a dad will keep him busy.
PITT: I got plenty of things to pass my time. Six of them.
John Mayer is back. The pop star popped up again, slamming "The Huffington Post" for speculating that he and Jennifer Aniston are getting back together. The "Post" tied two quotes together from a recent Mayer concert about second chances and speculated the celebrity couple could reunite. Mayer angrily responded online with a profanity-laced tirade saying, "this is equal parts fabricated, cobbled together and misleading."
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HAMMER (on-camera): John Mayer is obviously furious about "The Huffington Post" article, but could his outrage backfire on him? Right now, from Atlanta, Carlos Diaz, syndicated radio host and guest host of "Issues" with Jane Velez-Mitchell" this week at 7:00 p.m. eastern right here on HLN. And with me in New York, Megan Alexander who`s the correspondent for "Inside Edition.
Look, I certainly get John`s frustration with "The Huffington Post." This is probably a site that he visits once in a while as part of his information diet. Really not the kind of a site that people go to when they`re looking for gossip, but having said that, I`m not exactly sure why John`s even bothering with this stuff. Carlos, do you get why he`s so furious?
DIAZ: Yes, because they`re ruining his game. I mean, come on, the guy`s trying to pick up girls. They`re going to "The Huffington Post" and they reading about him getting back with Jen. In all honesty, though, you have to realize what Jen and John Mayer had was real. We don`t have to deal with that, A.J. We don`t have to deal with the fact that, you know, we say one thing on Wednesday and another thing two weeks later, and then they put it together in the same article.
We don`t have to deal with that fact. That would make me upset as well. Now, you can do without the profanity and this and that, but you can see why he might be a little upset about this.
HAMMER: Yes, profanity indeed. He went off on "The Post." He even told them to go "F" themselves.
DIAZ: Yes.
HAMMER: Megan, even if his argument is valid, isn`t this just going to add to John`s reputation, his well-earned reputation that he just doesn`t know how to keep his mouth shut?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Exactly. I mean, choose your battles that you want to fight. First of all, it`s really not bad to be linked to your glamorous ex-girlfriend. There could be worse press out there, A.J., but second, why so touchy? A simple "it`s not true" would have sufficed in this situation, I think.
HAMMER: Yes. Something really got under his skin about this whole thing. I happen to think that John is a very bright guy, but Brooke, do you agree it would probably have been better for him to just stay silent on this one?
ANDERSON: No, no. You know, I think maybe he went a little bit overboard in the way that he communicated his frustration. But if it bothered him that much -- and obviously it did -- he had every right to speak out about it and set the record straight. I mean, honestly, we would all be a little bit upset if there were inaccuracies about us out there. And we`d probably want to speak out about them.
So, I get it. I do want to move now and talk about Brad Pitt and what he just said about the possibility that, what? He may quit acting? He says that he would leave acting to pursue his ground-breaking work in charitable housing projects like he`s done in New Orleans. I want you to listen to more of what he just told CNN`s Tom Foreman. Watch.
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FOREMAN: Could you see yourself at any point giving up acting to do this?
PITT: Um -- sure.
FOREMAN: It`s not impossible?
PITT: I`m quite excited about this idea of building the future and the direction that we are going. I find it really fulfilling.
FOREMAN: People have --
PITT: I`m getting older anyways. I see doing that less and less. It`s inevitable.
FOREMAN: You`ll have to have something to pass your time?
PITT: Oh, I got plenty of things to pass my time. Six of them.
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ANDERSON: Yes, he`s pretty darn busy. But he says leaving acting is inevitable. I think it`s commendable that he would devote himself to his charitable work, but Carlos, can you really see Brad retiring from acting for good? Oh, how I would miss his beautiful face.
DIAZ: Yes, so would I. No, I`m a big Brad Pitt fan. I think he`s totally cool. He`s a cool dude. I would love to see him keep acting, but you have to realize that acting is make-believe. I mean, really, seriously. We go -- the Emmys last night, ooh. It`s make believe. You`re playing make-believe. Here`s a guy who`s doing all he can to help the people in New Orleans.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DIAZ: He sees real issues and that`s what he`s really concerned about now.
