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Showbiz Tonight
Charlie`s Wild Night!; Oprah`s "OWN" Success?
Aired January 28, 2011 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
A.J. HAMMER, HOST (voice-over): Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Charlie`s next move. Charlie Sheen is out of the hospital after reportedly partying with porn stars and checks himself into rehab. Dramatic new claims today about what Charlie was doing before he was rushed to the hospital. Plus the startling connection today between Charlie`s emergency drama and the "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills." And an explosive interview revealed today with a porn star who claims she was with Charlie.
KACEY JORDAN, PORN STAR WHO SAYS SHE PARTIED WITH SHEEN: If I didn`t leave, I`d probably be in the hospital because I couldn`t keep up. I called my driver. I said you need to get me out of here.
HAMMER: Will this be the last straw for Charlie on "Two and a Half Men"? The "Showbiz Flashpoint," should CBS fire Charlie?
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST: "Jersey Shore" gets punchy. Outrage today after a breakup drama erupts in violence, and it`s all caught on tape.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you friends with her or not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t want to talk to her.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). Are you friends with her?
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask today why is it OK for a woman to slug a guy on TV and get away with it?
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (on-camera): Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON (on-camera): Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today. Here we go again. Yes, it`s Ground Hog Day. Well, actually, Ground Hog Day is not until next Wednesday, but it looks like Charlie Sheen has gotten a head start, reliving what seems to be an endless loop, hospital emergencies, reports of porn stars and partying, and now, the news today that Charlie has decided to enter rehab again, this time, voluntarily. But there is still a big mystery about what led him there.
There may be clues, though, in an explosive caught-on-tape interview revealed today. A peppy porn star claimed she was with Charlie and a bevy of other porn stars in the hours leading up to him being rushed to the hospital. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the latest developments surrounding the claims of Sheen`s shenanigans.
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CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: You guys are no fun. I`m going to call a hooker.
ANDERSON (voice-over): It seems to happen about as frequently as someone telling a sex joke on "Two and a Half Men."
SHEEN: Don`t worry, I`m a responsible uncle.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s nice to know.
SHEEN: I promise I`ll get a quiet prostitute.
ANDERSON: A reported wild night of partying ends with Charlie Sheen in the hospital.
NINA PARKER, TMZ: It sounds like a regular weekend for Charlie Sheen only it was during the week.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Sheen left the hospital today. His representative tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the actor will be back to work on "Two and a Half Men" next week.
PARKER: Charlie Sheen`s rep says that Charlie has a hernia.
ANDERSON: But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you there are reports that Charlie`s unexpected hospital trip came after he hosted a super wild house party complete with porn stars, one of whom is speaking out today.
JORDAN: Eventually, it was like too much. That was time of night where everyone was too drunk.
ANDERSON: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT pieces together the strange new details about Charlie Sheen`s latest scare. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can confirm that at 6:35 a.m. Thursday morning, a 911 call was placed requesting a medical unit to what`s believed to be Sheen`s address. Today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can confirm a 911 call was placed by Charlie Sheen`s neighbors, Dr. Paul Nasiff and wife, Adrienne Maloof-Nassif, who appear on the reality show, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hill."
JORDAN: I feel really bad. I hope he is well.
ANDERSON: This is porn star Kacey Jordan. In a brand new interview with TMZ, she says she partied with Sheen that night, and he was out of control.
JORDAN: If I didn`t leave, I`d probably be in the hospital because I couldn`t keep up. I mean, he`s (INAUDIBLE).
PARKER: She says the night was basically a lot of drinking and watching hours worth of porn.
ANDERSON: Sheen`s representative insists Sheen was hospitalized because of a hernia-related problem. He tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, quote, "Charlie has had a hernia condition for some time." But today, some aren`t fully convinced of the hernia excuse.
VIKKI ZIEGLER, FAMILY ATTORNEY: It`s very hard to believe that it`s only a hernia and that`s the reason why he`s in the hospital. It appears that he is going on a spiral dOWNhill.
ANDERSON: Sheen has a legendary history of wild partying and addiction. And his latest hospital trip is the third time in three months he`s had a medical issue under sordid circumstances. Back in October, Sheen was briefly hospitalized after he allegedly went wild and trashed a New York City hotel room. His rep blames that on an adverse allergic reaction to medication.
Earlier this month, Sheen reportedly went on a tear through Las Vegas, after which he has said to have missed some work on "Two and a Half Men." His rep reportedly blamed that on an ear infection. And that brings us to today and Sheen`s hospital stay, which, of course, Sheen`s people are blaming on a hernia.
PARKER: Perhaps, he does have this condition. However, I`m sure the 36-hour party did not help.
