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Showbiz Tonight
Sandra Bullock Speaks; The Explosive "Real Housewives" Showdown; Lindsay Lohan`s Blame Game; Kate Gosselin Wants to Act
Aired August 31, 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 - Sandra speaks. Sandra Bullock`s very first emotional TV interview today since her now-ex-hubby cheated on her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SANDRA BULLOCK, ACTRESS: I was blessed with the same friends I`ve had since before things got really special for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sandra`s brand-new revelations about being a mom, her dramatic changes and how Sandra feels about being called a hero.
"Housewives" horror. The unbelievable brand-new explosive "Real Housewives of New Jersey" showdown. Shocking name-calling -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You pig!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A startling shoving match.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are a piece of garbage!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" today - has this reality show drama gone way too far?
"Dancing" drama today. The fired-up debate surrounding Bristol Palin doing "Dancing with the Stars."
Lindsay`s blame game. Is Lindsay Lohan finally accepting responsibility today for her bad behavior?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - Sandra finally speaks.
HAMMER: That`s right, Brooke. Today, for the very first time since her divorce from her no-good cheating hubby, Sandra Bullock spoke out on TV. It was really a refreshingly candid interview on the "Today" show.
Sandra opened up to Matt Lauer about being a mom, even about being called a hero. But to me what made this interview so revealing, so incredible, so dramatic is that Sandra was so drama-free.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BULLOCK: Everything works out the way the universe wants it to work out.
HAMMER (voice-over): In her first post-divorce TV interview that aired this morning on the "Today" show, Sandra Bullock shocked by not being shocking. Sitting down with Matt Lauer in New Orleans, Sandra never mentioned Jesse James` name or breathed one word about his cheating which destroyed their marriage and dominated headlines.
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: We`ve known each other for a pretty long time -
BULLOCK: I don`t admit to that.
LAUER: Instead, in the interview today, Sandra gushed for the first time on TV about the new man in her life, her newly adopted baby boy, Louis, whom she first unveiled in a recent issue of "People" magazine.
LAUER: And Louis is from New Orleans.
BULLOCK: He`s from New Orleans. He`s a little Cajun cookie. He likes to celebrate. He likes to dance and celebrate. He`s - you know what? I got blessed. I got lucky, and he`s extraordinary.
HAMMER: In the interview airing this morning, Bullock talked about the process of adopting little Louis, a process that began when she and Jesse James were still together.
BULLOCK: We always said it didn`t matter where the child came from. The child that needed us in the home is the child that`s going to be placed. The process is the way that the process is for very, very good reasons, and I did not circumvent.
I wanted to do everything exactly the same way everyone else did. It was nice to have someone say, "I think you`re a fit parent," which is what I heard, which is, like -
HAMMER: And Sandra says motherhood has changed her priorities.
BULLOCK: Louis - Louis` got the stage.
NATALIE THOMAS, DEPUTY NEWS EDITOR, "US WEEKLY": She went through this very public, very nasty, embarrassing, humiliating ordeal when her husband cheated on her. So to see her, you know, come full circumstance and in such a short time be so happy, is really nice to see.
HAMMER: But in Bullock`s first post-divorce TV interview today, she revealed a new purpose other than motherhood, doing her part to help rebuild New Orleans.
THOMAS: Sandra is helping out the Warren Easton Charter School in New Orleans. There`s a high school down there, and it lost $4 million in damage after Hurricane Katrina and has - you know, as everyone has done there, has been rebuilding over the past few years.
And Sandra`s been instrumental in that. She`s not only donated her money, but she`s also donated her time.
HAMMER: And sitting next to a local school board member in the "Today" show interview that aired today, Sandra spoke passionately about her mission.
BULLOCK: Right here under this roof, there are souls and spirits and young people who don`t come from any money but carry this extraordinary spirit.
HAMMER: While Sandra is finally speaking out on "Today," her ex-husband is making headlines of his own. Today, gossip sites splashed new paparazzi photos of Jesse James hanging out in Texas with famous tattoo artist Kat Von D. After initially trying to down play their relationship, it looks like this new celebrity couple is now out in the open.
THOMAS: They`re realizing that Sandra`s moved on. Jesse is now going to move on, and they`re not hiding anymore.
HAMMER: As Jesse James moves on with the help of his apparent new relationship, it`s clear Bullock`s work in New Orleans is helping her move on. And from what Bullock heard in the "Today" show interview, her new adopted city is grateful.
LAUER: I was speaking to a local journalist here the other day. He said, "And do me a favor. Be nice to Sandra because she, to us here, is a hero.
