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Showbiz Tonight
"Teen Mom" Brawl a Set-Up?; "Teen Mom" Pregnancy Controversy; Oprah Network Drug Controversy; Bieber Destined for Rehab?; The Great Britney Spears Debate; Beyonce Fires Her Dad
Aired March 29, 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, CO-HOST: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - startling new claims about the "Teen Mom" takedown, that the caught-on-tape brawl was a setup.
But wait, there`s more. Are girls really getting pregnant just to be on "Teen Mom"?
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Disturbing claims today about a show on Oprah`s Network - a one-year-old child seen around people using drugs. A police chief outraged, and he speaks out right here today in a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
HAMMER: Justin Bieber, destined for rehab? Why are so many people saying today the Biebs will be in rehab by the time he`s 30?
ANDERSON: The great Britney Spears debate. Her new album out today. A concert this morning on "Good Morning America."
(MUSIC)
Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today, is Britney better than ever or is she still a very troubled woman?
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show -
ANDERSON: Breaks news right now.
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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 - the "Teen Mom" takedown.
There are so many brand-new disturbing developments today surrounding that brutal videotape of the star of the reality show, "Teen Mom 2," that we hardly know where to begin. So let`s begin where this outrage first began.
"Teen Mom" Jenelle Evans viciously beating another girl and it`s all caught on tape. And let there be no doubt that what you`re about to see is truly disturbing
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, oh, oh! Get up, get up!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Get up, get up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let her go, let her go.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Elbow her. Elbow her.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s what you get. Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Give it up. You`re done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: It`s despicable. It`s hard to watch that. The young woman that we saw there getting beaten by the "Teen Mom 2" star is Brittany Truitt - that`s her name.
And today, Brittany went on national TV. And if you think that video is disturbing, wait until you hear what she is claiming about the fight and the show, "Teen Mom." We`re going to have that in just a moment.
HAMMER: And Brooke, in yet another explosive development with this today, Jenelle`s attorney is now claiming she was set up in a fight over her boyfriend, who himself was arrested the other day on cocaine charges.
I want to get right to Sunny Hostin, legal contributor for "In Session" on our sister network, Tru TV. Sunny, I hear those two words, "set up," I watch this video that we`re looking at right now and I`m thinking is there any way, anything at all, that could possibly justify what was going on there and say setup to you?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": I don`t know. I see that. I`ve been thinking about it, A.J. I just doesn`t get it. I mean, someone did push her into another girl, but there was no one holding her hand when she decked the other girl in her face.
I mean, closed fist - that certainly is assault. I just don`t understand the legal theory that this somehow was a setup. And was she entrapped? Did someone blackmail her into doing it?
I do think it was a little odd that there was a video camera there, and as we mentioned before, a very steady video camera.
HAMMER: Yes. Someone who was shooting that quite well.
HOSTIN: Yes.
HAMMER: Who knows, maybe somebody hypnotized her and put her in a trance, saying you must hit - I mean, really. It`s too implausible to make.
HOSTIN: It doesn`t make sense. No.
HAMMER: Jenelle has just been arrested. She was charged with simple assault. The victim, Brittany Truitt(ph), also arrested, charged with fighting in a public place.
And this morning, Brittany Truitt(ph) was speaking out for the very first time. She told this "Good Morning America`s" Andrea Canning she actually blames the show, "Teen Mom," for this fight. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDREA CANNING, CORRESPONDENT, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Do you think the show indirectly perhaps led to the fight between the two of you?
BRITTANY TRUITT, ALLEGED VICTIM OF ASSAULT: I think it did, because you see a really pretty girl, outgoing, fun to be around. Since she`s got on the show, she`s got a big head. She`s been angry at the world.
CANNING: Do you think that any of these reality stars are trying to live up to their persona maybe on the show or trying to get more fame by engaging in fights, releasing videos?
TRUITT: Oh, boy, yes. Just so they`ll be more famous, get more money. And it just puts more publicity and they get noticed more.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I want to go right to syndicated radio host, Carlos Diaz. Now, Carlos is in Hollywood. The fight wasn`t aired on "Teen Mom 2." I need to point that out.
As far as we know it wasn`t related to the show at all. But still, what do you think, Carlos? Does MTV bear some of the blame for what happened here?
CARLOS DIAZ, SYNDICATED RADIO HOST: Of course, because they`re looking at the show and they`re saying to themselves the more drama around these stars, the better the ratings are going to be. They look for more drama.