ANDERSON: At the very least, it seems Sheen needs to find a more relaxing way to spend his dOWN time, like maybe playing golf with his dad. But TMZ`s Nina Parker tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, CBS is worried about Sheen who is TV`s highest paid actor on TV`s number one sitcom.
PARKER: We`re told that everyone is very concerned. We`re told they do want him to seek help, but they kind of have to handle the situation with kid gloves.
ANDERSON: So, it looks like Charlie Sheen`s latest scare will remain jut that, a scare. But everyone is wondering when Hollywood`s biggest wild man will find himself in serious trouble.
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HAMMER: Well, the late breaking news that Charlie Sheen voluntarily decided to enter rehab came after a dramatic interview surfaced with yet another porn star speaking out, and we also learned today that CBS has put Charlie`s show "Two and a Half Men" on production hiatus indefinitely.
This interview with porn star, Kacey Jordan, and the TMZ revealed today really stand out to me. She claims she was right there with Charlie the night before he was rushed to the hospital and said that while things started out nice and fine and a good time had by all, they turned ugly really fast.
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JORDAN: If I didn`t leave, I`d probably be in the hospital because I couldn`t keep up. I called my driver. I said you need to get me out of here. And he didn`t want me to leave, but I was really shooken up. I like had an anxiety attack. I hope he is well and I hope -- I mean, if he`s keeps doing this -- I just hope that he gets better.
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HAMMER: What everybody has been saying all along. All right. I want to bring in "In Session" legal contributor, Sunny Hostin. Sunny, here`s what I think is scary. This porn star is saying she ran away from Charlie because she was afraid she was going to wind up in the hospital, and obviously, that`s exactly what happened to Charlie. I mean, how scary is that?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: It`s really - - unbelievable that she`s in her 20s. He`s in his mid to late -- well, mid 40s, and she couldn`t keep up with him. I mean, this is something that is just unbelievable because it`s happening over and over and over again. I mean, this is something that he needs to be concerned about, and his family needs to be concerned about. I mean, are we going to hear that he`s died from something soon. It`s really sad.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, what more if this all proves to be true needs to be done to establish a pattern of behavior? I`m sorry. Haven`t we done that already? And something that`s maybe even more disturbing about the porn star story is that she`s one of three women in the last year or so that we know of to be left shaken by Charlie`s behavior. I want to take this to the "Showbiz Newsline." Let`s flashback now, December 25th, 2009. Charlie`s now estranged wife, Brook Mueller, calls 911 claiming Charlie held a knife to her throat. Charlie later plead guilty to assaulting her.
October 24th, 2010, porn star Capri Anderson locks herself in the bathroom, Charlie Sheen`s trashed hotel room, and claims she was frightened by his erratic behavior. And here we are now today, porn star Kacey Jordan claiming she was shaken up by Charlie`s behavior. I want to bring in "Access Hollywood" correspondent, Tony Potts. All right. Tony, what if anything does this pattern tell you about Charlie?
TONY POTTS, CORRESPONDENT, ACCESS HOLLYWOOD: Well, it doesn`t take a genius to connect the dots with this kind of behavior. You know, obviously, it`s unconfirmed what went on. We do have speculation. But, you know, I can tell you that we have confirmed, and you talk about this kind of behavior, Charlie`s father, Martin Sheen, who made a plea back in 1998 about Charlie`s behavior to get him into rehab. Well, he confirmed (ph) that he`s encouraging Charlie to seek rehab. So, there`s one thing there.
Also, as well, you know, Adrienne Maloof, she is on "Housewives of Beverly Hills" and her husband, Paul, they are friends with Charlie Sheen. They did get a call this morning, and there are reports of Charlie was incoherent when he got on the phone with him. I can tell you my colleague, John Robertson, spoke with Adrienne Maloof this morning. And Adrienne sais, you know, Charlie did get on the phone with her husband, Paul, and he was coherent. He did have severe abdominal pains. How those were brought on? We do not know.
HAMMER: Right.
POTTS: But Paul is a plastic surgeon. So, look, call 911 and that`s when about 15 minutes later the 911 call was purport (ph).
HAMMER: Yes. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, of course, also did confirm that Charlie left hospital because of what his rep says was that hernia emergency. I want to take that right to the "Showbiz Flashpoint." Do you believe Charlie`s hernia story? Sunny Host.
HOSTIN: I don`t believe. In particular, because, Dennis Richards was there, and his father was there. When something like that happens, a hernia, and it`s a condition that you had before, does your family rush to the hospital? I don`t think so. So, the circumstances surrounding the story just don`t make sense to me.
HAMMER: Tony Potts, quickly to the "Showbiz Flashpoint," what do you think?