BULLOCK: Wow. It`s making me teary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is true. It`s true.
BULLOCK: It`s random acts of kindness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole city has fallen in love with her. She belongs to us.
HAMMER: So it looks like Sandra Bullock`s life is being rebuilt by the boy she adopted and the city that`s adopted her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Really was such an inspirational interview. In fact, so much so, we have so much more to tell you about, including Sandra`s shocking revelation about how she was able to keep her adoption of little Louis a secret and the crucial help she got from her friends. Sandra`s strength, coming up a bit later in the show.
ANDERSON: Moving on now to breaking developments in the Paris Hilton cocaine bust. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just obtained a brand-new interview that Paris did just hours before her arrest.
In the interview, she was talking about the night she caught a trespasser on her property. But get this - according to police, Paris thought that the cocaine that fell out of her purse was chewing gum. Say what, Paris? All this leads to today`s "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" - do you believe Paris Hilton`s new excuse?
Right now, in New York, Sunny Hostin, who is a legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru TV. And right now, in Hollywood, is Ken Baker, who is the chief news correspondent for "E!"
Sunny, Ken, I have to say, this is getting pretty ridiculous to me. The police report says that when Paris was asked about the cocaine that fell out of the purse she was carrying, which she said wasn`t hers, she said she had not seen it, but now that she had, she thought it was gum.
Here`s my question - since when does gum look like powder in a clear little baggy? Sunny, to the "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint," do you believe Paris Hilton`s new excuse?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV: Well, no. I`ve never seen gum like that, and I`m a gum chewer. I`m sure many of our viewers are gum chewers as well and have never seen any kind of gum - I guess that`s sort of Paris Hilton`s special powder gum? I mean, it`s so ridiculous and I can`t imagine that she thought that someone would believe that.
ANDERSON: Yes. The last time I was on the candy aisle at the 7-Eleven, I did not see a powdered gum. But Ken, that doesn`t mean it doesn`t exist. Do you believe Paris` new excuse?
KEN BAKER, CHIEF NEWS CORRESPONDENT, "E!": Well, you know, amid all the frivolity and ridiculousness of what that sounds like is the fact that most of what was in that police report, I`m being told, is going to be inadmissible in a trial if it comes to that because they never read her, her Miranda rights until after she made up these cockamamie excuses.
So I think that even though it`s ridiculous, in the police report, the arrest report - it`s out in the media, obviously - it may not really impact her in a legal sense. Now, the other thing to this is that it`s actually pretty serious.
This is a felony cocaine possession charge - 0.8 of a gram is very small in terms of, you know, the context of what it could have been. But at the end of the day, this is a very serious charge.
We`re having a lot of fun joking about her ridiculous excuses, but she faces a serious, serious charge, and she`s going to show up in court in October. And you know, anything can happen.
ANDERSON: Yes. It is a felony, but I`ve got the police report right here, and it`s my understanding the police - the arresting officer wrote that he read her her Miranda rights and afterwards she told him the purse was not hers and that she told him the cocaine looked like gum.
It looks to me like that was after the Miranda rights were read. OK. But I do have to say this. Seriously, what was Paris thinking? Because in another development today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just obtained an interview that Paris did just hours before her arrest.
She spoke with KSNV reporter Alicia Jacobs to reveal details about the frightening night last week when a trespasser was found and arrested on her property. Watch what she said about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PARIS HILTON, REALITY TV STAR: He had bought a star map and wanted to know where I lived. He knew we were both in the house and still said he didn`t care. He just wanted to come in and he was prepared with his knives. So -
ALICIA JACOBS, REPORTER, KSNV: I mean, was he a fan that just wanted to meet you and shake your hand? Do you think he was there for dubious reasons?
HILTON: When someone is showing up with two knives, I think something bad is obviously on their mind, so I don`t know.
JACOBS: Oh, my god.
HILTON: Not the kind of fan that I want.
ANDERSON: Little did she know she was about to get busted for cocaine possession - alleged cocaine possession. Sunny, watching this interview, though, she seems to have it relatively together, so does this make her more believable to you?
HOSTIN: Not at all. Not at all. I mean, I think that what is sad is that she does appear to have it so together just hours before this cocaine arrest. She had it together during her interview with Larry King when she said she didn`t do drugs.
I think it just sort of adds more fuel to the notion that this is someone who could be conceivably a pathological liar and someone that is a pretty good actress when it comes to lying about her drug use.
ANDERSON: Yes, and you mentioned her interview with Larry King. You know, that was just, what, three years ago. And she said she`s tired of the lifestyle. She doesn`t want to party. She`s not going to surround herself with those types of people.
