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Showbiz Tonight
Kanye West`s Bush Bombshell; Is Bristol Overshadowing Sarah?; The "Teen Mom" Shocker; Are the Jonas Brothers in Crisis?; Kim Kardashian`s Love Confession
Aired November 10, 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: We`ve got big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Kanye West`s new Bush bombshell. Kanye`s stunning new apology to President Bush.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KANYE WEST, SINGER: I would tell George Bush in my moment of frustration I didn`t have the grounds to call him a racist.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But does Bush accept Kanye`s I`m sorry?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER, NBC CORRESPONDENT: Does your faith allow to you forgive?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, why Kanye is fuming now.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: The brand-new Palin reality TV showdown today. Bristol on "Dancing with the Stars." Her mom Sarah`s new "Alaska" series. The SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today, is Bristol overshadowing her mom?
HAMMER: The "Teen Mom" shocker. A stunning development today. Could it lead to Amber Portwood going to jail for beating up the father of her baby?
ANDERSON: Oh, no, are the Jonas Brothers in crisis? Demi Lovato yanks herself off their tour. Their TV show canceled. What`s going on?
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show --
ANDERSON: Starts right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi, there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today -- who`s sorry now?
HAMMER: Yes. The battle over Kanye West`s "President Bush doesn`t like black people" comment is now erupting into a whole new war today. We`ve got Kanye on TV for the very first time saying he`s sorry for his post- Hurricane Katrina slam on the then-president.
Well, today, Bush even got a chance to respond. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that this is hardly an end to all the drama. It`s looking look Kanye is now aiming at a brand-new target.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over): For former President George W. Bush, it`s become his biggest battle since Bush versus Gore. For Kanye West, it`s his biggest beef since West versus Swift. But today, it appears the Kanye-versus-Bush battle has ended with a quiet truce. Or has it?
LAUER: One of the subjects that`s gotten the most attention in the last couple days of which you write about Kanye West.
HAMMER: The former president appeared this morning on the "Today" show to promote his new book, "Decision Points." And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you during Mr. Bush`s interview with Matt Lauer, Kanye West made an unexpected appearance.
JEFF KREISLER, COMEDIAN AND AUTHOR: Kanye interrupted and said, "I`m going to let you finish, W, but Reagan had the best Republican presidency of all time.
HAMMER: OK. It wasn`t quite like the time Kanye interrupted Taylor Swift`s acceptance speech at an MTV Awards show last year. But Kanye`s appearance this morning at former President Bush`s interview was just as surprising.
LAUER: He stopped by to see me yesterday.
GEORGE W. BUSH, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: All right.
HAMMER: In a taped interview with Lauer the day before, West did the unthinkable. He apologized for calling then-President Bush a racist during a 2005 telethon for Hurricane Katrina victims.
WEST: George Bush doesn`t care about black people.
HAMMER: And this morning on live TV, Lauer played Kanye`s apology to the former president.
WEST: I would tell George Bush, in the moment of my frustration, I didn`t have the grounds to call him a racist. But I believe in a situation of high emotion like that, we, as human beings, don`t always choose the right words.
HAMMER: The former president made headlines this week when he revealed in his book for the very first time that he was personally hurt by West`s 2005 comment. He mentioned it in his primetime interview with Matt Lauer.
BUSH: I resent it. It`s not true and it`s one of the most disgusting moments of my presidency.
HAMMER: And it came up again on Oprah.
BUSH: That really hurt. To accuse me of being a racist is disgusting.
WEST: I didn`t have the grounds to call him a racist.
HAMMER: But after hearing Kanye`s sort of apology this morning, Mr. Bush was willing to call a ceasefire.
BUSH: I appreciate that.
LAUER: Does your faith allow to you forgive Kanye West?
BUSH: Oh, absolutely. Of course, it does. And I didn`t -- you know, I`m not a hater. I didn`t hate Kanye West.
HAMMER: So now, Bush and Kanye have buried the hatchet. It probably had to happen on the "Today" show instead of, say, one of President Obama`s White House beer summits. For one, Bush doesn`t drink. And Kanye -- well, we don`t know if he drinks beer.
KREISLER: I think this will help "Bush`s" career.
HAMMER: Comedian Jeff Kreisler, author of the book, "Get Rich Cheating," tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the Bush-Kanye feud could finally give the former president A-list superstar status.
KREISLER: Taylor Swift took off after Kanye`s criticism. And now, Bush - - this could really make him something.
HAMMER: But if you think the Bush versus Kanye story ends with Kanye`s apology this morning, well, you don`t know Kanye. After taping his apology to former President Bush, Kanye went on Twitter and went off on the "Today" show.
WEST: I didn`t have the grounds to call him a racist.
HAMMER: He said while he was talking about Bush during his "Today" show interview, NBC producers were playing a clip of the whole Taylor Swift debacle in his ear piece.
