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Showbiz Tonight
The Sheen Sensation; Breaking Britney News
Aired March 03, 2011 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Big news breakinng today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Unbelievable Charlie Sheen frenzy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (voice-over): Charlie breaks a world record on Twitter, more than a million people following his every word. Our "Showbiz Flashpoint" today, is Charlie`s surging popularity entertaining or just plain sad?
Plus, a headline making "Showbiz News Maker Interview" with the reporter who got to see what Charlie was really like with his kids.
BROOKE ANDERSON, HOST (voice-over): Paula`s frightening 911 drama. Revealed today, Paula Abdul`s desperate attempt to get out of her boyfriend`s car. What really happened?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello.
PAULA ABDUL, SINGER: I am in a Mercedes and I want out of this car and he won`t let me.
HAMMER: Britney`s shocking new confessions today. Britney Spears reveals whether she`s really put her wild past behind her. Plus, is she quitting showbiz for good?
ANDERSON: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show --
HAMMER: Breaks news right now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (on-camera): Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer winning from New York City.
(LAUGHTER)
ANDERSON (on-camera): Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today. The Charlie Sheen sensation.
HAMMER: Yes. This is exactly what I`m talking about and why I couldn`t resist. Now, forget "American Idol" or even "Two and a Half Men." Today, Charlie Sheen`s public meltdown has become America`s favorite show. This Charlie Sheen phenomenon sparked by all of his scandals, his wild interviews, and crazy cat traces like winning has now reached epic status. How popular has Sheen gotten? Well, take a look at this. Today, Guinness officially certified that Sheen has set a world record for the fastest time to reach one million followers on Twitter. Sheen did it in a mere 25 hours, 17 minutes.
Students at several colleges have started Facebook campaigns to have Charlie Sheen become their commencement speaker. And sheen`s interview on ABC`s "20/20" on Tuesday night pulled in the show`s highest ratings in more than two years. Nine million people watched. It was in that interview that ABC`s Andrea Canning got some of Sheen`s more memorable quotes.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREA CANNING, INTERVIEWED SHEEN FOR ABC: All these radio rants have people thinking Charlie Sheen has got to be on drugs again.
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: Sure. Yes. I am on a drug. It`s called Charlie Sheen.
CANNING: Some are saying that you`re bipolar.
SHEEN: I`m bi-winning. I win here, and I win there.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I just spoke with Andrea for "Showbiz News Maker Interview" about what Charlie was really like during their headline making sit-down.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: He certainly said what were perceived as a lot of wild things to you during your interview, and quite frankly, a lot of his quotes have now become fodder for blogs and comedians. They`re on even on T-shirts.
CANNNING: Yes.
HAMMER: But, obviously, he`s really going through a personal crisis. Did you get any sense that he sees it that way?
CANNNING: I think what he saw as a personal crisis would be the business side of it, losing the show, losing the money from the show, his crew losing money. He seemed to be in a crisis over the way that all of that was handled, and he seemed to be very angry, obviously, at the executives of this network, CBS, Warner Brothers. So, that`s what I took away from that. As far as a crisis in his personal life, absolutely not. He thinks everything is fine.
HAMMER: Yes. That`s my next question because we`re watching this thing, and on the one hand, it looks like, oh, maybe he`s putting on some sort of a show, or maybe, in his mind, everything is fine going along just great. I mean, did you get the sense that in his head, it`s all sunshine and roses?
CANNNING: I think it is, and he actually uses the word roses. You know, he used that word. He thinks everything is -- he`s winning. I think I counted today he said winning about 20 times. I don`t know if you heard the slogan, "I`m not bipoar, I`m bi-winning." So, yes. I definitely got the impression that he felt like everything is fine with him. He says he does not have a mental disorder. He took the drug test that day he passed.
So, you know, the thing that`s hard to figure out with him is that he really, really likes to joke. And he`s funny and he`s quit witted, and he says, look, you know, everyone thinks I`m crazy, but like, you know, this is my sense of humor. So, how much of it could be a mental disorder, I don`t know, because I don`t even know if he has one, how much of it is a sense of humor? It`s a real tough one to figure out.
HAMMER: One of the things that really stuck out to me when you spoke with him, Andrea, was he was very open about, basically, anything you asked him except being a father. Did it surprise you as it did me that he was willing to ramble on about everything but that?
CANNNING: Yes. He said I`ve been TMZ`d up the butt about everything in my life. Can`t I have one thing that is just for me? And I have to say seeing him with the children, as you`re seeing right now, he definitely seemed in the moment like a loving father. And the children really got along well with him. I have two small children of my own. I know how children are when they`re uncomfortable with an adult.