They don`t want anybody to be boring on this show. I said it when Amber Portwood was beating up her guy, you know. I mean, it`s going to go further. And now, it`s gone further.
And I`m telling you, I am not one of those guys who is all for, you know, boring TV. But this is going in a direction that could get scary. What next?
HAMMER: Yes.
DIAZ: Are we going to have somebody pistol-whipping somebody?
HOSTIN: Yes.
HAMMER: Let`s hope not. And as if Brittany Truitt blaming the "Teen Mom 2" show for the fight wasn`t bad enough, well, we were also blown away by this claim this morning, another claim that she made that - about this "Teen Mom" show.
Brooke, I`m a little shaken up by this because I was just thinking about what she said. I`ll let you get into it here, because I know you were shocked by this as well.
ANDERSON: Yes. We were shocked, A.J. We were. And how could we not be? Brittany Truitt told "Good Morning America`s" Andrea Canning that she personally knows girls who have gotten pregnant just so they could get on the "Teen Mom" show. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CANNING: Do you know any girls who have become pregnant or who are trying to get pregnant just so they can get on the show, "Teen Mom"?
TRUITT: Yes, I`ve met a few girls that were saying, "I want to get pregnant so I can be on this show because it looks pretty awesome."
CANNING: Has anyone actually said, "I shouldn`t have had a baby, it didn`t pay off, I never got on the show"?
TRUITT: Yes. Actually, one of my friends did. She pretty much said, "I want to be on the show. Now, I have a baby and I can`t and it`s just upsetting."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: OK. Nothing to about the show looks awesome to me about the lifestyle. I`ve watched "Teen Mom." I think it really shows these young mothers truly struggling, facing a lot of challenges.
And I think if anyone watches that and decides that they`re going to get pregnant just to get on that show, have that lifestyle, I think they`re not in their right minds to begin with. There are other serious issues. But Sunny, should MTV take that claim seriously?
HOSTIN: I think they should. And I actually said this a while ago, this is going to encourage other people, other young women to get pregnant to become stars.
I speak at schools all the time. I speak at grade schools. I speak at high schools. I speak at middle schools. And I have heard over and over and over again when I ask, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"
I used to hear firemen. I used to hear police women. Now, I hear reality star. They`re getting paid $60,000 to do this, Brooke, allegedly. I mean, come on. That`s more than - I think it`s double what the average person makes in a year.
So of course, it`s encouraging people to do it. And I think MTV should be ashamed of themselves for airing something like this.
I wonder, what are they doing? Are they giving them parenting classes? Are they helping these young girls? Or just exploiting these young girls?
ANDERSON: We`ll get to what MTV is saying about it in just a second. And I want to tell you that this is not the first time that we have heard somebody claim girls were getting pregnant to get on the show, "Teen Mom," which, as you say, Sunny, reportedly does pay as much as $60,000 a season.
A.J., I personally think that MTV should fire Jenelle for behaving the way that she did, assaulting another person. It`s reprehensible and that kind behavior should not be rewarded. She should not have that salary.
HAMMER: No. Obviously, and I think that`s a great idea. And MTV I think does have some serious thinking to do about this. Does the upside that they claim outweigh the downside that we`re seeing here?
Let`s take another quick look at that brutal attack by Jenelle Evans because there is something very important to consider. Let watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s what you get. That`s what you get.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Done, done, done.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Give it up. You`re done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, late this afternoon MTV did respond to this latest "Teen Mom" outrage telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that the goal of "Teen Mom" is to show kids how difficult teen pregnancy can be.
And Brooke, for the very first time, MTV I know is responding to those claims that young girls are getting pregnant just to be on the show.
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. MTV gave SHOWBIZ TONIGHT an exclusive statement. And here what`s they say, "MTV does not solicit and would never knowingly cast anyone who chose to get pregnant on purpose. That is the exact opposite of the intent of our show."
Sunny Hostin, I agree with that, because to me I think the show could be used as a learning tool for teens, what not to do. But you don`t see it that way?
HOSTIN: I don`t, and maybe because this is a story that`s very personal to me. As I`ve shared before, my mother was a teen mom. She had me when she was 18. Very difficult for her.