And about Matt Lauer, Kanye angrily tweeted, "He tried to force my answers. It was very brutal, and I came there with only positive intent."
He also writes, quote, "I feel very alone, very used, very tortured, very forced, very misunderstood, very hollow, very, very misused."
But if Kanye is mad at the "Today" show, at least it appears today that he and the former president are cool. Maybe now they`ll work on a future project together.
KREISLER: I think they`re going to put together a spoken word album. And it going to be "Bleep My Ex-President Says," directed by Kanye West.
HAMMER: Maybe that`s not so far fetched, because if a former president and a hip-hop superstar can find themselves in a media feud, anything is possible.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. Seriously, Kanye, stop talking. Stop tweeting. Just chill out already. I really think everybody would be better off.
Right now, in Los Angeles, Tony Potts -- he is a correspondent and a weekend co-host of "Access Hollywood." Right now, in Hollywood, is Tanika Ray. She is an entertainment journalist.
This whole thing, for me, has been surreal. And it blows me away that the former leader of the free world has been in this beef, this major beef, with Kanye West, of all people. Tanika, is Kanye`s on-camera apology finally going to put this thing to rest?
TANIKA RAY, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: No. But you know what? The president was going after some street cred. He`s trying to reach a new audience for his book. And it`s all promotion.
But as far as Kanye, he needs to represent himself authentically on camera the way he does on Twitter. It`s now confusing. He seems almost - - I don`t want to say suicidal, but he seems in dire straits on Twitter.
But on television, he seemed that he was fine. And it was --
(AUDIO GAP)
But when he (INAUDIBLE), I`ll say it again for the 47th time it on this show, get some help, Kanye.
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: Just get some therapy.
HAMMER: Listen, I don`t think that he`s helping Bush`s street cred, by the way, if he calls Kanye "Conway" as I believe he did to Matt Lauer.
RAY: Exactly.
HAMMER: Tony Potts, what do you think? I mean, is the Secret Service going to have to get involved here? Is this thing finally done?
TONY POTTS, WEEKEND CORRESPONDENT AND CO-HOST, "ACCESS HOLLYWOOD": Well, I have two things to say. First off, the president says it was the low point of his presidency. 9/11 doesn`t come to mind?
HAMMER: Yes.
RAY: Hello.
POTTS: And secondly, the fact that he was actually watching the Katrina telethon, that`s stunning as well. But beyond that, I have Kanye`s tweets here, OK? Seventeen tweets in 28 minutes. I`m with you guys. He needs to get off the tweet and get on some therapy quickly.
HAMMER: Yes. I want to read some of that to you here, because Matt Lauer gave Kanye this chance to apologize to the former president. And Kanye turns around and he picks as whole new fight with Matt Lauer. Nice going here.
In part of Kanye`s interview that didn`t air on the "Today" show this morning, Kanye tweets that Matt and the "Today" show tried to bring up the whole Taylor Swift drama when Kanye thought he was only there to address the whole Bush drama.
Here`s some of what he tweeted, "Yo, I really wonder if Matt Lauer thought that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) was cool to play the MTV clip while I was speaking about Bush? I feel very alone, very used, very tortured, very forced, very misunderstood, very hollow, very, very misused."
Well, first of all, I don`t think Matt Lauer picked out the clip to play. But Kanye now says that he doesn`t want to talk to the press anymore. Tanika, I`m actually thinking that`s a pretty good idea.
RAY: Yes. But he also -- you remember, he threatened he was never going to perform on an awards show before again. So he keeps threatening these things, but then he denies that and he keeps going on television. He keeps speaking on Twitter.
So I don`t really believe anything that he says anymore. I kind of feel like he needs to get his words straight. He needs to find his point of view and stick with it. Because right now, he`s a little wishy-washy.
HAMMER: And he needs to move on. And I would like to move on to big news breaking today about another celebrity feud. This is between famed Hollywood attorney, Gloria Allred, and Charlie Sheen.
Now, Gloria is blasting Charlie in this open letter that just posted today on "Radar Online." Brooke, Gloria is calling Charlie out on I think every bad thing Charlie`s ever been accused of.
ANDERSON: Yes. She is, A.J., and that`s not even half of it. Gloria is on fire. She writes, "As a celebrity you seem to get away with what the typical person without money and power cannot. You might also have felt that the criminal justice system as well as most press stands in awe of your celebrity and appears to be seduced by it. Charlie, I, for one, am not seduced by it."
Can you imagine if Gloria was seduced in a way by Charlie Sheen? That would be a big story. But in all seriousness, Gloria makes some legitimate points here. Tony, do you think Gloria`s open letter is long overdue?