Ken, what happened to that? What happened to Paris? She`s obviously not avoiding people who could cause her trouble.
BAKER: Well, I think that no one was really shocked by this because if you look at her record ever since that interview, when she claimed she was going to be reborn as some sort of saintly character, it didn`t really happen. Let`s face it.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BAKER: And this summer was very troubling. There were two real close calls that had to do with marijuana. Now, back to Sunny`s point, I totally agree with her, that interview that we saw - I went to Vegas right after the arrest and stitched together the time line.
She did that interview at about 6:00 or 7:00 in the evening. She wasn`t arrested until around midnight. So that was very early on in the night for Paris Hilton. So you know, what she was doing around the time of the arrest, what the time she was doing four or five hours before are two different things.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOSTIN: The party hadn`t begun yet.
ANDERSON: The night was just getting started.
HOSTIN: That`s right.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: I`ve got to leave it there, guys. Sunny Hostin, Ken Baker, thanks.
HAMMER: Let`s move over to Paris Hilton`s former pantiless partying pal, Lindsay Lohan. You know, I never thought I`d have to say "pantiless partying" again, but there, I did it. Lindsay`s blame game today. This is incredible.
For the very first time, Lindsay`s actually accepting responsibility for her bad behavior. I think that`s good, but she`s still blaming others today and that`s bad.
"Housewives" horror today. The unbelievable brand-new explosive "Real Housewives of New Jersey" showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! You are a piece of garbage!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Shocking name-calling. A startling shoving match. Ladies! The "SHOWBIZ Flashpoint" today, is this reality show drama gone way too far?
"Dancing" drama today. The showdown surrounding Bristol Palin doing "Dancing with the Stars" as we ask the controversial question today - Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston, who is the bigger fame seeker? 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: Michael Douglas on his battle with throat cancer: "I`ll beat this." Katy Perry`s "Teenage Dream" tops iTunes song chart.
(MUSIC)
ANDERSON: We welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
HAMMER: And it`s Lindsay`s blame game. Today, Lindsay Lohan is speaking out in a brand-new interview in "Vanity Fair" magazine. And for the very first time she actually seems to be accepting blame for her bad behavior.
With me in New York is Cooper Lawrence. Cooper is a syndicated radio show host and author of "The Cult of Celebrity."
So Lindsay was only a week away from her 13-day jail stay when she spoke with "Vanity Fair." I`ve got to imagine she was doing a lot of reflecting at that time. And I have to say I`m pretty impressed with how she opened up about some of the mistakes she says that she`s made.
Lindsay tells "Vanity Fair" that her life started to get out of control when she moved to L.A., saying, "I was 18, 19, with a ton of money and no one here really to tell me that I couldn`t do certain things. And I see where that`s gotten me now. I don`t like it."
Well, Lindsay is now 24. And it`s great to hear and certainly a far cry from "Nothing`s wrong with me." We`ve heard Lindsay say that before. Cooper, do you think this shows that Lindsay has matured. She`s ready to get her life back on track? Or should we not really rush to judgment based on one interview?
COOPER LAWRENCE, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: No. It`s a very mature statement because she`s making the realization that what happened is her parents are the ones that put her in the position that she was the parent. When she was 18, 19, she was making money. She was famous and now, she was in charge of the family.
So she sort of alludes to that in a way, saying that she was - a lot was asked of her at a very young age. And it does lead to drug use for a lot of kids because they want to take their childhood back.
HAMMER: Yes.
LAWRENCE: So I think it shows some insight on her part.
HAMMER: At least on the right path there.
LAWRENCE: On the right path, sure.
HAMMER: Lindsay is also telling "Vanity Fair" magazine that her career has all but fallen apart over the past few years. She recognizes that. She`s ready to make her comeback.
Here`s what she tells "Vanity Fair" about that, "I want my career back. I want the respect that I had when I was doing great movies. And if that takes not going out to a club at night, then so be it."
And I think it`s great that Lindsay is swearing off of clubs for sake of her career, something that people, quite frankly - I`ve been doing it right here - have been suggesting that she do for a very long time.
But, Cooper, for somebody like Lindsay Lohan, who has made a reputation as a party girl because she loved being out all the time, stopping doing that seems to me, while she should, it`s easier said than done.
LAWRENCE: Yes. I mean, it seems like rhetoric coming from her because, I mean, what happened as soon as she gout of rehab, we saw her in the car with the Red Bull. We already heard about her at the Chateau Marmont -
HAMMER: Right.
