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Showbiz Tonight
Angelina Jolie Making Big News Everywhere; Elizabeth Edwards Passes Away; Mother-Daughter Palin Outrage; Why Nurses are Mad at Dr. Oz; Most Provocative Celebrity of the Year
Aired December 07, 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 - Angelina Jolie making big news everywhere. Angelina`s stunning confessions today about whether she`ll have plastic surgery and whether Brad Pitt will run for president, and her kids growing up.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Late breaking news today - Elizabeth Edwards dies after a brave battle with cancer. Her family speaks out today about their devastating loss.
HAMMER: Brand-new mother-daughter Palin outrage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
FMR. GOV. SARAH PALIN (R-AK): You`re shooting and the gun`s kicking. But then, when you see that you have a successful kid, it`s a great feeling of accomplishment.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Sarah Palin slammed today over shooting and killing an animal for her reality show. And Bristol Palin fires back today at Kathy Griffin for calling her fat.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT breaking big news today that will make headlines worldwide as we name SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the year. The nail-biting race to the finish - who will it be?
HAMMER: TV`S most provocative entertainment news show -
ANDERSON: Starts right now.
(MUSIC)
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 and it`s all about big Angelina Jolie news breaking everywhere from Paris to New York.
HAMMER: It`s an absolute Angelina Jolie whirlwind to promote her new movie with Johnny Depp. And Angelina is dropping headline after headline everywhere she goes. Today is no different.
Let`s take you around the world. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there in New York City last night with Angelina and Brad Pitt for the premiere of her new movie, "The Tourist."
The burning question today - is Brad actually getting ready to launch a political career and eventually run for president? Angelina with the headline-making answer.
Over to London, Angelina there setting record straight and breaking news about whether there might be plastic surgery in her future. Yes. I know that may sound crazy - Angelina having plastic surgery, but you never know.
And in Paris, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with Angelina getting brand-new Depp thoughts about her working with Johnny Depp for their very first time. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you this was no "Pirates of the Caribbean."
ANDERSON: With me, in New York, Megan Alexander, who is a correspondent with "Inside Edition." And from Atlanta, Carlos Diaz, who is a syndicated radio host. Carlos is also guest host of "PRIME NEWS" right here on HLN.
OK. Megan, Carlos, let`s take the Angelina news city by city. We begin in London where Angelina made plastic surgery revelations in a brand-new interview with the "Daily Mail." A.J., I`ll bring you back in here. What did she say?
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, Angelina says plastic surgery just isn`t for her. Here`s what she tells the "Daily Mail" about that, "I haven`t had anything done and I don`t think I will. But if it makes somebody happy, then that`s up to them. I`m not in somebody else`s skin to know what makes them feel better about themselves but I don`t plan to do it myself."
I`m actually thinking a lot of people are out there - women are out there, perhaps saying, "Angelina, talk to me in 10 years," you know. Megan, are you buying what Angelina is saying that she won`t ever actually have plastic surgery?
MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Well, right. Are we buying what she`s saying like we`re also buying what Nicole Kidman is saying when she says she`s never had plastic surgery before?
You know, A.J., I actually believe her, because there`s so many pictures of her, running around with her kids, very fresh-faced, with no makeup on. She`s hardly ever photographed sunbathing. So some people - you know what? They`re just born lucky. And my hat is off to her aesthetician. She`s got an amazing one.
HAMMER: Yes. No kidding. Brooke, she doesn`t seem to me like the plastic surgery type. But again, you never know. Although, you know, I say, you know, it doesn`t surprise me at all that she thinks she`ll probably never do it.
ANDERSON: Right. And you know, we all have a right to change our minds, A.J. But I pray she doesn`t because Angelina Jolie could be the one to in 20 or 30 years make wrinkles in vogue.
ALEXANDER: There you go.
ANDERSON: Wouldn`t that be wonderful? Wouldn`t that be a relief for all of us?
ALEXANDER: Yes.
ANDERSON: All right. But I`ve got to move now to more Angelina headlines this morning, actually, in New York City where she appeared on the "Today" show with Matt Lauer.
There are people, as we know, who would give anything to live the life Angelina leads. So imagine my surprise morning when Angelina said, "Hey, what`s the big deal?" Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I don`t find myself that interesting in that way. I`d like to think I`ve become a better woman as I`ve gotten older and I have a full life. But you know, I do the same thing every day in my natural life. I wear the same thing every day. I don`t go out.
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: Is it a phase, though? Do you think we`ll get over it? Can you put the genie back in the bottle?
JOLIE: I don`t know. I mean, I just assume the older I get, the more it will go away, the more private I`ll become.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Carlos, is Angelina being delusional here to think the fascination with her and Brad is going to die down?