And these children seemed very well adjusted with him. Now, is it the greatest environment for them? I`m not going to judge him on that. Obviously, people at home can do that for themselves. Do bad things happen when the cameras are gone? I don`t know. All I know is what I saw in that moment was two children who seemed to really like their dad.
And he seemed to be really good with them, and there were moments when the cameras were off where he was just walking around the house, you know, with one of the boys in his arms and just having some, you know, some honestly some tender moments, but we know there`s so much more to the story given all the craziness that`s going on right now with the custody and all that.
HAMMER: Yes. And one thing that`s been obvious to me in your interview, in other interviews he`s done, the moment the kids come up, his whole demeanor changes. He suddenly becomes much more calm and much more down to earth, if you will. Now, that he has racked up more than a million Twitter followers, what do you think is going on there?
Do you think these are mostly Charlie`s fans or do you think, and this is what I think, these are mostly people who want this front row seat to this train wreck that`s playing out? They want to play the Charlie Sheen home game.
CANNNING: Yes. Charlie does say that he has billions of fans. I said your millions. He said, no, no, no, billions. However, I do think that everyone is just waiting for his next move. What is he going to say? You know, his tweets are funny. You know, he puts out pictures, and you know, he stopped for a while because he says that he`s going to focus on his children right now. And who knows, you know, by the time -- by like in the next 24 hours, he could have a bunch of tweets.
But, you know, this is just another way for him to reach out to all these millions of people who are gripped by his story. He has done interviews with everybody now. And he`s just on this media train, and he`s winning as far as the PR campaign. I mean, he is like, hello, who`s not talking about Charlie Sheen right now.
HAMMER: Yes. So, unfortunately for him, not all good things. Andrea, it was a fascinating interview, and I do appreciate you sharing your insight about how it all went down with us here. Andrea Canning, thanks so much.
CANNNING: Thanks so much, A.J.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And that brings us to our "Showbiz Flashpoint," the Charlie Sheen sensation, entertaining or just plain sad?
With me right now in New York, Sunny Hostin, legal contributor for "In Session" on our sister network, truTV. Sunny, while I get people are certainly entertained by all this, and I sort of understand why to a degree, I personally think the whole Charlie Sheen frenzy is just plain sad. What about you?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRUTV: It`s sad to me, too. I mean, the fact that he tested not positive, negative, for the drug test scared me. I thought, well, this is his baseline right now? Something is seriously wrong. Even if he has this sort of wicked sense of humor, there is a point where something in your head turns that off and realizes that you`re becoming a spectacle, which is what I think he is becoming.
And so, I`m sort of saddened by it. I would be really surprised after reading, Brooke`s, his ex-wife`s affidavit that was attached to her application for temporary restraining order, that there isn`t some sort of mental disease or defect. It just isn`t right, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, you just look at the heightened level of narcissism going on there and you got to think there has to be something up. Let me go out to our winning syndicated radio host, Carlos Diaz. Carlos, to our "Showbiz Flashpoint," the Sheen sensation, entertaining or just plain sad to you?
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Entertaining, duh! No, you know, here`s the thing. I would lean more toward entertaining, but he`s got sad on the GPS, and he`s going that direction. Here`s the thing, I think it`s scary, because right now, he`s making money allegedly off these tweets according to him. He`s tweeting for cash right now, which means you no longer have to be famous to make cash. You can be infamous. And somewhere Gary Busey is saying, "How do I get involved with this?
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: No kidding. And over the past few days, you know, there have been some ugly things put out there about Charlie. He`s been accused by his ex-wife of assaulting her. And, again, not for the first time, but he is unapologetically bragged about his drug use, the scandals that may have helped cost him the show "Two and a half Men." But after this round of colorful interviews, he suddenly becomes the biggest thing on Twitter racking up more than a million followers, which just blows me away. Sunny, why do you think he has become so popular?
HOSTIN: You know, I think it`s the phenomenon that people just like seeing a car wreck. I mean, how many of us, you know. A.J., haven`t driven past a car wreck, and you can`t help but turn and look. You just can`t help it. I mean, I`m on Twitter, and I feel like following him because I want to know what happens next.
HAMMER: Yes.
HOSTIN: And I think that`s what`s going on.
HAMMER: As I mentioned, it`s a front row seat. And for the record, I`m the guy who keeps driving when there`s a car wreck.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Please keep your car moving! Sheen, by the way, I digress. Very grateful for his new found Twitter popularity. He`s got some humility about it. Here`s what he tweeted today. "In all sincerity, thank you Twitter community for the warm reception and the followers that helped me get to 1 million in 24 hours." Later he tweeted, "Face it folks, you just feel better when you say it, winning." I`m winning, you`re winning, we`re all winning. Let`s say it together.
HOSTIN: I`m winning!
HAMMER: Sunny, Carlos, winning.