LAWRENCE: So clearly she`s not going to stop partying. The idea, though, is to at least get a grip on what she`s doing. She can go to the Chateau Marmont, but she has to drink Red Bull while she`s there and no alcohol.
HAMMER: And maybe not stay out until 5:00 in the morning. Now, Lindsay, as we know, has been estranged from her dad, Michael Lohan, for a long time, so it really wasn`t surprising to me that in this brand-new interview, it sounds like she is blaming her father for some of her struggles.
Here`s what she tells "Vanity Fair" about that, "I think everyone has their own addictions and hopefully learns how to get past them. I think my biggest focus for myself is learning how to continue to get through the trauma that my father has caused in my life."
So, Cooper, when does it come to the point where Lindsay stops blaming her father or other people? Or is it all part of the healing process?
LAWRENCE: I think it`s all part of the healing process because, in a way, he is to blame. You know, I was at "The Early Show" the morning that he was there being interviewed. And one thing that struck me immediately was how star-struck he is by his own daughter.
HAMMER: Yes.
LAWRENCE: And that just shows what their relationship is, which is a bizarre relationship. She needs to heal that relationship in order to move on.
HAMMER: Hopefully, she will be able to do that.
(CROSS TALK)
LAWRENCE: Or get him completely out of her life. That`s the other option. One or the other. She`s got to do something.
HAMMER: Cooper Lawrence, thanks as always.
ANDERSON: Sandra`s strength. I really think Sandra Bullock is handling all the drama surrounding her so incredibly well. And today, she`s speaking out for the very first time on TV since her divorce.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: Human beings exist that have integrity, that know how to keep their mouth shut, that know the bigger picture, that don`t sell out their friends - those people are all over the place. But again, we don`t like to talk about it because it doesn`t sell a magazine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sandra`s dramatic revelations today of how she got through her darkest days.
"Dancing" drama. Today, the showdown surrounding Bristol Palin doing "Dancing with the Stars."
And oh, boy, this has got to hurt. A woman hit in the head as she`s on TV. Ouch. 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: Bethenny Frankel says it`s unlikely she`ll return to "Real Housewives of New York." Miranda Lambert is nominated for five CMA Awards.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Demi in the dog pound? Caught on tape, Demi Moore shaking her groove thing at a Snoop Dogg concert in Las Vegas. Check this out. I want to warn you, though, nothing is wrong with your set. The sound quality isn`t so hot.
Who knew girl could back that thing up like that? Now, in case you were wondering what Demi`s hubby, Ashton Kutcher, thinks about Demi`s dirty dancing, he was right there on the right - there he is - cheering her on.
I`m not sure how Demi`s kids are holding up after this, though. They might be a little bit embarrassed, but their mom did do that movie, "Striptease," so I guess they`re kind of used to it, right?
OK. Big shocker at newsstands today. Elin Nordegren has come this close to beating Brangelina. The dramatic and emotional tell-all by Tiger Woods` ex-wife to "People" magazine has reportedly sold nearly two million copies. That`s the biggest seller for "People" since Brad, Angelina and their twins were back on the cover in August of 2008. That issue sold 2.5 million.
But get this - Elin reportedly didn`t take a dime for her tell-all. Brad and Angie got millions. So you do the math. Elin definitely is the much better deal. But I want to add, Brad and Angie did donate their money to charity.
HAMMER: A lot of fired-up posts on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook wall today about Paris Hilton getting busted allegedly with cocaine.
Here`s one. It`s from Ashley D, who writes, "I am not surprised at all. Obviously, she didn`t learn her lesson the first time. Maybe if she had served her full sentence the first time around and not been let out early because of overcrowding, she would have learned her lesson."
We would love for you to join the debate on Facebook. You can get behind- the-scenes of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and get breaking entertainment news alerts on Twitter. You can call us at "Showbiz on Call." There`s always E-mail, too. "SHOWBIZ Connects" - CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
ANDERSON: And now, the SHOWBIZ lineup - here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Sandra`s strength today. Sandra Bullock speaks out on TV for the very first time today since her divorce. Her brand-new revelations today about being a mom.
"Housewives" horror. The unbelievable brand-new explosive "Real Housewives of New Jersey" showdown. Shocking name-calling, startling shoving match.
And Kate Gosselin wants to act, as in TV, as in movies. Just let that sink in for a second. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: It is time now to roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Kardashians launching new clothing line for QVC called K-Dash. Rihanna poses next to her new wax figure at Madame Tussauds in D.C.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Sandra Bullock`s dramatic new revelations. Her first TV interview today about life with her baby. Sandra`s confessions about how she got through her darkest days.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: Human beings exist that have integrity, that know how to keep their mouth shut, that know the bigger picture, that don`t sell out their friends. Those people are all over the place. But again, we don`t like to talk about it because it doesn`t sell a magazine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Dancing" drama today, the fired-up debate about Bristol Palin doing "Dancing with the Stars" as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks today, Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston - who is the bigger fame seeker?