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: I don`t want to call her delusional because I love her. But no. But here`s the thing. That last little segment where she said, "You know, because I`ll just, you know, kind of go away." Angelina, the more you go away, the more we`re going to want to know more about you.
ANDERSON: Right.
DIAZ: And then, Angelina is, if you ask me, the perfect Hollywood starlet, if you will, because she makes headlines by doing good. You know, she makes headlines by doing things with the U.N. and all these different things.
So - and the thing is, our fascination will never die down because she has actual talent, because she`s a talented actress.
ANDERSON: Right. And she`s not a shallow person. And boy, do we have to cover a lot of shallow people in Hollywood. So I think it makes her even more interesting, even more fun to talk about. I hope the fascination doesn`t die down. I love her charitable work and what she does with her life.
All right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the premiere of Jolie`s new movie in New York last night. And during the filming of "The Tourist" overseas, I want to tell you that she and her co-star, Johnny Depp, went to great lengths to avoid fueling any speculation of a romance, because we all remember, right, what happened right after she made "Mr. and Mrs. Smith" with Brad Pitt.
Well, when SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with her in Paris, she told us that she and Depp hit it off right away but it`s not what you`re thinking. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: We got along immediately. We have a lot in common and just became fast friends. We just started quickly laughing and we had a great, great time. We have many, many outtakes of us falling over laughing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: So here`s what we want to know in today`s exclusive SHOWBIZ TONIGHT poll - "Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp in `The Tourist`: Are you seeing it or are you skipping it?" Cast your vote on CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.
Megan, Angelina and Depp together - what do you think? Is this guaranteed money in the bank? I think it is.
ALEXANDER: Oh, I think it is, absolutely. And you know, I think they`re both at a really interesting place in their lives. They both have families, a lifelong partner. It`s just very fascinating to see these interviews, watch these interviews and hear what they`re talking about.
I find them as two sort of old souls that are just going to be a great combination together. And you said that they both have amazing talent. And the city of Venice - it`s magical. I can`t wait to see it.
ANDERSON: I can`t wait to see it either. Carlos, are you going to see it? Is this team - is this pair just bank?
DIAZ: It`s bank. And here`s the ironic thing. Like I don`t know if I even though what the plot is about or do I care. You just put Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp on the screen and I`m going to go see it. And that shows how big of stars they are. Have I no idea what this movie is about, but I want to see those two on the screen.
ANDERSON: But it doesn`t matter.
DIAZ: It doesn`t matter.
(CROSS TALK)
ANDERSON: All right. Megan Alexander, Carlos Diaz, thanks, guys.
HAMMER: All right. We do have to move on now to the absolutely devastating news today about Elizabeth Edwards, late-breaking news that she has died. The news comes after her emotional and heart breaking message that she had been told she had only weeks to live.
With me right now is Sharon Cotliar. Sharon Cotliar is an assistant editor for "People" magazine.
Just a short time ago, we got this statement from the Edwards family, "Today we have lost the comfort of Elizabeth`s presence but she remains the heart of this family. We love her and we`ll never know anyone more inspiring or full of life."
Sharon, this really is just devastating news, isn`t it?
SHARON COTLIAR, ASSISTANT EDITOR, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Absolutely. It was only a week ago that Elizabeth learned that her cancer had taken a turn for the worse and that it had spread to her liver. And at the time, she believed and John and she sat down and told the kids it would be probably a matter of weeks, not days.
HAMMER: Yes. And it`s just shocking to now get the news today. And Elizabeth was never shy in sharing her battle with cancer. In fact, she posted a message on her Facebook page after the doctors gave her that news that treatment at this point would simply be useless.
Brooke, I actually got weepy reading this and this is before learning the news that Elizabeth had died.
ANDERSON: Yes. Me, too, A.J. And her message was really emotional, really powerful. Here what`s she wrote, "I had been sustained throughout my life by three saving graces, my familiar, my friends and a faith in the power of resilience and hope."
"These graces have carried me through difficult times and they have brought me more joy to the good times than I ever could have imagined. The days of our lives for all of us are numbered. We know that. It isn`t possible to put into words the love and gratitude I feel to everyone who has and continues to support and inspire me every day. To you, simply say, you know. With love, Elizabeth."
That was beautiful and, Sharon, heartbreaking. Elizabeth shared the news with the world. And you say she sat down and told her kids about it. How exactly did she do that? How difficult was that for her?
COTLIAR: Well, it was the decision that clearly Elizabeth and John made together. They wanted to make sure that they told the children together that this had happened and really this was something that the family was going to deal with together. And they would spend their time enjoying themselves and trying to remember the good times.
HAMMER: Just an absolutely inspiring woman. And it was really something to behold, the way she carried herself in these final years. And she will be sadly missed.