HOSTIN: Winning!
DIAZ: Winning!
HAMMER: He may think he`s winning. I don`t think he is other than he has me saying it now. He seems to be the only person in America who doesn`t realize that he`s having this meltdown. Carlos, what do you think it`s going to take for Sheen to get the message that all of his antics might not really be as amusing as he thinks they are?
DIAZ: He`s going to have to lose some of these films he says he has in the pipeline. If he loses one or both or whatever he`s got coming up, if they say, you know, you`re uninsurable, that might be something or Charlie Sheen might just get bored with his current situation, bored with what he`s doing, and want to try something new, which is actually working in front of the camera in the realm of a script.
HOSTIN: Assuming he`s in the right frame of mind. Assuming there`s nothing wrong.
HAMMER: I think boredom has led him from one thing to the next including the whole Twitter thing and all this interviews, as well.
A lot more Charlie Sheen is coming up. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the lost Charlie Sheen interview. I want to give you a little taste now. Charlie sitting done with CNN`s Larry King. This is back in 1988.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEN: For me, it`s not about being bigger, it`s about getting better. It`s about focusing on the work, you know, staying true to myself, not abusing the body.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Not abusing the body. Wow. What a difference 20 years makes. Just incredible. Charlie Sheen, the lost interview, coming up in just a bit.
ANDERSON: All right. Moving on today to Paula Abdul`s frightening 911 scare.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON (voice-over): Revealed today, Paula Abdul`s desperate attempt to get out of her boyfriend`s car.
ABDUL: I`m on the freeway traveling westbound
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
ABDUL: And I am in a Mercedes and I want out of this car and he won`t let me.
ANDERSON: big news breaking. What really happened here?
HAMMER (voice-over): Britney`s shocking new confessions today. Britney Spears reveals whether she`s really put her wild past behind her. Plus, is she quitting showbiz for good? That it s coming up.
Did Aretha Franklin diss Halle Berry? Wait until you hear what the Queen of Soul just said.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (on-camera): Time for the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (voice-over): Did you see this? Lady Gaga strutting herself on the runway at the Mugler Fashion Show at Paris` Fall 2011 Fashion Week. We are one-on-one with Lady Gaga. She reveals secrets of just how she keeps coming up with her outrageous looks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York, Brooke Anderson is in Hollywood. And now, it`s our blockbuster one-on-one with Gaga. She just walked the catwalk at the Mugler Fashion Show in Paris.
ANDERSON (on-camera): A.J., Gaga has a very special connection to the Mugler line. Its created designer, Nicola Formichetti, is actually Gaga`s personal stylist. In fact, he`s the guy behind Gaga`s famous meat dress, the one she wore to the MTV Music Awards. There it is. We caught up with Gaga and Nicola in Paris.
And, of course, we had to ask her about the secrets to her over-the- top fashion, and we also asked her about the John Galliano-Dior anti- Semitism controversy. Here`s CNN`s I-World One anchor, Monita Rajpal for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
MONITA RAJPAL, CNN-I WORLD ONE ANCHOR: I do have to ask based on the news of what`s been happening over the last week with John Galliano. Do you have any reaction to what has allegedly happened and now that the prosecution is saying he will face trial.
LADY GAGA, SINGER: Let`s skip that question. Let`s keep it positive.
RAJPAL: When you have clothes, when you showcase clothes on the catwalk, you also put yourself out there and you are open to reaction, criticism. People really dissecting everything that you`ve done. Do you care about the reaction? Do you care about what people think about --
NICOLA FORMICHETTI, PERSONAL STYLIST: No, I care about what my friends think and people I respect, you know?
RAJPAL: And is that the same for you?
LADY GAGA: Yes. You know, I think, like I said, scrutiny is like this massive thing now in this century and for Nicola and I and for everyone that we work with, it`s all about your peers. It`s about people that you respect. It`s about knowing your own strength artistically.
RAJPAL: How do you make something that is very creative marketable? You`ve been able to do that with your music and even your look, but how do you translate that and make it into a successful, marketable strategy?
FORMICHETTI I don`t know. Do you?
LADY GAGA: I don`t know.
RAJPAL: No?
LADY GAGA: To be honest, I think if you ever backtrack or if you ever show a sign of insecurity, I think it shows sort of a weakness in an idea. Stop analyzing everything so much. Analysis ultimately, I think, leads to divisiveness.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK. Moving now from a great hit maker to -- well, let me just get into this. As soon as we played Kim Kardashian`s new single, the "Showbiz On-Call" phone lines started blowing up. Oh, just for fun, here`s the list (ph) in the Kim song "Jam."
(SINGING)
HAMMER: Jam makes me want to jam my fingers into my ears, Brooke.