POTTS: I`m still reeling from the thought of Gloria being seduced by anybody. But moving on from that -- it`s overdue. You know, you think of -- anyway, I was thinking of "Glee" last night.
Anyway, you think about this. She`s right in some respects of calling him out -- you know, the beast -- calling him out. And she`s right. But in the media, I can speak this for myself. We`re not in awe of this.
ANDERSON: Yes.
POTTS: I think one word comes to mind -- Teflon. And if you think about it, his character`s named Charlie. He gets away with everything on the show. It`s kind of the same thing.
ANDERSON: Absolutely.
POTTS: It`s a hard way to draw a line between what Charlie plays and what he does. So it`s of -- in the public`s mind, like, it`s Charlie being Charlie. Is it egregious -- his daughters are next door? Absolutely.
She writes saying that, you know, "This is something you shouldn`t do with your daughters next door. It`s a fine example you`re trying to set as a husband and as a father." So I think she is right in that respect. But by the way, all gets back to economics. It`s a great show for CBS. It makes a lot of money. By the way after --
ANDERSON: Making a lot of money bringing in those viewers.
POTTS: But also, the ratings went up after that incident. So there you go.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. And until that changes, his career is not going to go downhill.
POTTS: Yes.
ANDERSON: You`re right -- Teflon Charlie. Well, Gloria Allred, as you know, does not mince words. She always goes for the jugular. Tony Potts, Tanika Ray, thank you.
HAMMER: OK. So Bristol Palin is still dancing, which I`m kind of surprised about. She hasn`t been voted off "Dancing with the Stars" yet. Wow. And now, there`s a brand-new Palin reality TV showdown.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK): This is what life is all about. And on a real clear day, you can see Russia from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. You know, you`ve got Bristol`s mom, Sarah, in her new reality series. Bristol on "Dancing." So we`re asking in the SHOWBIZ Flashpoint -- is Bristol overshadowing her mom?
ANDERSON: There`s a stunning new development today surrounding MTV`s "Teen Mom". Could the new development get "Teen Mom" star, Amber Portwood, thrown in jail for beating up the father of her baby on camera?
HAMMER: And Kim Kardashian`s dramatic new confession today. Why she`s now looking for L-O-V-E -- love. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Christina Aguilera to receive star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Taylor Swift is now the youngest BMI country songwriter of the year award winner.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": Your boys are probably very active, right? Matteo and Valentino.
RICKY MARTIN, SINGER: Terrible twos, yes.
DEGENERES: All right. So they`re running around and so we have little warm-up suits for them.
MARTIN: How cool! How cool!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is very cool. Check this out. Ellen DeGeneres gives Ricky Martin matching sweat suits for his two-year-old twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, who I believe are the La Vida Loca.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And now, Ricky Martin`s shocking new confessions. Today, Ricky Martin is telling the world that, yes, he loved women. Ricky is now openly gay and he is trying to clear the air after a lot of people actually accused him of putting on an act just to sell records.
Well, now, Ricky is speaking out in a brand-new interview with CNN`s Larry King. But will Ricky`s tell-all put an end to the outrage?
Right now, in New York, is Brian Balthazar. He is the editor for the Web site, "PopGoesTheWeek.com."
So Ricky made a very personal revelation when he told the world he is gay. And now, he is defending himself again to those who are angry and believe that he was actually putting on some kind of an act for all of those years with his sexy dance moves that made women swoon. Watch what Ricky told Larry King about that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST, "LARRY KING LIVE": During the earliest days or before this pretending, I mean, women would flock, right? They`d throw underwear at you, right?
MARTIN: Well, you know what? I`m gay and I enjoyed dancing with women. And I would always enjoy -- I just allowed myself to feel the music and just go for it.
KING: You had to pretend the life, didn`t you?
MARTIN: I don`t know if I was pretending because I didn`t know who I really was. I didn`t know I was -- denial is very powerful. And whenever I had an encounter with a man, I would do it, not think about it and keep walking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Brian. Did Ricky really need to explain himself to all of those fans calling him a fraud? I mean, I thought that whole thing of ludicrous to begin with.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR, EDITOR, "POPGOESTHEWEEK.COM": How much time -- what would they have preferred, that he was effeminate, that he was snapping his fingers, "Hey, girl friend," like some sort of stereotype they expect a gay man to have?
It was ridiculous. And so, you know, Rock Hudson was an attractive guy who appeared to what people would define as straight. And you know, these things happen. With Rosie O`Donnell -- Rosie O`Donnell used to say she thought Tom Cruise was cute. Was everybody devastated when she came out as a lesbian? We can`t Rosie O`Donnell anymore?
HAMMER: Yes. I don`t think you owe anybody an explanation as he said. And he said many times in the past he was going through a difficult time, a confusing time. And he knew when he was ready to come out.
(CROSS TALK)
He would come out and talk about his sexuality.