Elizabeth Edwards was 61 years old. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Edwards family. Sharon Cotliar, thank you very much for being with us tonight.
COTLIAR: Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Moving on to Bristol battling back today. You know, Kathy Griffin was out of line for calling Bristol fat during her time on "Dancing with the Stars."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHY GRIFFIN, COMEDIAN: She`s the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight. No, come on. Come on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Wait until you hear what Bristol just told Kathy today.
HAMMER: We`ve got to move on to the brand-new sitcom smack down. It`s "Modern Family`s" Ed O`Neill slamming "Glee`s" Jane Lynch today. Ed says Jane didn`t deserve her Emmy. Oh, yes.
ANDERSON: And we are just minutes away from a headline making event. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is naming the most provocative celebrity of the year today. Who will it be? I cannot wait to reveal this. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time to roll out the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Justin Timberlake injured on the set of new movie, "Now," production is on brief hiatus. Katy Perry`s "Firework" tops iTunes song chart.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: I hope you`re ready because we are just minutes away from breaking big news today. This is going to make headlines around the world. Get ready for it. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to name the most provocative celebrity of the year. Who will it be? You are going to find out, coming up.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, Brooke Anderson is in Hollywood.
ANDERSON: A.J., there`s big news in "The Buzz Today." Someone dares to slam "Glee?" You`ve got to hear which major star is going after Jane Lynch.
All right. After a nasty split, Kelsey Grammer is getting married again. And big stars who died an Internet death come back to life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(voice-over) Stars reborn. A bunch of big stars, including Alicia Keys, Lady Gaga, and the Kardashians are getting back online after raising $1 million dollars to fight AIDS. The stars vowed to stay off the Internet in a digital death campaign to raise money for Alicia Keys` Keep a Child Alive charity.
The stars met their goals after less than a week, thanks in large part to a $500,000 donation from billionaire Stewart Rahr.
Kelsey`s engagement shocker. His divorce may not be final but we just learned 55-year-old Kelsey Grammer`s already planning a trip back down the aisle. Grammer`s publicist just confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he and 29- year-old girlfriend Kate Walsh are engaged.
He apparently popped the question a while ago, but the couple wanted to keep the news under wraps. Grammer is still in the process of divorcing his third wife, Camille.
Ed O`Neill`s "Glee" slam. O`Neill says "Glee" star Jane Lynch should not have won the best supporting actress Emmy award. O`Neill, who now stars in "Modern Family," reportedly told "TV Guide" Canada, quote, "I love Jane. Honestly, I do, but I don`t think she should have gotten the Emmy for that part."
He says Lynch`s role as Sue Sylvester is just a one-note character. Not surprisingly, O`Neill says he thought the Emmy should have gone to his "Modern Family" co-star, Sofia Vergara.
I think Ed O`Neill may have said a tiny bit too much. And that brings us today to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint, was Ed way out of line for what he said?
It seems to me that his intentions were probably to just be supportive, be protective of his co-star. But is that an excuse? Was this a Kanye West moment?
Celebrity journalist Ben Widdicombe, to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint - was Ed way out of line for what he said about Jane?
BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY JOURNALIST: Well, I think it was coming from a good place. He said it out of loyalty to his co-star. But it was kind of a professionally impolite thing to say. And even though Sophia is great in her role, so is Jane Lynch. And I`m all for Jane Lynch winning an Emmy. I think that she absolutely deserved it.
ANDERSON: A.J., your thoughts on this? Was he out of line?
HAMMER: Well, you know, here`s the thing. I`m a huge Ed O`Neill fan. I`m a huge "Modern Family" fan.
ANDERSON: Me, too.
HAMMER: I`m a huge Jane Lynch fan and a huge "Glee" fan. I think Ed may be rethinking it now that everybody is talking about it. I think his intentions were good.
And look, the truth is I think it was more of a slam of the writers from "Glee" and her character than it was a slam of Jane herself. But her performance is really nuanced. I actually think it was an award-winning - worthy performance, certainly.
ANDERSON: Me, too.
HAMMER: And she did win it. Sofia Vergara - I feel the same way about her character on "Modern Family." I do want to move on to another story that is making big buzz today.
Kelsey Grammer, now engaged to his 29-year-old girlfriend after leaving his 55-year-old wife. Obviously, this is a big age difference now between him and his new wife-to-be and also him and his former wife or his former wife and his new girlfriend. It`s all very confusing to me.
But basically, Ben, this would be the fourth marriage. Is it wishful thinking for me to believe that maybe now this is going to be the one that sticks? Number four, it`s going to be all good. The age difference isn`t going to mean a thing. I happen to love Kelsey Grammer.