And of course, people say, "But look at you. You`re the successful lawyer." Well, it was hard for us when we were growing up - when I was growing up. And so, no, I don`t see how this helps teens, you know, not become pregnant, not become teen moms.
I think it has the sort of opposite effect, Brooke. I think it glorifies it. Hey, you get pregnant. You, too, can be a television star. Let`s face it. They are stars in their own right. That`s the wrong message.
HAMMER: All right. We`re going to leave it there. Carlos Diaz, Sunny Hostin, we thank you both. And we`ve got to move on right now, because there are disturbing claims today about a show on Oprah`s Network.
A one-year-old child seen around people using drugs. A police chief outraged. Well, he`s speaking out right here today. It is a headline making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
ANDERSON: Justin Bieber destined for rehab? Why are so many people saying today that the Biebs will be in rehab by the time he`s 30?
HAMMER: And the great Britney Spears debate. Her new album`s out today. A concert this morning on "Good Morning America."
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HAMMER: And our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Britney better than ever? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It`s time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: George Clooney to be called as witness in sex trial of Italian prime minister. Lisa Rinna talks about being fired on "Celebrity Apprentice."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA RINNA, FORMER "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE" CONTESTANT: Well, Regis, let me tell you something. When I did this show and decided to do this show, I said. I`m going to play this game.
My strategy was to play this game with grace. But I will tell you that I am going to raise as much money as I could have on "Celebrity Apprentice" for women`s cancer research not being on "Celebrity Apprentice."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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ANDERSON: Christina Aguilera is getting dirty in some brand-new private photos. "Radar Online" is reporting that a new batch of raunchy pictures is for sale. They were found in a French hotel room on a digital storage card.
And we won`t get into too much as to what`s on them except to say that Christina is in bed with her boyfriend. And I have said it before and I will say it again, if you are a star and you take naughty pictures of yourself, they will get out, for crying out loud.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
And today, A.J., we`ve got Rob Lowe`s stunning revelations about partying with Charlie Sheen. In the brand-new issue of "Vanity Fair," Rob talks about hanging out with Charlie Sheen back in the `80s. And boy, let me tell you, these two partied.
Listen to what Lowe said, "We competed to see who could play harder and then show up for work and still kick (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Sheen was one of a kind, a polo preppie clotheshorse in a world of O.P. short and surf t- shirts and a wonderful mix of nerd and rebel."
Now, for those of you too young to remember O.P. shorts, they were those Ocean Pacific ones, sometimes pastel, sometimes even plaid. They kind of rocked. And as for who partied harder, Lowe says, quote, "Charlie by a nose."
HAMMER: And they`ve had some of those O.P. shorts, Brooke. Well, moving on, Rob Lowe is not the only person speaking out about Charlie Sheen today.
One Charlie`s exes says the wild, seemingly out-of-control Charlie we see now - that`s definitely not the Charlie she knew when they were together.
Former porn star Ginger Lynn Allen met Sheen on the set of "Young Gun 2." That was back in 1990. Charlie`s brother, Emilio, was starring in that movie. Well, Sheen kept asking her out.
At first Ginger wasn`t interested, but then, they dated for a couple of years. And today, in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview, she says Charlie was a sweetheart.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINGER LYNN ALLEN, FORMER PORN STAR: He didn`t have this wild reputation at that point in time. I believe that I was the first adult film star that he ever dated. And at that point, you know, he was the actor who was in "Platoon."
He was the man who was engaged to Kelly Preston. He was young. He was sweet. I knew the Charlie that - you know, we went to dinner. We had friends over. We went out to the movies. We went on vacations together.
It wasn`t the wild Charlie that you hear about today. He was just a really good, nice, sweet man. And I fell in love with him. Charlie was definitely romantic.
He was somebody who - kissing was a big part of it. He was a fabulous kisser. He wrote me a lot of poems, a lot of letters. He was always leaving little cards.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Defies modern logic, doesn`t it? Now, Ginger says she`s over Charlie now. And on her Web site, she`s auctioning off the poems and letters he wrote her. So if you`ve got to have one of those, well, check out "GingerLynnAuctions.com."
ANDERSON: Right now, the SHOWBIZ royals watch. Here`s your chance to enter to win a trip for two to London to cover the excitement of the royal wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton.
All you have to do is send us a video of why you think you should be CNN`s royal wedding iReporter like Stephen Lewis from Illinois.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHEN LEWIS, IREPORTER: I am your royal wedding iReporter. This opportunity is perfect for me for a number of reasons. As current journalism student at DePaul University at Chicago, Illinois, reporting for CNN is a journalist`s dream.