ANDERSON: A.J., that`s pretty much the reaction we`re getting into "Showbiz On-Call." Listen to what T.J. in Ohio has to say.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
T.J., OHIO: If Kim Kardashian wants to be a singer, I want to hear her and a microphone. I don`t want (inaudible). I don`t want from person (ph). I don`t want reverb, and I certainly I don`t want auto-tune. I want to hear her sing, that`s it. If she can`t do that, she ought to give it up now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thanks, T.J.
HAMMER: And Brittany from Alabama agrees.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITTANY, ALABAMA: I think that the new Kim Kardashian song, her single, is not good at all. I think she should stick to modeling and just her reality show because I don`t find it good to dance to, listen to. I think she should stick to photo shoots.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks a lot, Brittany.
ANDERSON: Here`s something positive, though. Kim is giving proceeds from the song, A.J., to St. Jude`s Research Hospital.
HAMMER: A great charity people can always donate directly.
All right. The Last Charlie Sheen interview revealed today. Take a look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEN: It`s nice to be working. I have to have a schedule, and I have to have a, you know, a place to go and someplace to focus the energy, and I get kind of distracted by, you know, the elements of life.
HAMMER (voice-over): Yes, you think? And this is all the way back from 1988 before all of the Charlie Sheen madness. Wait till you see the rest of it. What a difference a few decades make.
ANDERSON (voice-over): Britney`s shocking new confessions today. Britney Spears reveals whether she`s really put her wild past behind her. Plus, is she quitting showbiz for good?
HAMMER: And did Aretha just diss Halle? Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul, going after Halle Berry? Wait till you hear what Aretha just said next.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
And this is the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON (on-camera): All right, all right. Did Aretha Franklin slam Halle Berry today? A.J., that would be really surprising.
HAMMER (on-camera): Yes, it would. So, let me explain exactly what went down. Bring my voice down a little bit. Wendy Williams just ran another part of her interview today with Aretha Franklin where they talk about who should play Aretha in a movie about her life. Off that list, Halle Berry. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WILLIAMS, HOST: Let`s talk about the movie version of your life. We cannot let this project sit on the back burner any longer. You thought that Halle Berry would be great playing you, and Halle said something to the effect of, "I can`t sing so I wouldn`t be able to do Miss Franklin justice.
ARETHA FRANKLIN, SINGER: I knew she couldn`t sing.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
FRANKLIN: Never expected her to. And she was my first choice but not my only choice.
WILLIAMS: Yes. Do you still want Halle to play that role?
FRANKLIN: I would like the person who is going to play me to be more confident.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: We reached out to Halle Berry, but we did not hear back by show time. And, A.J., honestly, I don`t think she was trying to slam Halle. You know, Halle said she couldn`t sing, and Aretha wants somebody more confident, more confident on screen, more confident in their singing abilities. It makes perfect sense. If I had my pick, I would say Jennifer Hudson or Beyonce. I think they would -- either would be perfect, really strong, great voices.
HAMMER: Yes, I think, obviously, both of them are great choices. Personally, I like Jennifer Hudson mainly because Aretha, when I spoke with her right before the Grammys, said she would like Aretha Franklin.
ANDERSON: Yes. Anybody could take on the challenge. J-Hud could certainly do it. All right. Well, who should play Aretha is a hot topic right now on our Facebook wall.
HAMMER: Yes. Kori says this, "If it were up to me, I`d play Aretha, but if we are looking at a Hollywood actress, Jennifer Hudson."
ANDERSON: All right. And Darryl S. says, "It`s got to be Queen Latifah. She`s got the look, the passion, and the lady can sing."
Missy S. has this for us, "The big, beautiful black girl from "Glee," Amber Riley. The girl can sing just as good as Aretha."
HAMMER: That`s a great choice. How about this one? It`s Meal Deal writing, "HLN`s very own Richelle Carey should play the Queen of Soul." I love that.
Connect with us. Join our debates on Facebook showbiztonightHLN there. Follow @showbiztonight on Twitter for breaking entertainment news alert.
ANDERSON: We got to ask Richelle if she sings.
OK. Call me at "Showbiz On-Call," 888-SBT-BUZZ. There`s always e- mail to showbiztonight@cnn.com.
HAMMER: And now, the showbiz lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (voice-over): Paula`s frightening 911 scare revealed today. It`s Paula`s desperate attempt to get out of her boyfriend`s car. What really happened here with Ms. Abdul?
Christina Aguilera has got a new job judging a singing competition. Good idea after a national anthem disaster and just being arrested?
And next, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT revealing the incredible lost Charlie Sheen interview.
SHEEN: It`s nice to be working. I have to have a schedule. I have to have, you know, a place to go and someplace to focus the energy because I get kind of distracted by, you know the elements of life.