WIDDICOMBE: Well, I think we have a theory marriage should be forever and, you know, one man, one woman forever and ever. But if you`re Kelsey Grammer, maybe it suits to you have a succession of beautiful wives, each one younger than next. So I think, clearly, that`s how he wants to live his life. And why not? Maybe this one will stick.
HAMMER: Yes. Except the thing is - I always come back to this especially when people have been married many times. I want to believe that when they get together and they exchange their vows saying, you know, forever and ever, that they actually believe it when they say it. Are you suggesting that maybe the plan all along is not to really go with the plan?
WIDDICOMBE: I think that`s a little naive, maybe in today`s Hollywood. That`s how relationships last. They seem to be in love. I actually ran into them last night at the restaurant - Kate and Kelsey eating downtown. They looked very happy together. They shared a little kiss over the table. So they looked really happy together.
HAMMER: They kissed you over the table?
WIDDICOMBE: No, they kissed each other. They left with a doggy bag. So they`re romantic and practical, which I think bodes well for the relationship.
HAMMER: Here`s the thing - whenever a Hollywood couple gets together, you know, the naysayers and doomsayers, they all come out and say, "Oh, it will never last." I`m not the person to do that, but I will ask you, is this going to last?
WIDDICOMBE: I think this one will, because they seem very happy.
HAMMER: All right. I hope they are and I hope it does. Ben Widdicombe, it`s always good to see you. Thank you.
ANDERSON: All right. Brand-new Sarah Palin outrage today. Sarah is slammed for shooting and killing an animal on her reality show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE). Go ahead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I know, a lot of people out there hunt, so is it OK to slam Sarah for this?
HAMMER: We are breaking huge news today. It`s going to make headlines worldwide. And it`s going to happen in just a few minutes when we name SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the year. Who will it be?
ANDERSON: And what happens when a teenager gets a hold of a dump truck? A scary, out-of-control chase.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It started when a dump truck was stolen from someone`s home and led police on a 53-mile chase.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s all caught on tape today. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time now to crank up the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Audience who got Australian trip on "Oprah" season premiere begins vacation. Mark Wahlberg says role in his new movie, "The Fighter" is a dream come true.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARK WAHLBERG, ACTOR: I`ve always wanted to be a champion of some form, whether it`s in the ring or on the baseball field or winning the World Series. I mean, my dream was always to be an athlete, so acting has allowed me to fulfill so many childhood fantasies.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Kim and Kanye are not having a kid. Kim Kardashian just shot down that report that claim that she is expecting and Kanye West was the father.
Kim says to "People" magazine - absolutely not true. You know, they do have the K-name thing going on. Kim and Kanye - it would have been fun to talk about, don`t you think?
And Ryan Gosling is telling us today that he`s furious because his new movie just received a NC-17 rating. Now, Ryan co-stars with Michelle Williams in "Blue Valentine." It`s about a young couple whose marriage is falling apart.
Now, the film includes an oral sex scene. And it was slapped with the dreaded NC-17 rating which could keep it out of a lot of theaters. That could really hurt ticket sales.
NC-17 means no one 17 and under can even get in at all to see the movie. That`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE), Brooke. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT just sat down with Ryan Gosling and he`s all fired up about this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN GOSLING, ACTOR: The idea that if you torture a woman in a sexual context, it`s considered entertainment and then can get an R rating. And the fact that you give her pleasure, it`s pornographic and gets an NC-17 rating. It`s absurd and should be addressed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I think Ryan has a point. Some people think that Natalie Portman`s new movie, the R-rated "Black Swan," which has a steamy lesbian love scene, is just as racy as "Blue Valentine." But the R rating is not as harsh as NC-17.
ANDERSON: All right. So according to "The Daily Beast," Kim Kardashian reportedly made $6 million this year. According to "The Daily Beast," Kim K is now the highest-paid reality TV star.
So we had to ask on Facebook, is she worth it? Well, this got a whole lot of people really fired up today like Sandy B., "Just what exactly does she do? I`m a little confused. Absolutely no talent for anything but walking around, showing off her body. Is that what makes people rich these days?"
Lorraine C. writes, "Whether she is worth it or not, she is obviously doing something right in order to make that much money."
Join our debates on Facebook. We`re SHOWBIZTONIGHTHLN there. Follow @showbiztonight on Twitter for breaking entertainment news alerts. Call me at "Showbiz on Call" -888-SBT-BUZZ. And there`s always E-mail - that`s showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: Now, the SHOWBIZ lineup - here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Brand-new mother-daughter Palin outrage. Sarah Palin slammed today over shooting and killing an animal on her reality show. And Bristol Palin firing back today at Kathy Griffin for calling her fat.
Why nurses are mad at TV`s Dr. Oz. Let me tell you, they do not think this Oz is a wizard at all.