"Housewives" horror. The explosive and startling "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reunion showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! You are a piece of garbage!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: They`re grown women gone berserk. Has this "Housewives" drama gone way too far?
Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - shocking Mel Gibson news and Brad Pitt`s new role.
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 you from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today - Sandra`s new revelations.
HAMMER: Yes. Today really marks a milestone for Sandra Bullock. It`s now been five months since the world learned that her now ex-husband, Jesse James, was cheating on her.
And today, for the very first time, Sandra talked about what got her through it all in her first TV interview. Sandra sat down with the "Today" show`s Matt Lauer at a charter school in New Orleans that she has been working very closely with for a long time, and it`s quite a revealing interview.
Right now, in New York, Cooper Lawrence, who is a syndicated radio show host and author of "The Cult of Celebrity." From Hollywood, Ken Baker, who is the chief news correspondent for "E!"
And guys, I`m sure you`re with me. I thought that Sandra looked terrific today. And it really struck me how well she put into perspective the importance of having really good people in her life to help her through such a terrible time. Watch what she told Matt Lauer this morning on "Today." And Matt sat with Bullock while a board member from that New Orleans school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: It takes good people with integrity. I read something like, how did someone keep a secret? Human beings exist that have integrity, that know how to keep their mouth shut, that know the bigger picture, that don`t sell out their friends. Those people are all over the place. But again, we don`t like to talk about it because it doesn`t sell a magazine.
But I was blessed with the same friends I`ve had since before things got really special for me and blessed in life. And when things get bad, they`re still the same friends. Everything passes. It all passes.
But they just - you know, they know if they screw up, they`re not coming on the next vacation. I`m not going to baby-sit their kids. I will cut them. I will take them down.
LAUER: No premiere tickets.
BULLOCK: No. They don`t really want to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) which is kind of nice.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hey, you know, Cooper, I`ve got to tell you. I watched that and I totally understand why she has bounced back so amazingly quickly.
LAWRENCE: She surrounds herself with people that she trusts, who love her. And you know, the advice she`s basically giving women going through the same thing is focus on your family, focus on your friends, focus on your work and you`ll get through it.
And that seems to be what happened with her because she put the focus in the right place. She`s like a good friend.
HAMMER: Yes.
LAWRENCE: If you`re going - it`s like, thanks, pal, you know? Yes.
HAMMER: Yes. And it`s so nice to see her smiling. And certainly, she was having a laugh about all, Ken, but Sandra definitely sounds like one tough cookie. Either you are with her or you are out.
BAKER: Definitely. And people who know Sandra in Hollywood have known this about her for a very long time. I`ve spoken to people who work with her on films, who worked on the production side, and she is very tough. And people really do know that.
Of course, she`s a great actress. She`s also a very sweet and loving mom that we now know. But she really does have a very tough side, and she`s been able to endure because of that.
And I think also, what is the subtext here? When she says the word "integrity," I don`t know about you, I think maybe she`s kind of referencing some people she knows who haven`t had integrity in her life.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Yes. It`s an interesting point that you`re making, because she was very - I don`t know - not cryptic about it, but she certainly either intentionally or unconsciously did not mention Jesse James by name at all during the interview.
But what was great is you have Sandra making it perfectly clear that her friends were a huge part of her getting through all of the drama. But it seems that her new commitment to motherhood with baby Louis coming along is what really allowed her to not let all the scandal take over her life. Watch what she told Matt Lauer this morning on "Today" about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BULLOCK: I was saying to a girlfriend of mine, no one understands the shift in priorities about having a child in your life that you are responsible for until you have a child in your life.
It naturally shifts. It just shifted the first day I met him. And it was like he`d been there the whole time yet everything was different, you know? Louis - Louis` got the stage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Louis` got the stage. I mean, as simple as that may sound, Cooper, I bet mothers everywhere are just cheering her on and maybe even saying, "Wow, even Sandra the big star, gets it." And that`s just one more reason why we`re so in love with this woman.
LAWRENCE: Well, it`s a big deal, because, look, we keep seeing stars passing their kids off to nannies and they`re in front of the paparazzi and what`s my kid wearing today. She`s speaking like somebody who`s a real mom who seems to care about her kid and focus on her kid. Moms relate to that. They can`t relate to Angelina. They can`t relate to people with 400 nannies.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes. And it`s amazing - and Ken, I`ve got to get your take on this because I hear her talk about motherhood, despite all the drama she just endured with her marriage falling apart, of being front-page news.