Since I was nine years old, I`ve always wanted to say, "Reporting live, Steven Lewis, CNN."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: You sound good, Stephen. Thank you so much. And here`s how you can enter. Head over to iReport.com/RoyalWedding. Send us your iReport. If it is picked as the big winner, you are off to London.
And remember, I will be heading to London to cover the royal wedding, so keep it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and HLN for the best coverage anywhere.
Hey, A.J., a really big debate going on right now on our "Showbiz on Call" phone lines over "Teen Mom."
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. People really fired up about this caught-on-camera brawl involving the star of the show. And there are new claims that "Teen Mom" is actually encouraging girls to get pregnant.
We heard from Donna in Minnesota who thinks the show is actually sending an important message.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
DONNA, CALLER FROM MINNESOTA: I am an O.B. nurse and I work with teenagers. And I like the "Teen Mom" show. I don`t think it glorifies it at all. I think it really shows how hard being a teen mom is.
They all cry. They all have problems. And other than maybe the money they get in the end, which should be put in a trust for the baby, I think it`s a really good show.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Thank you, Donna.
HAMMER: Well, Michelle in Louisiana disagrees with Donna.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
MICHELLE, CALLER FROM LOUISIANA: MTV needs to shut the whole "Teen Mom" thing down. The fact that they`re glorifying teenage pregnancy appalls me. Shut it down.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Michelle. Thank you for your call. We would love for you to call us on "Showbiz on Call." Sound off on this. I know you`ve got an opinion. We`ll talk about anything that`s on your mind.
ANDERSON: Yes. The "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open 24/7. Here`s the number - 1-888-SBT-BUZZ. That`s 1-888-728-2899. Simply leave a voicemail. We will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Let`s see. Lady Gaga`s done a country version of "Born This Way," so how about a little Spanish flavor, too?
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Gaga and the Mariachi Band, definitely on the right track.
HAMMER: Justin Bieber destined for rehab? Really? Why are so many people saying the Bieb will be in rehab by the time he`s 30? I think this is pretty disturbing. It`s coming up.
ANDERSON: Hey, Dad. Sorry to tell you this, you`re fired. That`s what Beyonce just told her dad-manager. So why did Beyonce can her own father. It`s going to be a very interesting July 4th barbecue at the Knowles` house this year. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Jennifer Aniston, Demi Moore, Alicia Keys to direct breast cancer short films.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Katie, how are you doing?
KATIE COURIC, ANCHOR, "CBS EVENING NEWS": I`m good, a little tired.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great news. Everything`s perfect. I did find a few things, though. I`m surprised. One thing was this duster. I don`t know what this was doing there. Batman was in there and then the last thing -
COURIC: Oh, I`ve been looking everywhere for that lipstick.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Katie Couric shares another colonoscopy with the world but she has some laughs while doing it. Katie just underwent a colonoscopy for AOL. The good news is everything looks fine. Looks like her doctor has a sense of humor, too.
Now, Katie first underwent the procedure on the "Today" show back in 2000 after losing her husband to colon cancer. March is colorectal cancer awareness month, so Katie`s been encouraging people to get tested. Great cause.
Hey, A.J., there`s been a lot controversy over this new "Kennedys" miniseries starring Greg Kinnear and Katie Holmes.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. Greg and Katie are actually strongly defending it today. "The Kennedys" was originally going to air on the History Channel. They dropped it. They said, officially, it wasn`t a fit for the brand.
Well, there were reports the network and the Kennedy family itself were actually unhappy with some of the stuff that was in the series, that it wasn`t accurate.
Well, Monday, we were right there, of course, for the big premiere in Beverly Hills. And Greg and Katie told us they are fully standing behind "The Kennedys."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATIE HOLMES, ACTRESS: I think they did a great job writing this. And we approached this to tell a story about a family that was very powerful and also very human. And that`s what we wanted to portray and we were all creating these characters.
GREG KINNEAR, ACTOR: People are probably going to feel like maybe this doesn`t capture as much as what they want to capture in the telling of the Kennedy family, the White House - his time in the White House.