And, get ready for it - the headline making moment is almost here. We are naming the most provocative celebrity of the year. A lot of contenders in 2010. We name the winner in just a few minutes. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Now, it`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Elisabeth Hasselbeck wins lawsuit where she was accused of plagiarism. AMC`s "Walking Dead" season finale hits record high with six million viewers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that will make headlines worldwide - SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the most provocative celebrity of the year. The moment has arrived, so who will it be?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRIFFIN: She`s the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight. No, come on, come on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Brand-new mother/daughter Palin outrage. Bristol Palin`s fired- up message to comedian Kathy Griffin for calling her fat. Sarah Palin under fire for shooting and killing an animal on her TV show.
HAMMER: A dramatic high-speed dump truck chase caught on tape today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: When sandwiched between police cars, the truck rear-ended one cruiser, then backed up and rammed another. That`s when the dump truck took off backward.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And get this, the driver - a teenager. Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - Lindsay Lohan gets ready to hit the road. And Jessica Simpson`s $750 million deal.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
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 - and we are the ones breaking the news because, in just a moment, we will be making the announcement that every year makes headlines around the world - the person SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will name the most provocative celebrity of the year.
HAMMER: Oh yes. And the year gone by really has been a wild one, filled with cheating celebrity husbands, out-of-control reality show stars and, quite frankly, more misbehaving celebrities than you can shake a tabloid at, which is why this year`s decision was exceptionally difficult.
Now, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff argued. We analyzed. We debated who we should name the most provocative celebrity of 2010.
And I can tell you, at times, it got really heated. Things were flying around the room. But in the end, as we do every year, after the debates die down, the staff voted. And in the end, only one person can be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the year.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) When it comes to stirring up true outrage and controversy in 2010, the "Jersey Shore" cast was no match for these Hollywood provocateurs. You have Miley -
MILEY CYRUS, SINGER: Hey, guys. What`s up? It`s Miley.
HAMMER: Lindsay -
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I`m not taking it as a joke. My life -
HAMMER: Mel.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): How dare you!
HAMMER: Charlie -
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I`m great. How are you?
HAMMER: And Gaga.
LADY GAGA, SINGER: If you don`t like it, go home.
HAMMER: And now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to name one of them the most provocative celebrity of 2010.
Counting down our top five nominees, Lindsay Lohan. Her failure to follow the terms of her probation for a 2007 DUI landed her in court and in the headlines all year long.
NINA PARKER, PRODUCER, TMZ: This year, I really believe people have had it with Lindsay Lohan`s excuses.
LOHAN: I take responsibility for my actions.
HAMMER: In June Lindsay tried to sound contrite when she showed up in court days late. Too bad her message was kind of undercut by the "F.U." she had scribbled on her nails.
GILLIAN SHELDON, "CELEBUZZ": She behaves like an indulged child. It ticks off a lot of people.
HAMMER: Lindsay would serve 14 days in jail. And six weeks after she got out, Lindsay went on Twitter and acknowledged she failed a court-ordered drug test and admitted publicly for the first time that she has a problem.
ANNABELLE GURWITCH, COMEDIAN: if the American public would have tweeted Lindsay back, we all would have said, "We know this already."
HAMMER: Lindsay ends the year in rehab, meaning 2011 could be the year this provocative celebrity finally stops provoking.
The second nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of 2010 is Miley Cyrus.
(MUSIC)
With suggestive images this year in her news music videos, the skimpy costumes and her simulated girl-on-girl kisses on stage, Miley spent the year seemingly hell-bent on destroying her image as the innocent child star from "Hannah Montana." But in a YouTube video in September, Miley was defiant.
CYRUS: I`m just, you know, living life and learning and going through what every, you know, one has to go through.
PARKER: It`s clear that Miley Cyrus wants her girly image to go away.
HAMMER: The third nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of 2010 is Mel Gibson.
MEL GIBSON, ACTOR: I got a bad reputation. Sometimes, I just go nuts right now.
HAMMER: Gibson`s reputation got even worse in July when "Radar Online" started posting explosive recordings of a man who sounded an awful lot like Mel saying the most horrific things to his ex-girlfriend, Oksana Grigorieva.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): If you get raped a pack of (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it`s going to be your fault.
SHELDON: He`s provocative because he continuously steps in it. His public image has just been shot.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (allegedly Mel Gibson): That`s provocative.
HAMMER: The fourth nominee for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the year (UNINTELLIGIBLE). He is accused of assaulting his wife, Brooke Mueller. In August, he went to court and pleaded guilty. In October, he allegedly trashed a New York hotel room while in the company of a porn star/escort.
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: I promise I`ll get a quiet prostitute.
HAMMER: Despite his scandals, Sheen signed a new contract for his hit sitcom, "Two and a Half Men," that makes him TV`s highest paid actor.