BALTHAZAR: It`s your own journey.
HAMMER: Well, Ricky is also speaking about exactly that and about bullying today. In a brand-new interview with Ellen which airs on Thursday, he says no one should feel pressured to come out before they`re ready. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTIN: I think it`s everybody has to go through their own process. When you`re not ready, you`re not ready.
DEGENERES: Right.
MARTIN: You have to go through a spiritual path. It doesn`t matter if it takes you 10, five -- you know, 15 years sense the moment you realize or you understand who you are. You cannot be forced.
Right now, children, unfortunately -- you know, we`re talking about bullying. Children are being bullied because they`re gay and they`re committing suicide. Children are committing suicide because they`re being outed. And it`s because if you`re not ready, you`re just not ready.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, Ricky was in the position that so many kids and so many kids who are being bullied are in today. I`m thinking, Brian, what a better person to convey this message than someone who has been through it like Ricky.
BALTHAZAR: The best message is you have to be true to your own journey. It`s no one else`s but your own. And you`re not defined by who you love. You`re defined by your character. And when it`s right for you, it`s right for you. It`s no one`s right to drag out of the closet.
HAMMER: Yes. And the fact that Ricky is talking about this can only help people --
BALTHAZAR: Absolutely.
HAMMER: On both sides, whether they`re straight or gay. Thank you very much, Brian Balthazar. Appreciate it.
ANDERSON: Moving on now to the brand-new Palin reality TV showdown today. Bristol is still dancing with the stars.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The next couple safe is Bristol and Mark.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Her mom Sarah`s new "Alaska" series. The SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today -- is Bristol now overshadowing her mom?
HAMMER: Oh, no. Are the Jonas brothers in crisis? I mean, think about it. Demi Lovato yanks herself off their tour. Their TV show cancels. Even Jason Mraz is reportedly mad at the Jonases. What the heck is going on?
ANDERSON: And the brand-new look and voice of the Planter`s Peanut guy. It`s a big star.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At Planters, we know how to throw remarkable holiday parties, just to serve classy snacks and be a gracious host.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Hmm. That sounds really familiar. Who the heck is it? HLN news and views.
HAMMER: It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Lil Wayne -- who just got out of jail -- is banned from the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas. Brittany Murphy`s mom is writing a book about her late daughter`s life.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Did you see this? Julie Andrews and the actors who played the Von Trapp children, the cast of "The Sound of Music," reunited today on the "Today" show. As you see, they sang "Do Re Mi," one of the classic songs from the movie.
Can you believe it? "The Sound of Music" is celebrating its 45th anniversary and I`m happy to report the hills are still alive with the sound of music.
As we move on, making news today, one of Lindsay Lohan`s early co- stars reveals how she was able to stay out of trouble while Lindsay, well, hasn`t.
Rachel McAdams is amazing in the brand-new movie, "Morning Glory." It`s in theaters today. Go see it. But back in 2004, Rachel was Li-Lo`s co-star in "Mean Girls." So when I sat down with Rachel to talk about her new movie, I had to ask her how she survived the spotlight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera) Is there one thing in your mind that has been sort of the driving force that has enabled you to emerge from being such a young star unscathed? Because a lot of young stars, we all know, have not had that kind of success.
RACHEL MCADAMS, ACTRESS: Hmm. I don`t know. I guess I -- I don`t think I was that young when I -- I think, at any age you start in this business, you`re young, because it`s -- there`s no road map. There`s no instruction manual, you know. So it`s like any job.
You know, you`re going to fall on your face and have to pick yourself up again. And I think the best advice I was ever given was to finish school and get a degree, even though my degree`s in acting. I can`t do anything else anyway with that.
HAMMER: I was a philosophy major, so --
MCADAMS: Oh, there, we`re in the same boat. We`ll be unemployed together. It`s fine. But I mean, yes, I think that that`s important and I think that served me very well.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. A lot of posts on our Facebook wall today about this -- is it OK for Michael Jackson`s kids to go into show business?
Tawny Z. thinks it is, "I don`t think it would be a bad thing as long as they wait until they are adults to do so."
But Jade P. said showbiz is a bad idea, "This is the exact reason why M.J. kept his children away from the public eye."
HAMMER: Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup -- here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the bottom of the hour. The "Teen Mom" shocker. Wait until you see this -- a stunning development today. Could it actually lead to "Teen Mom" star, Amber Portwood, going to jail for beating up her baby`s dad?
Are the Jonas Brothers in crisis? I mean, Demi Lovato yanks herself off their tour, their TV show cancelled. What`s going on?