ANDERSON: Yes. He certainly is very passionate about his humanitarian work as is his other half, Angelina Jolie. And she has talked about quitting her acting career as well. She just told "Vanity Fair," "it`s a fun job, it`s a luxury, but I don`t think I`ll do it much longer." So, Brad says he could retire. Angelina says she might do the same thing sometime soon. Megan, we are talking about Hollywood`s golden couple right now. How disappointed would you be if Brangelina left Hollywood for good?
ALEXANDER: Listen, it would be a loss for Hollywood. It`d be a gain for the world. I think many celebrities dabble in their philanthropic endeavors. Many put their names on projects, but few actually talk the talk and walk the walk. Those two do. And you can tell that their work is very important to them, Brooke.
They find meaning in their work which not a lot of the people find in Hollywood, let`s be honest. And they`re willing to really get their hands dirty. I think it`s commendable.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
ALEXANDER: And you know what, I say go for it. I think it`d be incredible to see.
ANDERSON: It`s very, very admirable, and they are certainly passionate. It is a heartfelt effort on their part. OK. I want to move now to big breaking "American Idol" news. I was right there on the Emmy red carpet where I got to speak with "Idol" executive producer, Nigel Lithgoe who said he will reveal the names of the new judges very, very soon. And today, he dropped a bombshell about why he thinks things did not work out with Ellen DeGeneres.
He tells deadline.com, "I`m sorry she`s gone. I think there`s a place for Ellen DeGeneres on "American Idol," and that is being the voice of the people. She wasn`t given a fair opportunity to serve that function. Ellen was constantly apologizing and overwhelmed I think by Simon."
Here`s the thing I`m trying to understand here. Simon announced he was leaving the show before the show even started this season. So Carlos, does Nigel here give you any insight as to why Ellen might have quit?
DIAZ: Yes, I mean, you know, it`s almost -- you almost feel gypped now because I`m a huge Ellen fan. You almost wish that she would have waited a year because she`d be a great, you know, host this year. And you`re right. I mean, she was constantly -- people were always looking at her and saying, you`re doing this and this wrong.
She could have just been that voice of the people, and it could have been so positive. I wish she would have waited a year and come in this year instead, because last year was all about Simon and all that drama.
ANDERSON: Yes, maybe giving it a little bit more of an adjustment period. OK. Carlos Diaz, Megan Alexander, thanks, guys.
HAMMER: Less than two weeks, that`s all we got until Oprah Winfrey begins the final season of her daily talk show, but I am here to tell you she is definitely going out with a bang.
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HAMMER (voice-over): Oprah`s shocking new admissions today on not having children and the one thing she will never let happen on her show again. It`s Oprah in her own words, brand-new interview today.
Lady Gaga`s startling drug confessions today. I think what she`s saying here is a pretty big deal. There`s plenty of outrage over Gaga`s unbelievable revelations that doing cocaine helps her make music.
Startling details out today that "Jersey Shore" could be shore no more. I`m not sure if I can deal with a life without excessive tanning and fist pumping. That is hard to imagine. But it could all be over for good.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
Time now to roll out the showbiz news ticker. These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s not dulled. I mean, it`s really not, these are very sharp. What I think, though, is tonight other people should be afraid. This is the invite to any party that I forgot to bring the invite or wasn`t invited to.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: So, you`re --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then you could use the way --
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HAMMER (voice-over): Michael Jackson`s kids take a huge leap in a public life. TMZ`s reporting that 13-year-old Prince and 12-year-old Paris have just started classes at the Buckley school in California. Now, among the school`s famous alums, Paris Hilton and, yes, Kim Kardashian.
As her 8-year-old Blanket, he is reportedly still going to be home- schooled. The kids` grandmother Katherine believes he`s too young to venture out just yet. By the way, their dad Michael would have turned 52 yesterday.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And today, Lady Gaga`s drug confessions.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. Outrageous new comments today from Lady Gaga about her illegal drug use. It`s raising some big questions today. Why the heck is Gaga spilling all on her illegal activity? Is she glamorizing drug use? And should she just keep quiet? Joining me right now in New York, Ben Widdicombe who is a celebrity journalist and right now in Hollywood, Tanika Ray, who is an entertainment journalist.
All right. We know guys that Gag has already admitted to using cocaine, but today, she`s trying to explain herself. She`s defending that revelation. In a new interview with "Q" magazine, Gaga says, quote, "using drugs, Ii really figured out the art I wanted to make and was inspired. What always made me different is that if I was doing drugs, I was always making music, I wasn`t just doing drugs."