GURWITCH: Charlie Sheen has been beset with so many scandals that I can only see one thing in his future and that`s running for political office.
HAMMER: And the last of our top five nominees for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of 2010 is Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga made front page news all year long, including in June for flipping the bird at a New York Mets game. The all-meat dress she wore at MTV`s Video Music Awards also caused a major beef.
GURWITCH: I`m not sure. Was it a protest? Because, frankly, it just made me hungry.
HAMMER: But this year, Gaga developed a serious voice. In August, she became the biggest name on Twitter with more than seven million followers.
In October, she became the first artist to be viewed one billion times on YouTube.
LADY GAGA: "Don`t Ask, Don`t Tell" is wrong.
HAMMER: Lady Gaga also led a drive to repeal the military`s "Don`t Ask, Don`t Tell" policy and to stop teen bullying.
PARKER: She lets people know where she stands.
HAMMER: So in picking the year`s most provocative celebrities, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks four basic questions. Does the mention of the celebrity spark a visceral reaction? Who provoked the most continuous shock and outrage? Who generated the most continuous interest? And whose actions had the most lasting impact?
So by those measures, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has no choice but to name the most provocative celebrity of 2010 - Lady Gaga.
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ANDERSON: Yes, the meat dress, Twitter queen reigns supreme as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the year. I, for one, think this is the perfect choice, the best possible choice for the most provocative person of year.
I want to bring in Megan Alexander, who is a correspondent for "Inside Edition." Megan, what do you think? Did we get it right?
ALEXANDER: I think you did. You know, Brooke, I`ve posted this on my Facebook page and asked a lot of people what they thought. And so many people said, "Give it to Lady Gaga," because number one, she hasn`t been in court.
Miley Cyrus is too young. She doesn`t know what she`s doing. The other three, Charlie Sheen, Mel Gibson and Lindsay Lohan - they know better and they continue to get in trouble.
So I think you made an excellent choice. She`s an incredible entertainer. And aside from that little moment at the Mets game, really, I think she`s just been making statements in the entertainment industry, not so much behaving badly. That may be an opinion if she`s behaving badly (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
ANDERSON: I agree with you. It certainly does meet the condition of having a lasting impact. She certainly has had that from the meat dress to her antics at the baseball game, to her involvement with "Don`t Ask, Don`t Tell."
She knows how to shake things up. And I agree with you, Megan, at the same time, she`s got her life and her career together, unlike Lindsay Lohan, unlike Charlie Sheen, unlike Mel Gibson.
I want to bring in entertainment journalist Eugene Ramirez. Now, Eugene, what do you say? Did we get it right?
EUGENE RAMIREZ, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: You guys - you guys nailed it right on the head with this one. Let me tell you - Lindsay and Miley are just childish little girls.
When you`re talking about Mel and Charlie, they`re maniacs. But Lady Gaga - not only is she a great entertainer. She`s really a provocateur and not just for herself. She`s in it with a purpose here, with a cause and the spirit of the holidays.
I`ve got to say she was a right fit because she was doing this to draw attention, not to her own career, not to her music, but to the causes that she believes in, to freedom, to equality and, of course, to defending these LGBT Americans in the repeal of "Doesn`t Ask, Don`t Tell."
Definitely, the one who`s going to make had for many years to come right here on your screen - Lady Gaga.
ALEXANDER: Just stay out of court.
ANDERSON: We want to know what our friends at home think about this as well. Did we get it right, picking Lady Gaga as the most provocative celebrity of the year? Tell me right now. Send a text message to 45688. Test "SBT1" for yes or "SBT2" for no. Standard text messaging rates do apply. We will reveal those results tomorrow. A.J., what do you say? Did we get it right?
HAMMER: Oh, yes, and particularly because I do think, as Eugene just said, we are going to be talking about Gaga for - not just years - for decades to come.
Some people say Lindsay Lohan should be named most provocative. It seemed like an obvious choice to a lot of people. But Lindsay, while certainly provocative, is pretty much one note, court-rehab-jail, court-rehab-jail.
And it`s all the same and all that revolves around the same sad fact that Lindsay is struggling with some really hard issues. Lady Gaga, on the other hand, as we`ve been talking about - she is steering her career full steam ahead working really hard. And she worked very hard to earn that most provocative title.
Megan, do you see her possibly being named or at least in the running as a contender when we`re doing this again a year from now, in 2011, for most provocative celebrity of the year?
ALEXANDER: I absolutely do. And I think it`s because this is her public life that she`s (UNINTELLIGIBLE). This isn`t her private life of problems in court and the scandals.
HAMMER: Right.
ALEXANDER: She wants to be making these statements, so absolutely. Could she be the next Madonna? A lot of people think should could be and look at her longevity.