POTTS: Well, real quick, we`ve confirmed from a doctor that Charlie he has had this hernia in the past. He`s had surgery on it, OK, as well. And that it can be exacerbated by if he was partying (ph), it can exacerbate that condition. So, the two could actually co-exist.
HAMMER: I do want to mention SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has reached out to Charlie Sheen`s rep today to respond to all of the allegations made by porn star, KACEY JORDAN. As of show time, he hasn`t gotten back to us.
But now, I have to move on to big, burning questions about Charlie Sheen`s future. Charlie`s dad once revealed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how we helped Charlie get into rehab back in the 1990s.
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MARTIN SHEEN, FATHER OF CHARLIE SHEEN: And he said on the radio, I was driving dOWN in the Pacific Coast highway on an afternoon, and he said on the radio, well, my dad saved my life. I had to pull off the road, and I wept on control (ph) of it.
HAMMER (voice-over): Well, Charlie`s dad will not have to twist Charlie`s arm now that Charlie decided today to voluntarily enter rehab, and he must be so relieved. But there are other burning questions about Charlie that remain unanswered. That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Sunny Hostin, Tony Potts, stay right where you are.
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ANDERSON: All right. From burning questions about Charlie Sheen to disturbing questions over "Jersey Shore" violence. Fists are flying as a break-up drama erupt.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Are you friends with her?
ANDERSON (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask today, why is it OK for a woman to slug a guy on TV and get away with it?
HAMMER: Today, the great Kardashian debate. They`re the most famous sisters on the planet, but should some things be off limit?
PIERS MORGAN, CNN ANCHOR: If I`m playing devil`s advocate, I mean, if you do that kind of thing and show the world you giving birth, is there anything private? Would you have any privacy?
HAMMER: Did the Kardashians really deserve privacy? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
Now, the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
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HAMMER: Miley Cyrus, the worst celebrity in the world? Miley did just about everything she could last year to shed her good girl "Hannah Montana" image, including, of course, getting caught on tape smoking salvia from a bong. And from award today, she`s being voted worst celebrity influence of 2010 by AOL`s justsoyouknow.com beating Lindsay Lohan. And get this, Miley topped the list for the second year in a row.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Just in today, Oprah`s OWN nosedive? Well, ratings for the Oprah Winfrey Network have really fallen off a cliff since its gangbuster debut on New Year`s Day.
ANDERSON: Yes. Unfortunately, A.J., the Hollywood reporter says the viewership has dropped from a million viewers to just under 300,000 in primetime. That is way behind networks lifetime and we -- and there`s more bad news for Lady O today. OWN has reportedly pulled the plug on a plan morning show, a show that was being developed by Uber producer, Mark Burnett.
He`s the guy behind hit shows like "Survivor" and the "Apprentice." Lagging ratings, a big name show going belly up. Are these signs that Oprah`s dream is doom to fail? Say it ain`t so. And some Hollywood Insiders have their OWN prediction. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`S Kareen Wynter with a "Showbiz Special Report."
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OPRAH WINFREY, HOST: I`m excited. Here we go.
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): And it was going spectacularly for the Queen of Talk. The New Year`s launch of the Oprah Winfrey Network, OWN, brought in a ratings bonanza its first week. 18.5 million tuned in, placing all in the top 25 among cable networks. OWN has already doubled the viewership of Discovery Health, the network it replaced, but despite the early success, OWN`s ratings have dropped, and media critics have taken notice.
BRAD ADGATE, HORIZON MEDIA: There`s been some erosion. I think the sampling and curiosity factor is over.
MATT ROUSH, SENIOR CRITIC, TV GUIDE MAGAZINE: We`re not seeing it lived up to its potential.
WYNTER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks what will it take for Oprah`s network to stay relevant? TV guide, Matt Roush, says many of OWN`s shows need a boost of originality.
ROUSH: There`s a sameness too much on the program.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You don`t have to be afraid. It`s only food.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How long has it been since you guys had sex?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t want to live like this.
WYNTER: OWN`s enough already, The Peter Walsh series on helping families fight clutter averaged only 530,000 viewers its first week. Not bad. But Roush says viewers may need more variety to stick around.
ROUSH: Does it really seem to have a distinct identity?
WYNTER: Oprah presents "Master Class," starred strong, but critics tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the show just isn`t distinctive enough to keep the momentum.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Everybody has a story.
WYNTER: The documentary style-show spotlights some big names like hip-hop mogul, Jay-Z and TV news legend, Diane Sawyer. More than 600,000 viewers watched the first show, but the next episode lost more than half its viewers.
ROUSH: You first look at it, you think, oh, my God, it`s a celebrity ego trip. I`ve heard these people say these stories a million times. What are we getting out of this? And it`s not even like an interview.
WYNTER: And Roush says another problem, OWN needs more Oprah.