I think single women, married women, mothers can really look up to Sandra Bullock for how she`s handled everything. To me, Ken, she`s really become this unlikely role model. Don`t you see her that way?
BAKER: Yes, totally. And in fact, A.J., I was in Austin last week and did a report on her life as a single mom there. And I have to tell you, it`s very ordinary and beautiful.
I mean, you know, she has the local ice cream shop. And she goes shopping for clothes at the baby store. She takes walks in the park with Louis. I mean, she`s a very normal mom and she`s doing it on her own. And I think it is very inspiring to a lot of people.
HAMMER: And what a stark contrast from the woman who we saw get up, accept that Oscar earlier this year and then just days later her world, you know, really fell apart, not to over-dramatize it, but it really did.
So, OK, let`s take stock here. She`s had her friends and her son, and she also has had her great passion for helping the people of New Orleans to get through her extraordinarily difficult drama.
And quite frankly, the people of New Orleans take a great deal of pride in what Sandra has done for them. In fact, this morning on the "Today" show, Matt Lauer told Sandra about that pride while she was sitting there with a member of the charter school that she`s working with. Take a look at this. I love it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: I was speaking to a local journalist here the other day as part of the anniversary of Katrina. And at the end of him asking me questions, he said, "And do me a favor. Be nice to Sandra because she to us here is a hero.
BULLOCK: Wow. It`s making me teary.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is true. It`s true.
BULLOCK: It`s random acts of kindness.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This whole city has fallen in love with her. She belongs to us. Don`t mess with Sandra.
BULLOCK: I like that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I`m serious. It`s like, you hurt her, you hurt us and you`d better be ready for a fight.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. And that`s how we all feel. I mean, really it sounds like anyone who gets close to Sandra automatically has her back.
Cooper, it seems to me that Sandra Bullock is setting this whole new standard for women in Hollywood who are cheated with - or cheated on, that it is possible to take your life back with dignity and come out bigger and better than ever before.
LAWRENCE: Right. And she has to be like that, because first of all, that`s really who she is. You get the impression it`s not an act. A publicist didn`t tell her, here`s what you say when Lauer asks you this.
I mean, she understands her responsibility as a celebrity, as a mother, as a jilted woman publicly. I mean, she really takes every role very seriously. And there`s something so real and lovely about her in everything she does. This is really who she is.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, Ken Baker, we`ve seen all of these people, all of these jilted wives throughout Hollywood, jilted stars. There`s going to be the Bullock effect, I think, in terms of how to deal with all of it.
BAKER: Yes. I mean, she`s really done it textbook, how she - she`s done it with dignity. And by the way, New Orleans is great, but I think the people of Austin, Texas, might want to fight New Orleans over who has the hometown rights.
HAMMER: Who gets to spend a little more time with her? Cooper Lawrence, Ken Baker, thank you both. I appreciate it.
ANDERSON: All right. While Sandra Bullock may have set a new gold standard for women in Hollywood, there`s a despicable new low being set today. It`s the "Housewives" horror. The explosive and startling "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reunion showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! You are a piece of garbage!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Slapping, shouting, hair pulling. Has this "Housewives" drama gone way too far?
"Dancing" drama today. Bristol Palin is doing "Dancing with the Stars." Good idea? Awful idea? Another episode in the Palin saga? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks today Bristol Palin, Levi Johnston - who`s the bigger fame seeker?
And "Dancing" alum Kate Gosselin is seeking some more fame of her own - Kate plus a sitcom? It could happen. 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: "Jersey Shore" shatters its previous ratings record, getting 5.8 million viewers Thursday. Brad Pitt to narrate film about New Orleans Saints` Super Bowl win.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, it`s official. There`s another "Real Housewives" show, this time, it`s in Beverly Hills. Let me run down part of the lineup just revealed today.
Camille Grammer is going to be in this thing. She just filed for divorce, of course, from "Frasier" star, Kelsey Grammer. Paris Hilton`s aunts Kim and Kyle will be in it. The "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" starts on October 14th. And it just makes me wonder if these Beverly Hills housewives will be any classier than their New York and New Jersey TV buddies.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Speaking of New Jersey housewives, A.J., they are making big news in the buzz today with their explosive and disturbing reunion cat fight. Paula Abdul is telling us about her new passion. And we go one-on- one with Bristol Palin as she gets set to start "Dancing with the Stars."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): Dancing with Sarah Palin`s daughter. Bristol Palin joins a constellation of big stars for this season`s "Dancing with the Stars."