HAMMER: Wow. Coming up.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
And now, the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Paula Abdul`s 911 shocker. Paula`s desperate attempt to get out of her boyfriend`s car.
ABDUL: I`m on the freeway traveling westbound.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
ABDUL: I am in a Mercedes and I want out of this car,, and he won`t let me.
HAMMER: So, what really happened here?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Charlie Sheen, the lost interview. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with a startling look back at a young Charlie Sheen long before his meltdown.
SHEEN: For me, it`s not about being bigger, it`s about being better. It`s about focusing on the work, you know, staying true to myself, not abusing the body.
ANDERSON: What a difference 20 years makes. It`s the remarkable lost interview of Charlie Sheen.
HAMMER: Britney`s shocking revelations. Britney Spears on whether she`s really put her wild ways behind her. And Is Britney quitting showbiz for good?
Plus, breaking today from the "Showbiz News Ticker," Selena Gomez punched by a Bieber fan?
And Lindsay Lohan slams her father.
ANNOUNCER: TVs most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
ANDERSON (on-camera): And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with big news breaking today. Paula`s 911 scare.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. This is really scary. Today, for the very first time, we are hearing an absolutely frantic 911 call that Paula Abdul made during a Valentine`s Day drive with the boyfriend. And in the call, you can actually hear Paula sounding so desperate, hoping to get out of this guy`s car. She is in this car, she`s screaming that she wants to get out, and the guy`s not letting her.
Today, some big questions about what really happened here. With me in New York right now, Sunny Hostin, legal contributor with "In Session" on truTV. In Hollywood, Carlos Diaz, who`s syndicated radio host. All right, guys. You`ve got to hear Paula`s frightening 911 drama. We obtained it from TMZ.com today as Paula is making this desperate attempt to get out of her boyfriend`s car. Let`s roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: 911. Hello?
ABDUL: Yes, I`m on the 911 freeway, traveling westbound.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK.
ABDUL: And I am in a Mercedes and I want out of this car and he won`t let me.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Who is it that you`re with? And what exit or off ramp are you near? Where are you near?
ABDUL: Santa Barbara.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. Can you give me an exit in Santa Barbara?
ABDUL: Are you going to drop me off? Are you going to drop me off because I have emergency on the phone. Oh, my God!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ma`am, are you at (INAUDIBLE) Are you at (INAUDIBLE) ma`am? Are you south of (INAUDIBLE).
ABDUL: He`s dropping me off. Thank you very much.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What kind of car are you in?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You can clearly hear Paula crying sounding very desperate. A spokesperson for Paula released a statement today saying arguments with loved ones are often times heated. After the call was made, everything was worked out. Police went to her house. Paula said she didn`t want to file a police report, according to TMZ. But Sunny, to me, something sounds very strange here. What amount of duress she was under?
HOSTIN: Yes, I`m terrified for her in listening to that. And, A.J., as a prosecutor, I heard a lot of 911 case call and cases of domestic violence that went really bad, and it sounded a lot like that. So, I`m concerned about what this relationship is about and what she`s going through right now.
HAMMER: Yes. Carlos, we all love Paula Abdul. Does she need to address this publicly?
DIAZ: Yes, she does, because we`ve only seen one side of Paula in the last few years and that`s a happy Paula Abdul. This was a whole different side of her. And I think a lot of women can relate to what she was going through in that situation. I think addressing it would be the best thing to make her seem more three dimensional.
HOSTIN: Yes. Absolutely. I mean, there`s no question about it. This is a case of domestic violence, although, the police apparently arrived later, and she was OK. She failed to file a police report. Just listening to that, something was wrong. She was clearly terrified as she was being held against her will to call 911.
I mean, you only call 911 when there`s an emergency, especially when you`re a public person. Something is wrong, and I think it would help women everywhere if she just came forward and told her story.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. Sunny, Carlos, thanks.
I got to move now to more big news breaking today about Charlie Sheen. Today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dug up a remarkable lost interview with Sheen, and I got to tell you, back in 1988 when Charlie Sheen sat down for an interview with CNN`s Larry King to talk about his movie, "Young Guns," he was remarkably different from the Charlie Sheen that we know today.
In the interview, Charlie talks about shooting to super stardom after starring in the film "Platoon." Here`s your exclusive look at the lost Charlie Sheen interview.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
LARRY KING, FORMER CNN HOST: What`s it like working with your brother? Do you do many scenes together?
SHEEN: Yes. In fact, most of mine were with him. It was interesting to be such good friends now and play things that it was kind of a throwback our youth. We didn`t always get along so well.
KING: You didn`t?
SHEEN: No. We had sibling rivalries of certain natures. It was tough. But when I became a professional peer and started working in the business with him, all that kind of just vanished one day. And so, what you see in the film is very far from the way it is today in actuality.