WINFREY: You are brilliant!
WYNTER: Oprah`s on screen presence is the winning ingredient for season 25, Oprah behind the scenes. The rare look inside the Oprah Winfrey`s show`s final season reeled in more than a million viewers.
WINFREY: Yes! You get the season premiere show? How did you get so lucky, girl?
WYNTER (on-camera): Brad Adgate, a Horizon Media tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Oprah herself is exactly what makes that show a megahit. All lots of little steam after its initial loss, but some critics say the true measure will come when Oprah joins OWN full time.
ADGATE: She`s still doing a syndicated talk show until ended the maze (ph) week. She`s going to go to her OWN network and focus fully and she`s got her OWN show. I think -- then, I think it`s a fair assessment to say how well it`s doing.
WYNTER (voice-over): Oprah`s BFF, Gayle King, who also has a show on OWN admits they`re well aware of the challenges ahead of them.
GAYLE KING, HOST: We know it`s going to be growing pains. We know that there will be some stumbles and pick up along the way.
WYNTER: And Oprah herself acknowledged to us she expects some rocky times ahead, but she`s staying focused on her business.
WINFREY: Let just calm dOWN. Let`s get to day 14 and then let`s get to day 30. My dream is that the channel will be the home base for people who are seeking the best for themselves.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m going to earn this.
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HAMMER: Moving on now to "New Jersey Shore" fight fury today. It is the caught on tape punch that`s causing shore to shore outrage.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Are you friends with her?
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, why is it OK for a woman to slug a guy on TV and get away with it?
ANDERSON (voice-over): It`s about that time SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will name the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week" Will it be Oprah Winfrey for revealing the half sister she just met? Or Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James for another embarrassing Nazi photo scandal? Or Charlie Sheen for his hospital drama.
HAMMER: Whitney Houston`s big return today. Wait until you see this. It`s your first look in Whitney Houston back on stage. This is for the very first time since being booed off stage during her disastrous concert tour.
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HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
Now, the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON (on-camera): We welcome you back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Britney Spears bumped by a grenade. That story and more making big news in "The Buzz Today." Britney takes a tumble from the top of the chart.
Prince William and Kate Middleton`s royal love story is coming to life on Lifetime.
And "American Idol" host, Ryan Seacrest declares war on former judge, Simon Cowell.
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ANDERSON (voice-over): Ryan versus Simon, the biggest battle in showbiz is about to begin. "American Idol" versus "X-Factor." And "Idol" hopes Ryan Seacrest has already thrOWN the first punch against "X-Factor`s" Simon Cowell. Ryan spoke out on "Jimmy Kimmel Live" last night about his good friend and former "Idol" co-star, Simon.
RYAN SEACREST, HOST: He`ll be the first to congratulate himself on his new ratings by sending via fax of the ratings the day after his new series premieres.
ANDERSON: William & Kate the movie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned the fairy tale love story of Prince William and his soon-to-be princess wife, Kate Middleton, will be made into a television movie. Lifetime TV tells us the film chronicles the history of William and Kate from the moment the two students met at Scotland`s Prestige University of St. Andrews, through the ups and dOWNs of their nine-year courtship. The film airs in April, the same month the couple ties the knot.
Bruno beats Britney. It`s a battle royale on the Billboard Hot 100 charts this week, and Bruno Mars has won. Billboard.com reports the "Grenade" singer beat out Britney Spears for the top spot. Her single "Hold It Against Me" fell to number 6.
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ANDERSON (on-camera): All right. Bruno Mars is up for 7 Grammy awards. Big night is just a couple of weeks away. There are lots of great Grammy showdOWNs like in the Best Female Country Vocal category. I want you to vote right now on this. Who do you want to win? Text your vote to 45688. SPT1 for Jewel`s "Satisfied." SPT2 for Miranda Lambert`s "The House That Built Me." SPT3 LeAnn Rime`s "Swingin." SPT4 for Kerry Anderwood`s "Temporary Home." Or SPT5 for Gretchen Wilson`s "I`d Love To Be Your Last." Standard text messaging rates do apply. You can also vote on our Facebook page, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT HLN there.
For more great Grammy showdOWNs, tune in for a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s on Grammy Awards night Sunday, February 13th. That`s at 5:30 p.m. eastern right here on HLN.
HAMMER: And now the showbiz line-up. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The great Kardashian debate today. Their lives are open books, but is there a line that shouldn`t be crossed?
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MORGAN: If I`m playing devil`s advocate, I mean, if you do that kind of thing and show the world you giving birth (ph), is there anything private? Would you have any privacy?
HAMMER (voice-over): Did the Kardashians really deserve privacy?