And Kim Kardashian`s dramatic confession today. Why she`s now looking for L-O-V-E -- love. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Betty White named an honorary forest ranger, a lifelong dream of hers! Justin Bieber, Miranda Lambert, Katy Perry to perform at Grammy nominations 12/1.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
S. PALIN: This is what life is all about. And on a real clear day, you can see Russia from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- the brand-new Palin reality TV showdown today. Bristol survives on "Dancing with the Stars." Sarah Palin`s new "Alaska" TV show. The SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today -- is Bristol now overshadowing her mom?
ANDERSON: The "Teen Mom" shocker. A stunning development today -- could "Teen Mom" star, Amber, get thrown in the slammer for beating up the father of her baby?
HAMMER: Kim`s love confessions. Kim Kardashian breaks her silence today about why she feels so unlucky in love. So what is the one thing Kim says she will never, ever do for a man?
ANDERSON: Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- Nicole Richie`s new TV show and Olivia Wilde wants to be like Jeff Bridges?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today -- the Palin conspiracy? A brand-new shocking conspiracy theory broke out today after Bristol Palin squeaked by for another week on "Dancing with the Stars."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The next couple safe is Bristol and Mark.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Bristol is now in the final four, made it to the semifinals. But did she get there because she`s a good dancer? Or is her mom`s political party keeping Bristol dancing in America`s most famous ballroom?
Right now, in Hollywood, is Tony Potts, a correspondent and weekend co-anchor for "Access Hollywood." Also, right now, in Hollywood is Tanika Ray, who is an entertainment journalist.
Tony, Tanika, I think Bristol has improved dramatically over the course of the show. But she still is usually running dead last or close to it in the judges scores leading a lot of people to scream "conspiracy, conspiracy."
Look at some of the headlines I found today online. "Salon.com" calls it "the Bristol Palin election fraud scandal." "The Daily Beast" headline reads, "The GOP plot to help Bristol Palin." And TMZ`s "Sarah Palin: The "Dancing with the Stars" conspiracy theory.
Bristol has called the conspiracy theory ridiculous and I have to agree. Come on, it`s a reality show. It`s not a presidential election. Tony, do you believe the so-called conspiracy that Sarah Palin supporters are stuffing the ballot box?
POTTS: I don`t know if it`s a conspiracy. I talked with Bristol last night after the show and I said, "Hey, it must be nice to be Republican." She`s like, "Huh?" And I said, "Come on."
And she`s like, "Well, you know, people think I`m a normal person and they say to me, `Oh, she`s normal.`" She can do it as well. I do believe that, you know, the flyover states and the red ones in particular, obviously, are the ones that obviously contribute to this to a certain extent.
I went on the presidential campaign. I was on a couple stops for Sarah Palin. And the people in the middle of the country firmly believe in her despite other objectionable things that she was doing. So I think that transcends straight over to Bristol. And I see it --
ANDERSON: Yes. I have I no doubt that Sarah Palin`s supporters are probably also voting for Bristol.
POTTS: Of course. Yes.
ANDERSON: But I think she has gained some fans on her own. And regardless, she should be very proud of what she`s accomplished so far on the show.
RAY: Or vote for the worst, but popular. Sanjaya made it a long way on "American Idol."
ANDERSON: Good point, Tanika. And you know, Bristol`s obviously getting a whole lot of attention for making it this far to the semi-finals just days before her mom, Sarah Palin, debuts her reality show. It`s on TLC. It`s called "Sarah Palin`s Alaska." That leads to the SHOWBIZ Flashpoint -- is Bristol overshadowing her mom? Tanika?
RAY: Yes, right now until Sarah Palin`s reality show comes out, and then, she`ll be overshadowing Bristol. And then -- do we really care? When it comes down to it -- really, is this really about politics? No, it`s about this family being famous and making money. And I think that`s really the point of view that Sarah Palin has. She wants to be a TV star, people.
ANDERSON: I think Sarah will remain the bigger name.
RAY: Of course.
ANDERSON: But I do think Bristol has definitely created her own star power in a different way.
RAY: Unless Bristol wins and then, oh, I really -- hell may have frozen over. That`s all I`m saying.
ANDERSON: Tony, what do you think? Is Bristol overshadowing her mom, to the SHOWBIZ Flashpoint?
POTTS: Not really. I mean, Sarah Palin got, what, $11 million for the book advance and what have you. She`s paying, by the way -- she`s paying for friends and family to fly down to be in the audience for her daughter.
RAY: Yes.
POTTS: So I think from that -- she is, because she said her daughter does not have a publicist, doesn`t have any handlers down there. So they`re paying to fly troops in, so to speak, to hang and be in the front row and be supportive for her, which is somewhat of a good thing, right?
ANDERSON: Yes.
POTTS: I`m interested to see, though, how the show plays out, not "Dancing with the Stars" but Sarah Palin`s reality show.
RAY: Me, too.
POTTS: You know, interesting.
ANDERSON: Oh, it will be fascinating. A.J., what do you think? Is Bristol overshadowing her mom?