But they`re going to be able to make that decision themselves. The tape`s not going to end up in the History Channel vault. I don`t think it`s too salacious. There`s nothing in this show that you can`t go read in my daughter`s school library.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And "The Kennedys" premiers on the Real Channel this Sunday. They`re firmly standing behind it, Brooke. I`m looking forward to seeing it.
ANDERSON: Yes. Me, too. A lot of people are curious about this miniseries because of all the controversy. So we`ll have to see if that impacts viewership and ratings.
HAMMER: All right. We`ve got to move on right now to the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Disturbing claims today about a show on Oprah`s Network, a one-year-old child seen around people who are using drugs. Well, a police chief is outraged about this and he`s speaking out right here today in a headline- making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Beyonce fires her own dad as her manager, but why? And a dangerous snake on the loose today. It even has its own Twitter account. Or is that a "slither" account?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): There hasn`t been this much excitement over a snake since a busty model was bitten by one earlier this month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
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.
TEXT: Fourth and fifth "X-Men" movies in the works. Charlie Sheen tweets a picture of himself recording a son with Snoop Dogg.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - disturbing claims about a show on Oprah`s Network. A one-year-old child seen around people using drugs. A police chief outraged. He speaks out right here today here in a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
ANDERSON: A Bieber rehab shocker. Is Justin Bieber destined for rehab? Why so many people think the Biebs will be in rehab by the time he`s 30.
HAMMER: The great Britney Spears debate. Her new album out today. A performance on "GMA."
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HAMMER: Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Britney better than ever, or is she still a very troubled woman?
Plus, breaking today from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker," is Rosie O`Donnell the new Oprah? And K-Fed baby news.
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 - outrage over "Our America" show on Oprah Winfrey`s Network.
A big controversy and potential courtroom showdown is building steam today after an episode of Lisa Ling`s show, "Our America," revealed that children as young as one-year-old were present when adults were not only buying heroin but also using heroin in a town in Ohio. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: To be with Mike and Darla(ph), even for a day, was to be pulled into the desperation of their need, which is how I ended up on a drug run to Columbus, in a van with their one-year-old son.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And today, there were wild reports that the police chief in Shelby, Ohio, Charlie Roub, would be recommending that charges be filed against Lisa Ling and her TV crew, including child endangerment.
Well, this afternoon, in a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsmaker interview, I asked Chief Roub to clarify and respond to those reports. And I wanted to know what exactly set off the alarm bells for him after seeing the show.
And he was really surprised by what he saw. Listen to what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIE ROUB, POLICE CHIEF, SHELBY OHIO (through telephone): Well, I guess I was aware that some of that was going to be there. But as I watched the show, you know, I just sat there in disbelief.
ANDERSON (on camera): Well, talk about what in particular really troubled you.
ROUB: Well, you know, had you the parents of a one-year-old child that are doing drugs, you know, in front of that child, with the child right there and then taking the child, you know, on a trip to go buy drugs. You know, that`s a little disturbing.
ANDERSON: It certainly was awful, horrible to watch that sort of thing. I know that I couldn`t believe my eyes when I saw it. But definitely, Lisa Ling`s job is to show the story, is to show the truth, warts and all.
And Chief Roub, there are reports today that you are recommending charges against Lisa Ling and her crew. Clarify for me. Is that true? What`s the deal?
ROUB: Right now, there`s no recommendation for charges against Lisa Ling or her crew.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. You heard police chief right there telling me no recommendations there for charges against Lisa Ling and her crew. So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT breaking the news directly from the police chief. He tells me, not recommending those charges.
I want to bring in Sunny Hostin, who is a legal contributor with "In Session" on Tru TV.
Sunny, the police chief told me that if the prosecutor does decide to file charges against the people in the documentary doing heroin, not against Lisa, not against the crew, but against the other subjects in the documentary, that it would be appropriate for Lisa to be called as a witness.
It would seem that Lisa and her crew, to me, should not be worried about anything here. Should they?
HOSTIN: Well, they certainly could very well be called as witnesses. I mean, certainly, the video is there and so they don`t necessarily need Lisa Ling to testify as to what happened unless perhaps there`s something that happened off camera that the prosecution would be interested in, in finding out.
So unfortunately, I do think it would be appropriate to call Lisa Ling, to call her crew in a criminal case against these parents. But I`m not surprised to hear that there`s no recommendation to charge Lisa Ling or her crew.
ANDERSON: Yes.