Burning Charlie Sheen question today, should CBS fire Charlie? Should he go to rehab? Will Charlie be named the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the week" or will it be Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James for another embarrassing Nazi photo scandal, or Oprah Winfrey for revealing the half sister she just met? Stick around to find out.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Burning Charlie Sheen questions today. He checked into rehab after an ER drama and reported outrageous booze fuelled porn fest. But what`s next? Should CBS fire him?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Are you friends with her?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Brand "New Jersey Shore" outrage. Sammy clocks Ronnie. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is it OK for a woman to punch a guy and get away with it?
HAMMER: Do the Kardashians have a privacy problem? CNN`s Piers Morgan gets to the bottom of this.
MORGAN: If I`m playing devil`s advocate, I mean, if you do that kind of thing and show the world you giving birth, is there anything private? Would you have any privacy?
HAMMER: The "Showbiz Flashpoint," do the Kardashians deserve privacy?
Plus, breaking today from the "Showbiz News Ticker," Taraji P. Henson gets naked. And Glee`s Lea Michelle`s Super Bowl surprise.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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HAMMER (on-camera): 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 (on-camera): And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today in the Charlie Sheen burning questions. Charlie Sheen revealed today he has decided to voluntarily enter rehab this after getting out of the hospital for treatment of what his rep says was related to a hernia. And CBS said today it is putting his show "Two and a Half Men" on extended hiatus.
HAMMER: While Charlie was rushed to the hospital yesterday with severe abdominal pain after reportedly partying with porn stars at his house. And today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you one of those porn stars is speaking out with shocking details that are raising a lot of burning questions today. And one of the burning questions was sparked today by an explosive new interview that surfaced with porn star, Kacey Jordan. She gave TMZ a disturbing account of what she is claiming it was like inside Charlie Sheen`s house. Watch this.
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JORDAN: When I first saw him, he was (EXPLETIVE DELETED) wasted. I was trying to get to that point, too. Trust me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So, you guys started drinking or what?
JORDAN: Yes. And I said I can beat you. I`ll beat you in drinking. And he`s like (EXPLETIVE DELETED). And I just made myself like an all- vodka drink. It`s all vodka slash (ph). And he grabbed it from my hand. I love the guy, right? He grabbed it. It`s like he chugged it in three seconds. He`s like don`t ever test me again.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. I am loath to stereotype or generalize, but I know, you know, porn stars may not be the most reliable sources, by any stretch. But if this is true, it does sound like Charlie Sheen was going, you know, kind of bonker. So, I want to bring up our first burning question today. Charlie Sheen, should we believe the porn star`s story? I want to bring in HLN`s OWN Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "Issues with Jane Velez-Mitchell." Jane, I`m thinking there`s way more going on here.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST: Well, I actually find her story very believable and here`s why. I`m a recovering alcoholic myself. And when I was in my disease, I would behave very similar fashion. I loved drinking contests. In fact, I`m not very proud to say that I actually won a drinking contest at club med once, and we all used to brag, those of us who were in our disease of alcoholism, how we could drink somebody under the table, love to chug a lug. This is standard operating behavior for somebody who is deep in their disease of drinking too much.
HAMMER: Yes. And for those booze (ph) before, I`ve been around those conversations, too. That porn start, by the way, Kacey Jordan, claims that their crazy party night included not only binge drinking, but she claims that they watched porn in Charlie`s home theater for hours. She said after all night partying, things started get a bit scary. Take a look at this.
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JORDAN: If I didn`t leave, I`d probably be in the hospital because I couldn`t keep up. I called my driver, I said you need to get me out of here. And he didn`t want me to leave. I was really shooken up. I like had an anxiety attack. I -- really about it. I hope he is well. I hope - - I mean, these binges, I mean, if he keeps doing this --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It might go real bad?
JORDAN: Yes. I just hope that he gets better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. We have reached out to Charlie`s rep about the porn star`s claims. As of show time, we haven`t heard back anything. I want to bring in Sunny Hostin, legal contributor for "In Session" on TruTV. Sunny, what do you think? Should we believe the porn star`s story?
HOSTIN: I mean, just looking at her, she seems pretty credible. And I spent, you know, my career as a prosecutor, A.J., assessing people`s credibility and assessing what someone would say to me. And when I listen to her, I mean, she`s got nothing to gain, nothing to lose from telling the story. No one`s paying her to tell the story, I don`t think. And she seems very, very credible.
HAMMER: That`s why we come to you, the expert, you know, for you to say that I think holds a lot of water here.