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing. I think that Bristol may actually wind up the bigger reality star.
RAY: Really?
HAMMER: But it would be hard for her to beat her mom`s overall star power. I think Sarah`s the bigger star and will remain the bigger star.
But like Tony, I`m so sure that a ton of people are going to be tuning in to the debut of her new reality show, "Sarah Palin`s Alaska" this weekend. Everybody`s pretty fascinated about this thing.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just obtained a brand-new look at the show. Let`s take a look at some of what you can expect.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
S. PALIN: Have you ever satisfied with tranquility? That whole misperception about being a diva -- it cracks me up. There`s a gnat stuck to my lip.
I would describe myself and my family as just normal, average Americans. I think that my kids will always call Alaska home. The opportunities that we have, the epic landscape --
Oh, my god, look at this. I`d rather be out here being free. This is what life is all about. And on a really clear day, you can see Russia from here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Sarah having a little fun there. Now, while a lot of people are looking forward to the show, there a lot of people out there who say Sarah is taking a big risk by putting her kids and her marriage under the reality microscope.
Tanika, we know what happens to families when you put them on reality TV. Hello, Gosselins. Hello Hogans.
RAY: Hello.
HAMMER: Do we think the Palins are going to be able to avoid the same fate? It`s tough.
RAY: You know what? I have no idea. It`s a wait-and-see situation. But you know what? The glare of Hollywood is too enticing. It`s too seductive. But when it comes down to it, one thing about that clip that I loved, Sarah said she loves it up there. No place is better on this earth.
And I say, Sarah, stay up there. That`s a perfect statement. I think she should stay in Alaska and I don`t want to hear from her ever again. How about that?
HAMMER: All right. OK. Well, thank you very much. Hold on a second. I do need to get to a little bit of Sarah`s motivation here, because SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained today an advance copy of the brand-new issue of "People" magazine. It`s going to be out on Friday.
In the interview, Sarah reveals one of the reasons she`s doing the show -- and she even addresses reports that her marriage is on the rocks. She tells "People" that the show will, quote, "help correct some untruths out there."
But as far as these pesky rumors that she agreed to -- I love this - - a $20 million divorce settlement, she says, quote, "I called Todd on the cell phone from the grocery store and say, `Todd, you won`t believe this cover.` And he says, `$20 million? Write me a check.` He`s good about laughing some of that stuff off."
So I think the show could possibly help them, but it also could possibly cause more problems for the Palins. Right now, however, we need to move on to more big breaking reality show news today.
Brooke, MTV is going to be handing over this footage of teen mom, Amber Portwood, and her possible abuse of her baby`s father, Gary, today, I understand.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. MTV was reportedly subpoenaed for unedited copies of the hit reality show. Now, we`ve seen disturbing footage of Amber appearing to hit her baby`s father, Gary, in front of their child in the edited version of the show. It`s just unacceptable behavior.
So Tony, is it just unbelievable to you that what happened on a reality show is actually sparking a police investigation? Or do you think this was just bound to happen?
POTTS: I think it was bound to happen. There`s always that journalistic thing, not that it`s a journalistic thing here. But you know, when a reporter sees something happening that`s illegal, does he report on it and stay away from it? Or does he get involved and help the person out?
It`s always one of those yin and yang kind of things. And I think asking for the unedited, the raw versions as well, will give the police the complete picture. But by the way, it`s extremely egregious. That`s the same thing with Charlie Sheen, with kids in the room. And I think it`s 21 months old, I think, their child is.
RAY: Yes. Fair enough.
POTTS: And that could be a felony, by the way. .
ANDERSON: Yes. It`s unacceptable. And there should be consequences of some kind. Tony Potts, Tanika Ray, thank you both.
HAMMER: Are you with me? Can you feel a little shift in the universe today? Are the Jonas brothers in crisis? I mean, Demi Lovato is off their tour. Their TV show cancelled. Are the Disney dudes in trouble?
(MUSIC PLAYING)
Oh, no, for the Jo Brothers today.
ANDERSON: And true love star revelations. Kim Kardashian confesses today she looking for L-O-V-E -- love.
HAMMER: And why is a member of Jessica Simpson`s family talking about her love life today? Is Jessica really in love this time? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And this is the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Michael Jackson`s longtime producer confirms it is M.J. on the new single. "SNL" cast honors Tina Fey for her Mark Twain Prize win.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TINA FEY, ACTRESS: I never thought I would even qualify for the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor. Maybe the Nathaniel Hawthorne Prize for judgmental nature.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: Bombshells in "The Buzz Today," A.J. Is Jessica Simpson really in love? A Simpson family member sets the record straight today.