Gaga went on to say she now does coke only occasionally. Tanika, I am worried here that these sorts of statements are going to negatively influence her younger and more impressionable fans. I really think --
RAY: Bad girl.
ANDERSON: She should clamp it.
RAY: I know. And I knew this was going to upset you, Brooke. Truly, it`s a bad thing. I knew it, she`s going to be on fire. She should never divulge the details of her creative process if it involves drugs. I get that. But I`m going to take the other side here and say, unfortunately, when it comes to genius music, you cannot name one person in this industry that has made amazing music that did not have the aid of some sort of illegal substance --
ANDERSON: I disagree.
RAY: Name one person that hasn`t had a drug past. It`s unfortunate. Unfortunately, we all love her music so that`s the other side of it. And so, she`s being justified by her actions. But hopefully, she sorts it out. I`ve interviewed her when she was high and it was a scary thing. And I figured whoooh, girl.
ANDERSON: I`ve interviewed people high before too, and it is scary.
RAY: It`s scary.
ANDERSON: It`s like, calm down and be healthy. Gaga also said that she did drugs as we said to be inspired. But in the same breath, she blasted people who claim that drugs help them be creative. She tells "Q" "people who say they need drugs to be creative are full of bleep. I`m not some chick on the road getting high and bleep up every night. I wake up, drink coffee, and get on the phone to talk about the creative direction of the next video. Ben, what do you think? Should Gaga just keep quiet?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Well, you know, I think if her logic is a cup of coffee the next morning makes it all OK, she might be a little mistaken on that. I get where she`s coming from. She`s trying to be honest rather than hypocritical, but the fact is she`s a glamorous person, therefore, she probably is glamorizing the use of cocaine. Remember, she`s only 24. I think when she gets a little bit more mature, she might regret making these remarks.
ANDERSON: Yes, absolutely.
RAY: I agree.
ANDERSON: A lot of people look up to her, listen to what she says. She`s got to take that responsibility seriously. A.J., I think Gaga is playing with fire because it seems like she is glamorizing hard drugs.
HAMMER: Yes, I mean, I get and have always appreciated Gaga in that she always wants to be open and honest with her fans.
ANDERSON: True.
HAMMER: But she`s also someone who has a real appreciation for her fans that idolize her, like it or not that comes with a lot of responsibility, you know.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
HAMMER: When you`re that influential, sometimes -- and it`s a hard line to walk because you can`t have it both ways, but sometimes, it is better to keep quiet. That`s how I really feel about it.
All right. That is not the only big news that`s just in today. Oprah`s shocking new admissions. Oprah of course is getting ready to launch the very last season of her new show after 25 incredible years on the air. And Oprah reveals now just how much she has sacrificed to create so much memorable TV. Listen to what she tells "TV Guide" in their brand- new issue out today.
"The show hasn`t been a big part of my life, it`s been my life. I didn`t have children, I had the show. And I have created a family of support from my staff and the audience that really has had a huge impact on my life." And that is just fascinating for me to hear, because really, we`ve never heard Oprah speak about kids, ever.
Tanika, I have to imagine despite her amazing big future plans, the end of Oprah`s show is going to leave a huge hole for her in her life.
RAY: Uh, yes, culture shock. She`s going to need some time to acclimate for sure. And I agree. She has talked about kids and the fact that she doesn`t have them, and she believes that being a mom is the hardest job in the world. So, I can see the comparison. She did sacrifice not having a family for this child that is the Oprah Winfrey show that will go on in history forever.
So, this is going to be hard for her. And I don`t know if she`s going to be the Michael Jordan thing and be like psych two years later, I`m back! Hopefully, we`ll all go over to own, and we`ll make this a complete chapter for her. I`m there, Oprah, you know I am, girl.
HAMMER: Very quickly, Ben. I mean, this is going to be an enormous change in her life obviously, but a huge hole.
WIDDICOMBE: You know, I think Oprah has nurtured a lot of people in her life even if she hasn`t had her in showbiz. She`s nurtured the audience. She`s helped to create a people like Dr. Oz and (INAUDIBLE). So, in a long way (ph), she has had brewed around, and I think this will be a big change.
HAMMER: Tanika Ray, Ben Widdicombe, I thank you both so much.