Charlie`s megahit show "Two and a Half Men" has been on hiatus since today. CBS announced the show will stay on production hiatus indefinitely while Charlie is getting treatment in rehab. "Entertainment Weekly" says today, "Charlie doesn`t have a morality clause in his contract. If he did certainly, it could have opened up the door allowing CBS to fire him." That brings us to our next burning Charlie Sheen question we must ask today. If CBS can fire Charlie Sheen, should they? Jane Velez-Mitchell.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, I have to say that it`s getting to that point, I believe. This is really embarrassing the entire network. And this is a network that needs to have some moral authority because it had CBS News, the vaunted news organization, and it`s really disturbing the involvement of the porn stars because that insinuates the denigration of women. And so, you have Katie Couric, for example, who represents the network. It`s really gotten sordid, and I really do think that CBS needs to do something drastic.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, we`re hearing that they`re concerned, but again, it keeps coming back to the fact that Charlie, somehow, despite all of this and who knows when this will end, but he keeps showing up and doing his job. Sunny Hostin to the burning question, if CBS can fire Charlie, should they?
HOSTIN: Well, you know, I think the question is can they, and he`s under contract. Legally, I don`t even think that they can. If there`s no morality clause, and he`s showing up to work, he`s doing a good job, it`s the number one rated television show. He`s getting paid, I guess, over a million dollars per episode, they really can`t fire him.
So, should they is a different question than can they. And answering the can they, I don`t believe that they can, unfortunately. I think it would be, perhaps, a wake-up call for him to get treatment, to get whatever he needs to get his life back on tracks, but the lawyers at CBS, I`m sure have their lawyering hats on, and they`re not going to touch this, especially, if he shows to work.
HAMMER: Oh, no. They`re looking at every possibility, every piece of language in this contract, I`m certain. But let me push it a bit further. I want to play devil`s advocate on this very topic for a minute. Charlie is making it to work, as I said. Even if all the porn star party reports are true, I want to ask this burning question today. Is it really anybody`s business what Charlie does in his off hours? Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think it`s become everybody`s business. It`s the dOWN side of Maine. If you`re just a private individual, you can do whatever you want as long as you don`t get arrested. But when you`re famous, this is the other side of it. You have to live in a room with no curtains, essentially.
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: And also, let`s face it. This guy is a role model. The sad part is that this could actually help his ratings. But what does it do to the kids watching it. They`re old enough to know now. They`re very sophisticated. They go on all these web sites. Is it glamorizing this kind of behavior? Is it sane that women should be treated as objects and they should porn starts are what you should aspire to hook up with? That`s the problem here.
HAMMER: Even before the news broke today, the Charlie Sheen decided to enter rehab voluntarily. There was a report that Charlie Sheen`s father, Martin Sheen, also wanted Charlie to get back into rehab. Now, Brooke, this wouldn`t have been the first time Martin has gotten his son into rehab.
ANDERSON: No, it wouldn`t, A.J. Martin, who seems to be a very caring, supportive father had a major intervention with Charlie back in the 1990s. Watch what Martin once told me about how difficult that time was and how glad he was that, at least for a while, Charlie got his life back together.
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MARTIN SHEEN: I remember when Charlie finally got clean and sober, and he was taken off his probation, and he said on the radio, I was driving dOWN pacific coast highway on an afternoon, and he said on the radio, well, "my dad saved my life." I pulled off the road, and I wept on control of it (ph). Then, I realized, no, that`s not true. I got him on the phone, and I said, Charlie, I just heard what you said on the radio. I appreciate that, but it`s not true. He said what do you mean? I said, you saved your life. I got your attention.
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HAMMER: Wouldn`t it be something if that could happen again? Jane Velez-Mitchell, Sunny Hostin, thank you both.
ANDERSON: Now, to the absolute outrage today of a shocking "New Jersey Shore" fight all caught on tape.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE) Are you friends with her?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Sammy slugs Ronnie. Is it OK for women to beat up a guy and get away with it?
HAMMER (voice-over): Do the Kardashian sisters have a privacy problem? Do the reality stars really deserve any privacy at all?
MORGAN: If I`m playing devil`s advocate, I mean, if you do that kind of thing and show the world you giving birth, is there anything private? Would you have any privacy?
HAMMER: The Kardashian`s stunning answer to CNN`s Piers Morgan reveal today.
ANDERSON: And moments, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week." The nominees, Oprah Winfrey for revealing her half sister, Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James and his new Nazi photos scandal, and Charlie Sheen for his new hospital mystery. Your vote, and our pick is coming up.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
HAMMER: It is time for the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
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HAMMER: Well, the countdOWN is on. In mere moments, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going to name the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the week." Who will it be? Maybe Oprah for revealing the half sister she never knew existed. Maybe Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James who got all caught up in an absolutely embarrassing Nazi photo scandal again. Or will it be Charlie Sheen for all of his hospital drama? The big reveal coming up.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Brooke Anderson is in Hollywood. And today, it`s the "Jersey Shore" smackdOWN everyone`s talking about.