BRISTOL PALIN, DAUGHTER OF FMR. GOV. SARAH PALIN: I`m totally stepping out of my comfort zone, but I`m going to have a good time.
ANDERSON: The roster ranges from "Jersey Shore`s" Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino to David Hasselhoff.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: David, who has better abs, you or "The Situation"?
DAVID HASSELHOFF, ACTOR: Well, we`ll just to have to find out.
ANDERSON: Mrs. Brady, Florence Henderson, "Dirty Dancing" star, Jennifer Grey and former pro-athlete Kurt Warner and Rick Fox will also face off when "Dancing" premieres September 20th.
Paula`s pumped up. No more "Idol" talk for Paula Abdul, but she`s giving SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the scoop on how she`s feeling about her new reality show.
PAULA ABDUL, FORMER "AMERICAN IDOL" JUDGE: I`m very excited, beyond thrilled because it`s my passion. And we`re in the middle of not only having nationwide auditions going on right now. We`re seeing amazing, wonderful, passionate dance.
The Jersey housewives explosive reunion. The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" continue to stake their claim as the most dysfunctional cast on reality TV. A fiery Teresa Giudice faced off with Danielle Staub.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do not break up my marriage, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
ANDERSON: The reunion didn`t come to blows, but it came pretty close.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
ANDERSON: Ratings have been better than ever this season. So this reality train wreck shows no sign of slowing down.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Are they setting a new bar for the lowest of lows of reality programming? Has "Housewives" gone too far?
Joining me right now, in New York, Ben Widdicombe, who is a celebrity journalist. And right now, in Atlanta, Jenn Hobby, who is the co-host of "The Bert Show."
Ben, Jenn, I get that you want a lot of drama for your ma in a good reality show. But the amount of cursing, the anger, even the violence in "Housewives of New Jersey" -it`s getting out of hand. It kind of leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Ben, has "Housewives" gone too far?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Well, you know, a lot of sensible people don`t like television like this, but the fact is that millions do. And "The Real Housewives" franchise has been a massive hit for Bravo because of showdowns like this.
And if these two women want to behave like two drag queens fighting over the last cigarette, it just means more audibles for Bravo and more money in the bank for all concerned.
ANDERSON: Well, let`s take a look at the pinnacle of drama and outrage last night on the "Real Housewives of New Jersey" reunion. Brace yourself. It`s a doozy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! You (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! You are a piece of garbage!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Come here. Come here, Teresa.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED)! She`s a (EXPLETIVE DELETED)!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Did you hear that animal-like growl? Incredible. Director Chris, can we play that part again, please?
(GROWLING)
Oh, brother. You know, I`m laughing, but I do think that her behavior is outrageous. It`s shameful. And you know, Teresa has since apologized to Andy Cohen, the show host, and he`s actually in charge of the shows. He`s in charge of Bravo. She knows where her bread is buttered. But still, Jenn, has "Housewives" set a new low for reality programming?
JENN HOBBY, CO-HOST, "THE BERT SHOW": Absolutely. I mean, I thought that Jerry Springer was over. This is just the new version of "The Springer Show."
It`s just absolutely incredible to me that these women act like spoiled brat children. They would not allow their children to act this way, but they act this way on camera. And the fact that she treated the host that way - unbelievable.
ANDERSON: Yes. And let`s hope they would never allow their own children to act this way because then we`ve got more problems down the road, people. OK. And that is not the only whopper of a story just in today. Get this - Bristol Palin will be a contestant on "Dancing with the Stars."
The teen mother will now become a dancing queen. A.J., I say, why not? Have a ball, Bristol. But do you think it`s a good idea?
HAMMER: Yes, I guess so. I mean, for Bristol, not so much for the show. I don`t think she`s going to be a big tune-in factor. You know, the show is "Dancing with the Stars." I get and accept that she`s a celebrity. People know her name, but she`s not really a star in my mind. But yes, good for her. Let her cash in on it. Why the heck not?
ANDERSON: I think she`s more of a household name maybe than some of the others cast, Ben. What do you think about her on "Dancing with the Stars"?
WIDDICOMBE: Oh, I think she`s definitely a figure of interest to the American public. And you know, this is America. If someone wants to offer her money to be on television, why shouldn`t she accept? I say go for it.
ANDERSON: OK. Well, Bristol, as we know, has been stuck in a really dramatic on-again, off-again romance with Levi Johnston who is the father of their young son.