And Robert De Niro gets a really big honor. Plus, Mel Gibson and his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva, face off for the very first time in court.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) Mel Gibson`s custody showdown. For the first time, Gibson faced off with his ex, Oksana Grigorieva, in a closed-door courtroom custody battle over their one-year-old daughter. "People.com" says the pair currently share custody with Gibson seeing the child every other day and getting some overnight visits.
De Niro`s big honor. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just learned that Robert De Niro will be honored with the Cecil B. DeMille award at next year`s Golden Globes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there in Beverly Hills where Kevin Spacey announced the big news.
KEVIN SPACEY, ACTOR: Any lover of film will tell you that some of cinema`s most unforgettable moments have been created by this year`s Cecil B. DeMille`s honoree, the great, the one and only, Mr. Robert De Niro.
ANDERSON: The DeMille is given out by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association in recognition of contributions to the world of entertainment.
Is it love for Jessica Simpson? Simpson`s brother-in-law, Pete Wentz, just revealed to "People" magazine that the singer is falling deeper in love with current beau, Eric Johnson and it`s special.
He tells the magazine, quote, "He`s a really smart guy and Jessica really loves him." Simpson has been dating Johnson for about seven months and declared on Twitter that she loves him.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Jessica Simpson is not the only celebrity whose love secrets are being revealed today. Kim Kardashian is really laying it all out there in the brand-new issue of "People" magazine that hits newsstands on Friday that she is looking for L-O-V-E.
Right now, in New York, is Brian Balthazar, the editor for the Web site "PopGoesTheWeek.com." Also, in New York, is Janell Snowden, who is the host of "VH1 News."
Brian, Janell, Kim is putting all her cards on the table. She tells "People" magazine this, "I want to fall in love but I`m not desperately looking for it. I`m not going to map out who the next person I date should be. For once, I have no idea what I`m looking for."
OK. She says she doesn`t know exactly what she`s looking for, which makes me think, Brian, every eligible man out there is going to be throwing themselves at Kim. What do you think? Could this be the next big reality show, looking for love with Kim Kardashian?
BALTHAZAR: I think she`s laying some groundwork. And I think you coined it right when you said that she`s laying it all out there. That`s a headline we`re accustomed to hearing with Kim Kardashian.
But I think she`s always kind of keeping her options open and wants to be seen with different guys. She`s used to playing those cameras and playing the news. And this is what she`s doing right here. She`s getting more buzz.
ANDERSON: Yes. And she likes to play the field. Well, it`s no secret that Kim`s fame has really exploded this year. She`s everywhere. She`s got a reality show. She just posed topless in "W" magazine. She`s just opened a new clothing store with her sisters in New York City.
Janell, I`m kind of wondering how in the world she would even have time to search for Mr. Right.
JANELL SNOWDEN, HOST, "VH1 NEWS": Trust me, Brooke, you make time for the things that you want and obviously, Kim wants love. She`s been in a relationship, as she said, since she was a teenager. She goes from one to the other.
And unfortunately, because she`s been going one to the other, she probably hasn`t gotten a chance to really get to know herself and figure out what it is that she wants, which is why she`s saying she has no idea.
So if she can take a little bit of time to kind of assess who she is, where she`s going and who she wants to be with her along that journey, then maybe she`ll find Mr. Right.
ANDERSON: Yes.
SNOWDEN: Maybe she won`t have to play (INAUDIBLE).
ANDERSON: And well said. You make time for the things that are priorities, for the things that are important to you.
Well, we`ve got to move now to more big news breaking today. A.J., what, are the Jonas Brothers in crisis?
HAMMER: Gosh, I hope not, Brooke. I really hope not. But a lot of people are asking that very question today because of all of the drama that`s happening all around them.
Let`s go now to the SHOWBIZ news line and see exactly what`s going on. On November 1st, Demi Lovato quits the Jonas Brothers` international tour to check herself into a treatment facility.
On November 9th, Disney cancels the Jonas Brothers` Disney show, "Jonas L.A.," after two seasons. And today, singer Jason Mraz, the great Jason Mraz, is claiming their new song "Introducing Me" sounds suspiciously like his huge hit, "I`m Yours." Now, Brian, given all of that, is it fair to say the Jonas Brothers are, in fact, in crisis?
BALTHAZAR: Maybe they`re in a teenage crisis. But I think, you know, it will be OK. They`ll be all right. But ask any teenage girl, they`re still high on their list of crushes.
HAMMER: Yes.
BALTHAZAR: But it`s that transition that they go through when you`re going from that teenage kind of crush person to an adult.
HAMMER: Yes.
BALTHAZAR: Miley Cyrus has gone through it. Her solution is to run around in her underwear. We have to see what they`re going to do next.
HAMMER: I hope there`s something -- they might run around in their underwear, too. All right. But I`m glad we cleared that up. You feel positive for the Jonas Brothers.