ANDERSON (on-camera): A.J., I just can`t get over what went dOWN last night on the "Jersey Shore." On and off again couple Sammy and Ronnie had another epic fight, but this time, it ended with Sammy slamming Ronnie with a fist to the face. Take a look.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you friends with her or not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t want to talk to you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (INAUDIBLE). Are you friends with her?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: For the love of all that is good, what is happening in this world? Clearly, things got out of hand again on the "Jersey Shore." And I want to remind you that there was a huge uproar, let`s not forget, in the first season when Snooki was punched by a guy in a bar. But this time, when it`s the other way around, the girl punching the guy, there seems to be no backlash. I want to bring in Kim Serafin right now. She`s a senior editor for "In Touch Weekly." Why is it OK, Kim, for a woman to slug a guy on TV and get away with it?
KIM SERAFIN, SENIOR EDITOR, IN TOUCH WEEKLY: It`s not OK, but this is the "Jersey Shore." And somebody gets punched every week, whether it`s a guy punching a guy, a girl punching a guy, a girl punching a girl, it just seems like this happens every week. And I think people don`t take it seriously because it seems to happen all the time. It`s like it`s Thursday night.
ANDERSON: Maybe, they should start wearing face mask. This is crazy.
SERAFIN: It`s inappropriate, but it`s the "Jersey Shore." So, I feel like he get a pass because it happens all the time.
ANDERSON: But, get on this (ph), not just the "Jersey Shore." I want to talk about "Teen Mom" star, Amber Portwood, because she`s in legal hot water after she was caught on tape hitting the father of her child. I think the behavior on both the "Jersey Shore" and "Teen Mom" is detestable. Violence of any kind should not be promoted, should not be tolerated. I want to bring in Maureen O`Connor right now. She`s a writer for gawker.com. Maureen, do you see any difference between these two outrageous fist fights?
MAUREEN O`CONNOR, WRITER, GAWKER.COM: You know, what I think is important is that even if violence isn`t something that should be promoted or happen with role models, what MTV is doing is trying to show reality, and in really, this does happen. MTV has been very careful to have PSAs, about violence, about help lines where you can get help if you`re in a domestic violence situation. I think it`s reasonable for them to show what really happens as long as they`re responsible with it.
ANDERSON: To a certain extent --
O`CONNOR: It`s something that happens, and then, it leads to, you know, further discussion potentially.
ANDERSON: I just wish the kids could act more civilized, and it shows that acting civilized is cool because let`s face it, trashy behavior is not cute. OK. There`s another big reality show debate going on today over the Kardashian sisters and their right to privacy. A.J., what`s going on here?
HAMMER: You have such lofty wishes, Brooke. I love it. It`s just absolutely wonderful.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Let`s talk about Kim and Kourtney Kardashian. They just sat dOWN with CNN`s Piers Morgan, and he asked the sisters if they think they should expect any form of privacy when they allow their lives, basically, to play out for the world to see on reality TV. Piers pointed out that Courtney even allowed the birth of her son to be shOWN on their reality show. Take a look at how Kim and Courtney responded to the whole privacy debate.
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MORGAN: Do you ever feel, you know, that you have any right to complain about paparazzi or intrusion into your private life once you`ve done that?
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN, REALITY SHOW STAR: I don`t know if I have a right, but I do complain like I have my moment.
MORGAN: That`s an honest answer. I get that.
KOURTNEY KARDASHIAN: And I do complain here and then, but then, I also get it. Like we bring it and that is kind of the nature of our business.
MORGAN: What do you think, Kim? Is anything off limits in your lives given you put it all out there?
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY SHOW STAR: Absolutely. I mean, I`ve been really private on the show, relationships. I only show very little bits and pieces.
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HAMMER: I don`t know about that. I think they`re being a bit ambiguous there. To our "Showbiz Flashpoint" now, do Kim and Kourtney deserve privacy? Kim, given all they put out there, what do you think?
SERAFIN: Yes. I think there`s a certain extent of privacy they deserve. Obviously, if there`s some tragedy in their live, if there`s somebody sick in their life, but on the other hand, it`s really hard to tell where their personally life ends and where their professional life begins because there are so much melding. I mean, they even said on this interview that they use their show as a platform for other things to let people get to know them on a personal level. So, they`re kind of admitting it. So, I think it`s hard for us to even know what`s personal, what`s professional because so much of it is combined on the show.
HAMMER: Yes. I think it`s a bit of a catch 22 for them, quite frankly because I think that they certainly want privacy, but they also get that they put so much out there. And where does it end, where does it begin? Do you think they deserve it?