KING: Knowing your dad, were you raised even handedly?
SHEEN: I`m sorry?
KING: You and your brother raised even handedly?
SHEEN: To a certain extent, yes. He`s kind of been labeled -- he labeled me as the spoiled child, who basically mom couldn`t say no to for a number of years. But, I guess, overall, there was a, you know, nice balance of how we were raised.
KING: Houston, Texas, hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, this is Charles from Houston. We love you in Houston.
KING: Well, thank you, thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And I was wondering, what kind of influence did "Platoon" have on your career? And how did you learn your role in "Platoon"?
KING: Was "Platoon" difficult?
SHEEN: Yes, it was. It was a tremendous time for personal growth. It was sort of a time when you have to shed the adolescent barrier and you kind of make your move into manhood.
KING: Were you surprised by its success?
SHEEN: I was pretty blown away, yes. It was nothing that we had anticipated. You know, we felt we were making a very important film, but we didn`t know anybody was going to see it. We figured the vets would appreciate it and praise us for that, but you know, film makes $140 million, and you`re right in the epicenter kind of wondering what`s next, you know?
KING: How important career-wise do you think?
SHEEN: Career-wise, it was interesting because, you know, having gone out with my brother and Cruise and Rob Lowe and Judd Nelson, having, you know, been friends with these guys and then receiving all the accolades and all the attention, free meals, women, you know, whatever, and I was always asked what I do for a living when I was with these guys and having already done eight or nine movies before "Platoon."
And so, when it finally hit and I couldn`t go anywhere, all of a sudden, it was like suddenly, I walk into a room and I feel like I wore my second head that day, you know, or my fly was open or something`s nuts, you know, and there was no gradual lead-in to this sudden onslaught of, you know, this is your life, welcome to it. It`s nice to be appreciated, respected in the business, but at the same time, there`s an added pressure of, like I said, what`s next.
But for me, it`s not about being bigger, it`s about getting better. It`s about focusing on the work, you know, staying true to myself, not abusing the body and just trying to, you know, put across performances that people are entertained by.
KING: You also set a standard where we`ve come to expect something of a Charlie Sheen film. Don`t you think? That will happen.
SHEEN: Yes, I imagine that that could be true.
KING: Certainly a quality demand.
SHEEN: I hope they`re only expecting good work out of myself, which I plan to offer for a long time, but you never know. Sometimes, you got to take films that are just about, you know, commercial entertainment, you know. To hell with performance, let`s blow something up.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: Things are hot.
SHEEN: Things are busy. Things are busy. It`s nice to be working. I have to have a schedule. I have to have, you know, a place to go and someplace to focus the energy or I get kind of distracted by, you know, the elements of life, but that`s normal. I`m 22 years old, and I`m just trying to take everything one day at a time.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Wow. It is really fascinating to look back at Charlie then knowing what we know now, but I got to say I actually see a few signs of today`s dramatic Charlie. Back now with syndicated radio host, Carlos Diaz, not Charlie Diaz. Carlos Diaz. Carlos, does he seem like a completely different person to you now than he was at age 22 back when he`s talking to Larry King?
DIAZ: No, because he said the exact same thing about I need to stay busy, you know, or I get distracted. And also, you know this, Charlie Sheen has always been the most honest actor out there.
ANDERSON: Yes.
DIAZ: In interviews, I mean, Larry, you know, God bless him, didn`t even ask about Emilio and his relationship with his brother. He just started going, you know, and that`s what the brilliance of Charlie Sheen. He would just give you great sound bites, and now, we`re getting that on overload.
ANDERSON: Do you think he can, like he was saying back then, he just wanted to focus on the work and be good. Do you think he can do that now or is it too late? Can he focus on the work, get back on track?
DIAZ: He can focus because what we`re seeing is he is infinitely entertaining. And if he can focus that entertainment value --
ANDERSON: Channel that into something production.
DIAZ: Into a role, we`re all good.
ANDERSON: It`s like you want to turn back time, 1988, and say Charlie, you can make the decisions. All right. Carlos Diaz and Sunny Hostin, thanks to you both.
And some breaking Charlie custody new now. Late today, Charlie posted this tweet presumably about his custody dispute with his strange wife, Brooke Mueler, quote, "Not sure what all the legal noise is about, just verbally reached a deal with B. No court Monday. Yay." We`ll have to see if that means Charlie will regain custody of his two-year-old twin boys.
HAMMER: So, you interpreted as Monday. I thought you`d say no courting (ph) on, really. I thought you`re saying. Charlie`s been spanning (ph) some wild quotes this week, so that`s why they wouldn`t surprise me. Some of these quotes are so wild, though, some people think he`s making as much sense as Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi. Really.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Gadhafi or Sheen? Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it`s Gadhafi.