HOSTIN: I mean, that didn`t make a lot of sense to me. When I was hearing the reports, I thought, ah, that`s not going to really happen.
ANDERSON: I know. Me either. It didn`t make sense it me either.
HOSTIN: Nothing there.
ANDERSON: So I`m glad that the police chief clarified that. Well, in my SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsmaker interview with Chief Roub this afternoon, I pointed out to him that during Lisa Ling`s show on Oprah`s Network, that Lisa, at times, was not just an observer.
At one point she was trying to call rehab facilities to get a pregnant mother who was hooked on heroin into rehab. So I asked him if he would be open, if he would be willing to have Lisa and her crew come back to do more. Listen to what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROUB: You know, they`re here to help. You know, that`s one thing, you know. If they`re here to hurt, that`s something else. And I, by no means, am saying that`s why they were her.
But you know, certainly, you know, what`s portrayed in the first half of that segment is certainly no help to our area.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: All right. I understand Chief Roub`s frustration with the fact that the special expose the story, warts and all. Sometimes, the truth is really ugly.
Brian Balthazar is with us. He is a TV journalist, editor for "PopGoesTheWeek.com." Brian, you have been a producer for a cable news network and the "Today" show.
Is it the purpose of these kinds of specials to expose what`s going on and hopefully find a solution for the people featured who obviously need the help? We can`t blame Lisa Ling. She did an excellent job.
BRIAN BALTHAZAR, EDITOR, "POPGOESTHEWEEK.COM": I think, actually, Lisa Ling was trying to draw attention to a problem. And that`s what the police chief was worried about - it affecting the image of his community.
But she`s not making this up. This is what`s happening. The fact that she`s trying to help this community separates itself - you know, in some ways, intervention has gone down this road before. They`re doing the same kind of thing there, shooting drug use and trying to help these people.
ANDERSON: Yes.
BALTHAZAR: So I think that there`s a similar line here and I think he`s more concerned about his community as much as he is about this family.
ANDERSON: Well, hopefully, it`s highlighting a problem and because of that, they can all come up with a solution. Brian Balthazar, Sunny Hostin, thank you both.
HAMMER: There`s even more big news breaking today, the trouble with Britney. Britney Spears released her new album "Femme Fatale" today and appeared to be firing on all pistons this morning during her concert on "Good Morning America." Let`s look at some of that.
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HAMMER: I thought she looked pretty good there, but not everyone is convinced she is back and better than ever. Jacob Bernstein is a senior writer with "Newsweek" and "The Daily Beast."
He has written a bombshell blog suggesting that Britney may not have fully recovered from her breakdown four years ago. He says she is simply being propped up by her handlers and her manager father.
Jacob is joining me now for a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. I`ve got to tell you, you wrote some pretty disturbing things about Britney Spears in your blog. What leads to you believe that she`s simply being propped up?
JACOB BERNSTEIN, SENIOR WRITER, "NEWSWEEK" AND "THE DAILY BEAST": Well, number one, she has no writing credits on this album.
You know, there`s this quote from one interview that she did with Ryan Seacrest a few weeks back where she said to him, "They told me I was working with Will.I.Am and I was like, `Oh, wow.`" I thought do you not select your producers or do (INAUDIBLE)?
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HAMMER: Wouldn`t you know that?
BERNSTEIN: Wouldn`t you know that yourself? You know, do I believe that she is being told what to do? I don`t know but I do think that there are disturbing things coming out of that camp where you just don`t get the sense that she`s in control of that.
HAMMER: You`re seeing it as a much different situation than was playing out when she first was making it as a big star where it seemed like she was involved in every decision.
BERNSTEIN: Well, I`m not sure Britney Spears was ever totally in control. I mean, you know -
HAMMER: Well, not in control but at least involved. I think it`s positive -
BERNSTEIN: Yes, I think involved. And she seemed more aware. I mean, there`s something very catatonic about the way that she is in public at this point, even now, you know. Is she better than she was four years ago when she pummeled that umbrella into a car? Obviously. I don`t think anyone is debating that.
HAMMER: Let me read some of what you wrote about Britney and her management team right now. You said, "Four years ago the golden goose had a meltdown of Charlie Sheen-like proportions, shaving her head and then attacking a car with an umbrella as a slew of paparazzi went snap, snap, snap."
"From there, she spent the next few months checking in and out of rehab centers. Her money was placed in a conservatorship that her father, a notorious stage parent, controls to this day."