O`CONNOR: I mean, with Kim saying that she keeps her personal relationship to romantic like private, let`s not forget, this is a woman who`s famous because she made a sex tape. That`s how everybody gone to know here. I think this -- they know on some level that the reason that they`re famous is because they let people to see all the dirty secrets. We`ve seen them getting bikini waxes. We`ve seen them getting Botox.
HAMMER: Yes. Oh, please, don`t remind me.
O`CONNOR: It`s all part of what they do, and they know it.
HAMMER: Maureen O`Connor, Kim Serafin, thanks, guys.
ANDERSON: A.J., now at "Showbiz First Look."
HAMMER: All right. Whitney Houston is back on stage very excited, and she shocked the crowd, Brooke, of this 11th annual celebration of "Gospel." The reception there was a whole lot better than all those boos she got when she was on tour last year. A lot of people really disappointed by Whitney`s performances back then, but not now. Here`s why.
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(SINGING)
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ANDERSON: A.J., you know, I think she sounded decent. A lot of people have given up on Whitney Houston, but she looked healthy. She looks like she felt well. And, you know, I`ve been thinking about this. I would actually like to see Whitney Houston mentor contestants on "American Idol." I think that would be good TV.
HAMMER: I think it would be excellent TV. It might even turn into train wreck TV. We`ve seen that --
ANDERSON: We could.
HAMMER: When she had a reality show. Not the Whitney of old, for sure, but I think, certainly, is a lot better than what she was doing last year when she got booed. You can see more of Whitney performing on BET`s 11th Annual Celebration of Gospel when it airs Sunday, January 30th, 8:00 p.m. eastern and pacific on BET.
ANDERSON: All right. The wait is almost over. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to name the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week." Will it be Oprah Winfrey? She revealed the half sister she never knew to the world or Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James caught up in a new Nazi photo scandal, or Charlie Sheen and his reported wild night and hospital drama? The big reveal is next.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
HAMMER: This is the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Brooke, it`s the time of the week we`ve been waiting for.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. Get ready. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is about to name the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week." I`m back with Maureen O`Connor and Kim Serafin. And here are our nominees. Oprah for revealing the half sister she never knew existed. Sandra Bullock`s ex Jesse James after he was linked to yet another disturbing new Nazi photo shoot this week. And Charlie sheen for his latest hospital drama. He was rushed to the hospital after reportedly partying with porn stars.
Kim, of to you. Who gets your vote for "Most Provocative Celebrity of the week?"
SERAFIN: Well, not Jesse James because who cares. Over it. Completely over it. I mean, you have to say Charlie Sheen, although, is it really anything provocative because it happens all the time. Something happens, we think it`s the end of the world, oh, my gosh, Charlie`s in real trouble, but then, he goes back to work and another porn star gets famous and got the interview.
ANDERSON: And he acts like nothing ever happens.
SERAFIN: So, you have to say him -- Oprah, I would give it to her, at least, but more for being interesting, not provocative because once you think you everything about Oprah, you really don`t.
ANDERSON: I know, and it was really unexpected. A huge that she revealed that personal information so publicly on her show. Well, to that extent with Oprah, we asked everybody to text their vote and to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Facebook fan page. We got the result today, and Oprah won the text vote with 44 percent on our Facebook fan page, there it is again. Majority agreed it should be Oprah, 48 percent of the vote. Maureen, who gets your vote?
O`CONNOR: It`s Oprah. I think she`s been doing family reunions her entire career and to finally see her doing a really emotional reunion of her OWN, it`s just a fascinating, exciting, a provocative moment, I think, for everybody who paid attention to pop culture.
ANDERSON: Yes. It was incredibly personal information for her to divulge in such a public manner.
But all right, the wait is over. Drum roll, please. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT names, you got it, Kim, Charlie Sheen, the "Most Provocative Celebrity of the week." And here`s my thing, Kim, about Charlie Sheen. We`re not surprised, but I am fearful that if he continues to behave -- reportedly behave in a way with no regard for himself or his family, his days are going to be numbered. This sort of behavior catches up with anybody, I don`t care who you are, how much money you have.
SERAFIN: Right. Except I feel like we have this conversation all the time because it happens to Charlie, and then, everything turns out OK. And he ended because he does like a funny interview and says, oh, can`t anyone have a bad night and then he goes and does his character Charlie on the show and there are jokes about hookers and porn stars on the show and we all laugh and we all tune in and its highest rating show.
ANDERSON: Everybody`s joking about it, you`re right. Well, our best wishes to Charlie Sheen. We wish him well in this recovery. We certainly do. Maureen O`Connor, Kim Serafin, thanks, ladies.
HAMMER: After the week he`s had, I don`t think there was any choice but to name Charlie Sheen, Brooke. And 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 we are 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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