Levi`s got an agent. He`s been shopping around reality shows, music videos, anything to stay in the limelight. And that brings us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day - "Bristol Palin on `Dancing with the Stars` - who is the bigger fame seeker, Bristol Palin or Levi Johnston?"
Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. We want to hear from you so E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Jenn, I think it`s Levi. Bar none, hands down, no exception. What do you think?
HOBBY: I absolutely agree with you, Brooke. I think it`s Levi. Now, Bristol may be trying to get a little bit of revenge here by going on "Dancing with the Stars" and proving to him that she actually is the bigger star.
So I think that may be her chess move in joining the cast. And she`s got a chance to repair some of the damage that he`s done, I think.
ANDERSON: OK. Ben, very quickly, who`s the bigger fame seeker in your mind?
WIDDICOMBE: I think it`s a dead heat. You know, Bristol accused Levi of being addicted to the limelight and faking their reunion, which they broke up very briefly after the "Us Weekly" cover. But she`s just as bad.
WIDDICOMBE: She`s going on television. She wants the same thing.
ANDERSON: Nose to nose. All right. Ben Widdicombe, Jenn Hobby, thank you both.
HAMMER: Well, it seems "Dancing with the Stars" alum, Kate Gosselin is ready for another big Hollywood gig. The "Kate Plus 8" is reportedly ready to ditch reality TV for a big-time acting job on a scripted sitcom or drama.
Kate was kind of funny in the opening number of the Emmys on Sunday night. She tells "Entertainment Weekly" that is what inspired her for her new career plan. But I say, yes, what the heck. Good luck to you, Kate Gosselin.
ANDERSON: All right. I`ve got to tell you, this is the most incredible, most cringe-worthy Internet video I`ve seen in a very long time. A soccer ball nails a German sportscaster in the head while she`s on TV. Holy headache. 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: John Cusack to play Edgar Allan Poe in "The Raven." New Poll: Mel Gibson`s movie appeal mostly unchanged by alleged tape rants.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Did you see this? Ouch. Yes, really, ouch, ouch. A soccer ball comes flying across the field and nails this German sportscaster in the head. Amazingly, she stayed on her feet. She was fine, and she even finished her pre-game report.
And now, she`s become an international internet sensation. My hat really goes off to Jessica Kastrop. This morning on the "CBS Early Show," Jessica says she didn`t have a clue that she was whacked in the back of the head with a speeding soccer ball until she saw the look on the faces of her TV crew.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA KASTROP, SPORTSCASTER: I didn`t remember the second when it hit me. I was shocked in that moment, kind of - really shocked. I had no idea what happened, but I just saw Freddy Bobic(ph) that is the technical director of Stuttgart that was standing beside me.
And he was, like, totally shocked as well. I saw his face, and I thought, "Oh, my god. What happened?" Everybody was staring at me, and I thought, OK, now something happened and I just tried to get my mind together because I knew I only had 90 seconds to go because then I would be live on television again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s right. She wasn`t looking for help. She was looking for her camera angle. But Jessica did get an apology from the guy who kicked the ball. And she proved that she is one heck of a sport, too. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE ANCHOR: Did he say anything to you? Did he apologize?
KASTROP: Yes. He apologized immediately by, like, raising his hand and saying, "Sorry, it was my fault." And then, afterwards, he came to the table where I was hosting the show and he apologized there.
But the lovely thing is that on Sunday, I`ve been to Stuttgart again. And I saw him, and he came over to me with a whole bunch of flowers and a little, like, a helmet kind of thing to say "I`m really sorry." And I felt it from the heart. He was really sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So he gave you a helmet, a helmet to wear.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Jessica just might need that helmet. Get this - it is the third time she`s been hit in the head.
HAMMER: She may want to move to a different sport. Well, on Monday we asked you to vote on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. We just got the final results in moments ago.
Apparently, this was a no-brainer for most of you. "Paris Hilton Arrested: Are you surprised?" That was the question. Let`s put up the results. Look at that - three percent of you say yes; 97 percent of you say no.
Let me get to a couple of the E-mails we received. This one from Susan in Tennessee, "I think Paris` time is up. I just think she needs to be put away for a while. She keeps making the law look like a joke and now the joke needs to be on her."
Jessica from Michigan writes this, "I think the percent of people in the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll who were surprised Paris Hilton is in trouble again must have accidentally clicked the wrong box."
And you know, Brooke, quite frankly, that must happen sometimes. I`m sure we have a small margin of error. So maybe 100 percent think that Paris - they`re not surprised she was arrested. Anyway, 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 TV`s most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
END