"Since then, things have gotten quieter, but there have been conflicting indications that Spears has fully come out the other end, or" - I thought this was very interesting, Jacob - "that she even wants to be famous anymore."
Which I don`t fully get because her last album - let`s face it. It was a huge hit. The concert tour was an amazing success. It was a sellout. She`s already gotten a number one single for this album, and it`s getting great reviews. So about that point that she wouldn`t - doesn`t want to be famous anymore, how do you see that?
BERNSTEIN: But the album - I mean, the album doing well doesn`t indicate her motivation. I mean, you know, I think that you look at that documentary with MTV where she compared her life to a jail sentence.
And then there`s that incredible "Rolling Stone" piece from 2008, I think, where she`s in the mall and this girl comes up to her and asks for her for an autograph and she turns to her and says, "I don`t know who you think I am but I am not that person."
HAMMER: Wow. It will be interesting to see what kind of interview she does, going forward and if she is more present than you see her now. It`s a fascinating perspective.
Obviously, not everybody agrees with you on it, but I do appreciate your take on it, Jacob. That leads to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Britney better than ever? We will get to that in just minute.
ANDERSON: Is Justin Bieber heading for rehab? Why so many people today think the Biebs will be in rehab by the time he`s 30.
HAMMER: Beyonce dumps her dad today. Turns out B got to thinking her dad is replaceable as her manager. So why did Beyonce fire him?
ANDERSON: And a poisonous cobra is on the loose today. This thing even has its own Twitter account.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MOOS (voice-over): There hasn`t been this much excitement over a snake since a busty model was bitten by one earlier this month.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Excited? I think this is pretty scary. 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.
TEXT: Britney Spears` ex, Kevin Federline, to be a dad for the 5th time! "Mad Men" 5th season pushed back to 2012 due to contract negotiations.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I don`t know why I`m surprised. Is she your secretary? I know she watched the kids in California.
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ANDERSON: OK. Did you see this? You`ve heard Lady Gaga sing the regular version of "Born This Way" and the country version.
Leave it to Gaga to kick it up a notch with some Spanish flavor. Gaga sings with the Mariachi band for her 25th birthday. Watch.
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Happy birthday, Gaga. Looked like she had a lot of fun. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood, A.J. Hammer is in New York.
And we`ve got big Bieber news just in today. A controversial new poll out predicts Justin Bieber may be on a dangerous path to rehab. And Beyonce sends her own dad packing. It`s all making big news in "The Buzz Today."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) Beyonce dumped her dad. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal Beyonce is parting ways with her long-time manager who happens to be her dad.
Beyonce tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "I`ve only parted ways with my father on a business level. He is my father for life and I love my dad dearly." Beyonce`s dad calls the split mutual telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Business is business, and family is family. I love my daughter."
Bieber`s rehab shocker? Is the wholesome Justin Bieber headed down the road of Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears? A brand-new "60 Minutes-Vanity Fair" poll shows that about 30 percent of Americans think Justin Bieber will check into rehab by the time he`s 30.
Twenty percent think the Biebs will still be packing in the arenas by the year 2024 and 17 percent think he will be happily married and settled down by then. That`s "The Buzz Today." I`m SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Brooke Anderson.
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Let`s face it. A lot of child stars do end up as cautionary tales. But I give Justin Bieber a lot more credit than that. Still, it is alarming to hear that 30 percent of Americans, who took this poll, think that Justin Bieber will end up in celebrity rehab by the time he`s 30.
I want to turn to syndicated radio host, Carlos Diaz. Now, Carlos, Justin is only 17. And really, the most scandalous thing he`s done that we know of is kiss and hold hands with his girlfriend, Selena Gomez. I think he`s got a good head on his shoulders. What about you?
DIAZ: Yes. I agree. You know, you look at Lady Gaga. She said in her "60 Minutes" interview that she studied fame. She`s a student of fame, if you will and she studied people like Madonna.
I think the people who are coming up now are looking at the Britneys and Lindsays of the world and saying, "I don`t want to be like that." But I can tell you, if we can just get a lock of his hair to determine if he`s on drugs, that would make me very satisfied. Can we do that?
ANDERSON: OK. We`ll work on that. He did just get it cut. OK. A great debate, Carlos, that erupted in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT editorial meeting today was actually over whether it was wrong to even ask the rehab question about Justin in the first place.