HAMMER: And that`s why I say for decades to come, we`ll be talking about Gaga. Megan Alexander, Eugene Ramirez, thank you for joining us for this most excellent moment.
ANDERSON: All right. We named Sarah Palin the most provocative celebrity of the year a couple of years back. Well, today, mother-daughter Palin outrage. Bristol is fired up over Kathy Griffin calling her fat on "Dancing with the Stars."
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GRIFFIN: She`s the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight. No, come on. Come on.
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ANDERSON: Also, Bristol`s mom, Sarah, slammed for shooting and killing an animal on her reality show.
HAMMER: Paging Dr. Oz. Paging Dr. Oz. He just got slammed. Why nurses are just furious with Dr. Oz for what he did on his show.
ANDERSON: And the high-speed police car chase involving a dump truck. A dump truck - see for yourself because this is all caught on tape.
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MOOS: It started when a dump truck was stolen from someone`s home and led police on a 53-mile chase.
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ANDERSON: And the dump truck driver, a teenager. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Betty Ford clinic allows Lindsay Lohan to drive again. Taylor Swift sells out seven tour dates in a matter of minutes.
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HAMMER: Did you see this? A group of real nurses go on "The Dr. Oz Show" to demonstrate how they shake it to get rid of their unwanted extra pounds. But those little nurse outfits that they wore on the show outraged members of a prominent nursing group.
The nurses say the costumes were demeaning. Here`s what Dr. Oz tells us today about that, "It was never the intention of `The Dr. Oz` show to offend anyone, in particular nurses. We understand the show on November 4th included a costume that was considered offensive to some and we apologize if there were any hurt feelings."
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J. Hammer in New York. Right now, Sarah Palin`s shooting showdown.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. Sarah and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals are at war with guns ablazing over Sarah shooting, killing and cutting up a caribou on her reality show "Sarah Palin`s Alaska.
With me in New York, Ben Widdicombe who is a celebrity journalist and Cathy Areu who is the publisher of "Catalina" magazine.
All right. So here`s how this went down. Last Sunday, on Sarah Palin`s reality show, viewers saw her hunting for caribou with her father and a family friend.
And anybody who was watching the show got to witness Sarah shooting, killing and gutting the animal that she hunted. And of course, that enraged animal lovers from coast to coast, including me.
I was so offended by this I`m not going to show it to you here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And as can you well imagine, PETA - they`re outraged as well.
Here`s what they tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Sarah seems to think that resorting to violence and blood and guts may lure people into watching her boring show."
And Ben Widdicombe, I think she deserves everything PETA or anyone who was offended is throwing at her right now.
WIDDICOMBE: You know, I think that she`s showing it how it is. She really is talking about what life in Alaska is like. I agree with PETA that the show is kind of boring, even with the (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
But, you know, she`s making a point that this is what life is like in Alaska. So in that sense, it`s just a documentary.
HAMMER: Yes. In that sense, it is. And quite frankly, Sarah is completely unapologetic about it. Before this offending show even aired, she took to her Facebook page.
Here is what she wrote, "Unless you`ve never worn leather shoes, sat upon a leather couch or eaten a piece of meat, save your condemnation of tonight`s episode. I remain proudly intolerant of anti-hunting hypocrisy."
Actually, Sarah, a lot of animal activists haven`t worn leather shoes, sat on leather couches or eaten meat. And a lot of people, whether or not they`re activists, think it was just way too graphic to show.
Cathy, it does seem to me that a big part of the reason that Sarah may have showed this was to push people`s buttons because - and I know I`m going to get slammed for this but that`s what she likes to do.
CATHY AREU, PUBLISHER, "CATALINA" MAGAZINE: Well, you know what? She also offended hunters. Apparently, she didn`t do it right. She`s trying to push buttons, but she didn`t know what she was doing.
Apparently, somebody had to show her who to get that safety off. She wasn`t wearing the right clothes. She was lifting up her pants because she didn`t want to get wet. What kind of hunter is this? So Palin offended everyone. She didn`t push the right buttons. She failed.
HAMMER: All right. So now, I`m offended on behalf of hunters as well. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Mama Grizzly isn`t the only Palin showing her claws today.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. Bristol Palin is blasting comedian Kathy Griffin for calling her fat. Kathy made some really crass comments about Bristol`s weight while hosting the "VH-1 Divas Live" special that just aired. Watch what she said.
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GRIFFIN: She`s the only contestant in the history of the show to actually gain weight. No, come on. Come on. She gained like 30 pound as week, I swear to god. It was fantastic.
She`s like the white precious. She`s like the white precious. You can boo louder than that? Come on, boo me. I love it.
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ANDERSON: OK, today, in a brand-new interview, Bristol is slamming Kathy saying, "The audience`s reaction to this comedian spoke volumes, and the decent people I know would probably have booed her, too."