But now, I want to talk about this Jason Mraz copycat claim. Jason jokingly said he wants a $29 back for downloading the Jonas Brothers` new single which he says sounds a lot like his song. Let`s see if he`s got a point. Roll it, please.
(MUSIC PLAYING)
HAMMER: All right, Janell. I`m going to excuse you for not turning your Blackberry off. You must be embarrassed. But you`re the musical expert from VH1 right now. What do you think? Does Jason have a point? I mean, that sounds pretty similar, not that`s it`s just great new chord progression that`s been invented here.
SNOWDEN: Yes. I mean, it`s pretty much a carbon copy just with some different words. I`m actually surprised Jason took it there. I guess, you know, he`s an artist. He`s sensitive about his stuff because he`s typically a really nice guy. He doesn`t like to say anything that`s too controversial. So I think that, you know --
HAMMER: He`s on to something.
SNOWDEN: He is.
BALTHAZAR: That`s why that girl in the video looks so confused. She`s like why are you singing a Jason Mraz song?
HAMMER: Yes. We`ve heard this one. Of course, you know, the song has been so ubiquitous for so long. Well, I hope it does not wind up in a massive court battle, you know, bring in the attorneys and settle it there. I think it will kind of skate past that. Janell Snowden, Brian Balthazar, thanks, guys.
ANDERSON: You know, it`s been a long time. And after 90 years, finally Mr. Peanut speaks and it`s a big star who is doing the talking.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At Planter`s, we know how to throw a remarkable holiday party, just serve classic snacks and be a gracious host.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Who is it? Here`s a hint -- the voice of Mr. Peanut is also a superhero. We are cracking this mystery, next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: ABC picks up new comedy pilot show produced by Nicole Richie. Olivia Wilde says she "shadowed" Jeff Bridges while on the set of "Tron."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: At Planter`s, we know how to throw a remarkable holiday party, just serve classic snacks and be a gracious host no matter who shows up.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hey, did you see and hear this? Mr. Peanut has a voice, everybody. We`re very excited. He`s using it for the very first time in his over 94-year existence. That must feel good.
The big mystery today, who is the superstar doing Mr. Peanut`s voice? I actually figured it out. But do you know who the voice of the peanut pitch man is? None other than Robert Downey, Jr. Yes, Mr. Peanut has been sporting that top hat and walking around with that fancy cane since 1916.
And today, Mr. Peanut finally cracks his shell, thanks to Oscar- nominated actor, Robert Downey, Jr. Apparently, being the voice of Mr. Peanut was a really important gig in Hollywood.
In fact, a bunch of stars auditioned to be the voice of Mr. Peanut. And somehow Jimmy Kimmel got his hands on the audition tapes of all the stars who couldn`t quite crack it as a Planters Peanut spokesperson. Check out his funny spoof.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mel Gibson, take one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): This sucks because you`re a (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Snooki, take one.
NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, CAST MEMBER, "THE JERSEY SHORE": I had a freaking epiphany today. I start to poop down, the most amazing thing I have ever done other than eating fried pickles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Christian Bale, take one.
CHRISTIAN BALE, ACTOR: I want you off the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) set, you (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Why did you (EXPLETIVE DELETED) walk right through? (INAUDIBLE) like this in the background? What the (INAUDIBLE) is it with you? Oh, good for you. And how was it? I hope it was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) good because it`s useless now, isn`t it? (EXPLETIVE DELETED). You`re an amateur.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can`t go wrong. You just can`t go wrong with the Christian Bale sound. And that Jimmy -- he is a real nut. Well, today, Mr. Peanut has a Facebook page and nearly 200,000 Facebook friends as well, Brooke.
ANDERSON: Wow. OK. On Tuesday, we asked to you vote in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. I just received those final results. You`re going to be amazed when you see this -- "Michael Jackson`s Kids: Would it be wrong for them to be in showbiz?" Twenty percent of you say yes it would, but a whopping 80 percent of you say no.
Prince, Paris and Blanket, Michael Jackson`s kids are a really hot topic on the showbiz Facebook wall.
Meghan L. says this, "If they are smart, they will stay out of showbiz until they are older and know what they really want."
Sandy A. writes, "I would be surprised if they didn`t pursue some type of showbiz career. They come from a showbiz family."
To the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines now -- Cookie from Maryland hopes M.J.`s kids will have a better time in showbiz than their father.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
COOKIE, CALLER FROM MARYLAND: Michael`s kids can grow to be whatever and whomever they would choose to be in life. I just hope that the media will fall back and leave them alone and not hound them like they did their father. So yes, Michael`s kids can grow up to be wonderful actors, producers -- anything they like to be.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: I absolutely see no reason why they shouldn`t follow their dreams, as I`ve said, Brooke. Follow their bliss.
ANDERSON: I agree.
HAMMER: Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And don`t forget, we are still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
END