MOOS: Charlie Sheen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie Sheen again.
HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT plays name that rant. Charlie Sheen or Gadhafi?
ANDERSON (voice-over): Britney Spears` stunning confessions today. Has she really put her wild ways behind her? And is Britney leaving Hollywood for good?
HAMMER: And Simon Cowell, Jessica Simpson, soon to be new boss? You have got to hear what Simon may have in store for Jess.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
And now, the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: As you see, Miss Fishbeck (ph) is out with the flu so some of her students will be joining us. Let`s give them a nice, warm sweat hog welcome.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER (on-camera): Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Brooke Anderson is in Hollywood. Brooke, it`s been a while as soon as we`ve heard from Britney spears, but now, Brit is ready to talk.
ANDERSON: Yes, she is, A.J. Britney is breaking big news today with her brand new confession. In a brand interview with "V" magazine, Britney opens up about moving on from her troubled past, and she tells her fans, quote, "The bitch is back and better than ever." And that`s not all the Britney has to say in her brand-new interview. I enjoyed saying that. Britney wants everyone to know that she has learned from her mistakes and does not let the media scrutiny get to her.
Britney says this, "I try to block it all out and not pay attention to anything they write about me in the magazines or online. I`m done with that. I have learned to always stay true to myself and never let what other people say about me change who I am. It`s a really important lesson that took me a long time to learn."
I want to bring in now "Apprentice" winner, Brandy Kuentzel. So, Brandy, Britney looks great in the photos for "V" magazine, and it really seems like she is taking her life in the right direction now. What do you think?
BRANDY KUENTZEL, WINNER, "THE APPRENTICE": I think that`s exactly right, Brooke. You know what, Britney is always in our minds, in our heart, going to be the princess of pop, right? But, over the years, we`ve been able to see that she`s added loving mother to her resume, and I think she`s learned, you know, as the saying goes, you live and learn. Britney Spears who grew up before us certainly has learned her lessons.
ANDERSON: Yes. Hard lessons learned. And she actually revealed whether she would ever be interested in leaving showbiz. Britney tells "V" magazine, hey, not yet, but if and when she does, she has a plan. Speaking Britney about her being a mother, she says, "I`d be a full-time mom, which would be cool. I`d miss my fans and all of the love the most, but I definitely would not miss having my picture taken everywhere I go."
Yes, I don`t blame her. Britney has practically grown up in the spotlight, but Brandy, do you ever see the day that Britney would leave showbiz for good?
KUENTZEL: You know what, I just can`t see it, Brooke. We all love Britney. Whenever she puts anything out, she said that this is going to be her best music ever. Everybody can`t wait for her album to come out later this month. No. I don`t think we`ll ever see the last of Britney.
ANDERSON: She loves it too much. And you know what, her new song "Till the World Ends" has leaked, and I listened to it. I loved it. It is off the chain. Maybe that`s another sign that she`s on her way back to the top.
KUENTZEL: I think so.
ANDERSON: All right. Well, A.J., there`s more big Britney news breaking today. What can you tell us about that?
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, the battle rage is on to determine if Britney`s new song, "Hold It Against Me," is actually a big rip-off. The guy who wrote the song is striking back today at someone who is calling Brit a copycat. And that is just one story making big news in the buzz today.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Britney`s big copycat blowback. Britney Spears` songwriter, Dr. Luke is putting up his dukes over her smash hit "Hold It Against Me." Dr. Luke, real name Lukasz Gottwald, just launched the legal counter attack against country duo, The Bellamy Brothers, for publicly claiming Britney`s song is a rip-off. Dr. Luke says they launched the, quote, "smear campaign by claiming Britt`s hit was a steal of their 1979 smash, if I said you had a beautiful body, would you hold it against me"?
TMZ says Gottwald is demanding damages for defamation and a court order stating, once and for all, Britney`s track has nothing to do with the Bellamy Brother`s song.
Jessica Simpson`s, Simon`s x-factor. Jessica Simpson is reportedly a front-runner to become one of the judges alongside Simon Cowell on the "X- Factor." "People" magazine reports the source close to the show says, quote, "No one has been offered a judging role yet as new names keep coming forward who want the role, but there are some front-runners, and it`s fair to say Jessica is one of them. She`s very keen." The "X-Factor" debuts in the fall.
Christina Aguilera goes from jail to judge. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just confirmed that Aguilera will be one of the four music coaches on the new NBC show "The Voice." Aguilera will be joining Cee Lo Green and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 and host, Carson Daly for the singing reality competition that will face off against "American Idol."