I think it`s understandable Bristol was hurt. She`s got every right to be ticked off. But Ben, is Bristol just giving Kathy more ammunition for her comedy act by even dignifying it with a response?
WIDDICOMBE: Well, of course, it was a really mean thing to say. But it`s Kathy Griffin. She`s always mean. She didn`t really pick her audience very well either.
But listen, Bristol Palin made the decision that she`s going to get into the ring. She`s going to be a celebrity. She was paid for "Dancing with the Stars." She`s trading on her name.
This all comes with the territory. You`re going to be criticized. You`re going to be fodder for comedy routines. So I kind of think she has to suck it up and just take it.
ANDERSON: Well, you know, Kathy Griffin is shamelessly unapologetic about bashing the Palins whenever she can. But Kathy has also admitted to having plastic surgery because of the unrelenting Hollywood pressure to be thin.
Still, Cathy, I don`t think Kathy is regretting this joke that came out of her mouth because, love it or hate it, this is what she does. Isn`t it? Quickly.
AREU: It is what she does but she wasn`t really good at it. I didn`t think it was a very funny joke. I mean, Kathy`s so much better than weight jokes. And she made a fat joke about Bristol Palin. I think it was tacky and she should regret it. She should go back and write a better joke, maybe a better weight joke. It just was very tacky.
ANDERSON: Yes. Yes. Maybe apologize and not be quite so insensitive. Ben Widdicombe, Cathy Areu, thank you both.
HAMMER: All right. You know those big dump trucks that haul stuff on construction sites? Well, the driver of this dump truck you`re about to see really knows how to haul away from the cops. Did you see this?
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MOOS: When sandwiched between police cars, the truck rear-ended one cruiser, then backed up and rammed another. That`s when the dump truck took off backwards.
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HAMMER: This dump truck driver is in a world of trouble. And get this, he`s a teenager. I am playing more of this incredible video for you next. You don`t want to miss it. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Fergie to be Hollywood host of "Dick Clark`s New Year`s Rockin` Eve." Jessica Simpson`s fashion line does about $750 million in sales this year.
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HAMMER: An Ohio teenager is in big trouble today. He leads cops on a wild car chase today, only he wasn`t driving a car. The dude was driving a dump truck and he smashed up a whole lot of police cars that were trying to stop him. It was all caught on tape.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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MOOS (voice-over): It was a dump truck run amuck, crashing into police cars and doing 50 in reverse.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I thought it was a movie being filmed. I mean, really, where else are you going to see something like that, right?
MOOS: Right. That`s something you see Sean Connery doing in the movies. Well, this isn`t the movies. It started when a dump truck was stolen from someone`s home and led police on a 53-mile chase.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Left on Graham. Left on graham. We`re coming right at you.
MOOS (on camera): Behind the wheel of the dump truck was a 17-year-old kid. "The Akron Deacon Journal" reports that his stepfather said that they`d been begging juvenile justice officials to help them with the teenager.
(voice-over) When sandwiched between police cars, the truck rear-ended one cruiser, then backed up and rammed another.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s going to ram another cruiser.
MOOS: That`s when the dump truck took off backwards. The cruiser pulled up alongside. And then, seconds later, it got rear-ended. Here`s how that looked from the dash cam.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He just took out three more cars.
MOOS: But that didn`t stop one of the cruisers.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Believe it or not, he was still able to drive. He was chasing - the police car was chasing the dump truck with the whole front end just about to fall off. Sparks are flying -
MOOS: Two even younger passengers in the dump truck jumped out and were rounded up by the police as the truck kept going. Shouldn`t these kids be playing with dump trucks like the one in "Toy Story"?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Rise and shine.
MOOS: But from this dump truck, the driver dumped bricks out the windows, blows a tarp. Police used stop sticks and spiked device thrown across the road. And they think the flat tire may have caused the truck to hit a guardrail. The teenager had only minor cuts and bruises.
(on camera) The driver has been charged with felonious assault on a police officer, assault with a dump truck.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Slow down.
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HAMMER: Thanks to Jeanne Moos for that great story of a dump truck run amuck. Today, authorities are tallying up all that damage done by the dump truck-driving teen.
ANDERSON: Just a few minutes ago, we named Lady gaga as the most provocative celebrity of the year. So what did you think? Did we get it right? Tell me right now. Send a text message to 45688. Type "SBT1" - yes, Lady Gaga was the right pick. Or text "SBT2" to vote no. Standard text messaging rates do apply. The results tomorrow.
HAMMER: I`ve got to tell you, I think we got it right, Brooke.
ANDERSON: I do, too.
HAMMER: I`m 100 percent behind our decision. Lady Gaga -
ANDERSON: Me, too. I`m not backing down.
HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And it`s still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
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