ANDERSON: "Jersey Shore" is arguably the biggest show on TV. The entire nation is under the GTL, gym, tan, and laundry spell, but is it about to end? Startling details out today about a whiplash-inducing lawsuit that could pull the beach towel from right under "The Jersey Shore" stars. No more Snooki, no more drinking, no more drama? Say it ain`t so.
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HAMMER (voice-over): Time now for the showbiz news ticker. These are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t know what they`re going to do. I think that, you know, it`s going to be a very different showbiz without -- I think everybody know that and we just hope we could send them off this year the best way we can. And, I don`t know. I think it would be fun to (INAUDIBLE) within or, you know, just get Jack Nicholson (ph) to do it.
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ANDERSON: And right now, it is Hollywood`s A list with newly minted (ph) Emmy winner, Jane Lynch. She is still basking in the glow of her amazing win for best supporting comedy actress for Glee. I was right there back stage with Jane just moments after her big win last night, Sunday night. But on her big night, Jane was actually talking about another big star, Britney Spears.
She revealed to me exclusively that the cast of Glee was just giddy of recently taping Brit`s upcoming episode.
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ANDERSON: Britney Spears on Glee?
JANE LYNCH, ACTRESS: Yes.
ANDERSON: What is she really like?
LYNCH: Well, at first (ph) was a fear. But, (INAUDIBLE). She was really wonderful, and she had a lot of fun, and she was really happy that we were kind of very much, you know, honoring her for her music in the entire episode, you know. And we don`t do that lightly. And Brian Murphy (ph) doesn`t do that lightly. He picks all music. So, you know, she was lovely and was wonderful.
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ANDERSON: I cannot wait to see that episode. Season 2 of Glee starts on September 21st and congratulations to all of the Glee stars for all of their success at Emmy night. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
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HAMMER (voice-over): A lot of people obviously love "Jersey Shore`s" fist pumping, but there are startling news today that all of their fist throwing could get them tossed off TV for good.
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HAMMER (on-camera): A woman is suing the entire cast of the show. She`s claiming she was attacked by body guards for the cast last September after getting into a shouting match with Snooki. Imagine, Snooki in a shouting match. Now, this apparently all went down during season 1 of "Jersey Shore" moments after cast member, Ronnie, decked a guy who ended up unconscious.
Well, in court papers out today, this new suit accuses MTV, its parent company, and the show`s production company of being quote "actively engaged in a criminal enterprise and making money off of advertising sales for a television show promoting criminal behavior" which certainly is a mouthful. But when you boil it all down, I can tell you, this is very serious stuff. And the bottom line is, if this woman wins her lawsuit, it`s the end of the line for "Jersey Shore."
ANDERSON: Shocking revelations today about Anna Nicole Smith`s young daughter. The baby`s father, Larry Birkhead, says he once feared for Dannielynn`s life. Larry reveals for the first time today on "Good Morning America" that he was worried that Dannielynn might be born with health problems because of Anna Nicole`s apparent drug use while she was pregnant.
Larry says the nasty paternity war over Dannielyn after Anna Nicole died in 2007 was just the first step in a monumental battle over the child`s health and well being. Watch.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Until I got my daughter back, I worried every single day. And I took her to all of these different specialists as a precaution and just to make sure that everything`s OK. They all assured me that your daughter`s healthy. She`s happy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You got lucky.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got lucky.
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ANDERSON: That was a good thing.
And another major revelation. Larry is defending his former rival Howard K. Stern today. Anna Nicole`s former boyfriend and lawyer along with two doctors are accused of illegally supplying Anna Nicole with drugs before her death. But Larry says it`s unfair that Howard is being lumped in with the others. If convicted, the doctors and Stern could face more than five years in prison.
HAMMER: Well, on Friday, we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. Just moments ago, I received the final results. Let`s get right to them. The question was, Tiger Woods` ex-wife tells all. Should Elin forgive Tiger? Look at this, only 28 percent of you say yes, 72 percent of you say no. Here are a couple of e-mails we receive.
This is from Claudia in Florida who writes, why would Elin forgive Tiger? He is such a cheater and a fraud.
Now, Michelle from South Dakota says forgiveness is very powerful, and she needs to forgive tiger. It will be a big lift off her shoulders, but only when she`s truly ready.
Thank you for your e-mails and for voting. And we thank you for watching. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now live at 5:00 p.m. eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And we`re 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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