Aguilera says, quote, "To be given the opportunity to help shape new artists` careers and mentor them to see their dreams come to fruition is a task I welcome with open arms." "The Voice" premieres April 26th on NBC.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Good for Christina.
All right. Moving now to Charlie Sheen versus Gadhafi? I never thought I`d say this. The Charlie`s wild media rants are reminding a lot of people of Libyan leader, Moammar Gadhafi. So, how about we play a little name that rant.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS: Gadhafi or Sheen? Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it`s Gadhafi.
MOOS: It`s Charlie Sheen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie Sheen again.
ANDERSON (voice-over): This is about to get really interesting. Next.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER (on-camera): Time for the "Showbiz News Ticker," more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom, making news today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People who are in the now who don`t worry about the past, don`t worry about the future but just trying to live as best they can in that moment is an extremely attractive thing.
HAMMER: Time now for "Showbiz Buzz List." Here`s what the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff is buzzing about this week. They couldn`t wait to see "The Adjustment Bureau," starring Matt Damon opening Friday. Who`s going to dance off with the disco ball trophy? The new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" has just been announced. The season starts on March 21st.
Techies on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff, can`t stop buzzing about the new Motorola zoom tablet, and we`re buzzing about the steamy video for "Don`t Hold Your Breath" by former Pussycat Dolls singer, Nicole Scherzinger. And "Love and Other Drugs" starring Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal is out now on DVD.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JAKE GYLLENHAAL, ACTOR: What are you saying? Are you saying that I`m the problem or you`re the problem?
ANNE HATHAWAY, ACTRESS: I`m saying that you`re an idiot and that is a problem.
GYLLENHAAL: Why is that a problem?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, if you haven`t heard by now, Charlie Sheen is a quote machine. We`ve heard him say such classics already as "the winning." "I`ve got tiger blood and Adonis DNA," and "I`ve been blessed with a new brain." But could you decipher the quotes of a self-proclaimed rock star versus, say, rambling Libyan leader? Let`s play name that rant! Is it Charlie Sheen or Moammar Gadhafi. Here`s CNNs Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It had to happen, Moammar Gadhafi and Charlie Sheen seen simultaneously live on morning television.
MOAMMAR GADHAFI, LIBYAN LEADER: Wait, wait, wait.
MOOS: Gadhafi using words that stumped even the translator.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A colloquial term used by the Gadhafi which I did not understand.
MOOS: But some of Sheen`s quotes are a little hard to fathom. There`s even something called "live the Sheen dream" that generates some of his pithier quotes when you click on his head. Women`s (ph) guardian newspaper put a quiz on their website called "Whose Line Is It, Anyway?"
MOOS (on-camera): Gadhafi or Sheen? Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know, it`s Gadhafi.
MOOS: Charlie Sheen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Charlie Sheen again.
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your face will melt off and your children will weep over your exploded body. Too much.
MOOS (voice-over): Nah, not too much. He was only joking about the effects of the drug he`s on.
SHEEN: I am on a drug. It`s called Charlie Sheen.
MOOS: Meanwhile, Gadhafi is always blaming hallucinogenic pills for the actions of protesters.
MOOS (on-camera): "I have defeated this earthworm with my words. Imagine, what I would have done with my fire-breathing fists?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gadhafi, I don`t know.
MOOS: Sheen. "I am like the queen of England?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gadhafi.
MOOS: Yes.
MOOS (voice-over): Both men surround themselves with women. Gadhafi has his female bodyguards. Sheen has --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The goddesses now live with Charlie.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Your two girlfriends, the goddesses.
SHEEN: Yes.
MOOS (on-camera): But you sure you can`t say Sheen and Gadhafi dress alike.
MOOS (voice-over): Gadhafi and his falling-off the shoulder robes requiring constant rearrangement while Sheen shows up in a New York City T- shirt made famous by John Lennon, "Let It Be."
MOOS (on-camera): But they did make some surprisingly similar gestures.
MOOS (voice-over): Gadhafi to his chanting followers. Sheen to his kids.
SHEEN: You`re right here.
MOOS (on-camera): Seriously, though, sorry, Charlie, we know the comparisons between you and Gadhafi are ridiculous.
MOOS (voice-over): But we, in the press, just can`t resist. At least, Sheen has some defenders.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He`s crazy. I`ve seen worse.
PIERS MORGAN, CNN ANCHOR: I believe fundamentally in a man`s right to party if he wants to.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
(LAUGHTER)
MOOS: Gadhafi and Sheen may be seen saying call me, bro, just not to each other.
"These resentments, they are the rocket fuel that lives in the tip of my saber?"
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Saber, that`s Gadhafi.
MOOS: That`s Sheen.
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: CNNs Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And that`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON (on-camera): And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT live at 5:00 p.m. eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: We`re still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show seven days a week at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific here on HLN.
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