Over to Lisa G. now. She`s a reporter for "Howard 100 News" on Sirius XM Satellite Radio. Lisa, do you think it was out of line to even ask a question like this about a 17-year-old?
LISA G., REPORTER, "HOWARD 100 NEWS" ON SIRIUS XM SATELLITE RADIO: No, no, no. Not at all. If anything, I think that`s innocuous.
I mean, come on, Brooke. You`ve got paparazzi today. You`ve got all types of questions. It`s fair game. They didn`t say to him, like, "So do you pick your nose in the car with your family? Do you burp in public?"
I mean, to me that`s something I want to hear because he`s a real person. The kid`s 17 years old. So, you know, is it going to happen? We`re going to have to wait and see.
Hopefully, he`ll look at someone like a Ron Howard, you know, Opie from the "Andy Griffith Show" and use that as a role model. He`s an award-winning director. He started out as a young star and he`s OK. He`s better than OK.
ANDERSON: Yes. Great point and I think you`re right. The question was fine. A.J., I hear, though, there`s another debate raging and this one is about Britney Spears.
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. Britney`s new album, "Femme Fatale" dropped today. And just this morning, Britney performed for her screaming fans at a pre- recorded concert which aired on "Good Morning America." Take a look at this.
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It looks pretty good, but it just seems so measured to me. And this Britney news leads us to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint - is Britney better than ever? Carlos Diaz?
DIAZ: OK. Britney Spears in a pre-taped show on "GMA" featuring pre-taped vocals and pre-taped interviews. If you go one level deeper, it`s the sequel to "Inception," all right?
Here`s the thing. I am Britney`s biggest straight fan over 40, all right? I think she`s amazing. But it looked like, this morning, that she was just kind of going through the motions.
I mean, where is the popping and locking and hitting it? It`s just like - she was kind of like, out there, doing it, not really into it. I was kind of disappointed in this morning`s show.
HAMMER: Yes. All right. Well, that seems to be a consensus by many people, Lisa G., Carlos Diaz, we appreciate you both being here.
Moving on now, you must know about this. Missing a slithering celebrity snake that tweets. Everybody seems to be buzzing about this missing Bronx Zoo cobra. He`s everywhere and nowhere at all, all at once.
Maybe the snake is on a plane to Hawaii. Can someone get Samuel Jackson on the phone for me please? Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news today.
TEXT: Rosie O`Donnell to take over Oprah`s old Chicago studio for her "OWN" talk show. Official poster for "The Hangover 2" released.
HAMMER: Time now for the SHOWBIZ buzz list. Here`s what the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff is buzzing all about this week.
We are mad about March Madness and the unlikely final four. Butler takes on this year`s Cinderella, VCU, and Kentucky meets U-Conn. Our friends over at CBS and Tru TV did a great job with this tournament.
Out at late night? Well, never fear. The "Last Night Never Happened" app is here to the rescue for you unintentional status updates and tweets.
We`re also buzzing about "Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules" in theaters right now. We are stoked about season one of HBO`s "Treme" out on DVD.
And we can`t get enough of J-Lo`s hot new single with Pitbull, "On the Floor." This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
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HAMMER: Have you heard about that sneaky snake that escaped from the Bronx Zoo here in New York City? Well, the captivating cobra has gotten everyone`s attention, not only because it`s extremely poisonous, but because it`s become a big time celebrity. Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
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MOOS (voice-over): Send for the snake charmers, there`s an escapee from the Bronx Zoo - a cobra, a young cobra, only 20 inches, thin as a pencil. The zoo`s reptile house has been closed since the poisonous snake was discovered missing from its enclosure over the weekend.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s closed, buddy.
UNIDENTIFIED KID: It`s closed?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And they got public walking through here. Wonderful.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think I`m going home. It`s my little precious guy here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, who do we talk to about getting my money back?
MOOS: Zoo goers walk past the reptile house that felt more like a haunted house.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are worried that we`re getting bad(ph) or something.
MOOS: Were you really worried?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, not really.
MOOS: A cobra`s bite can kill a person in 15 minutes. Still, this isn`t exactly snakes on a plane. Zoo officials are confident the cobra`s still inside the reptile house, but right now, they say, it`s the snake`s game. Our best strategy is patience.
(on-camera) At this very moment, we`re told the reptile team is inside looking for the snake.
(voice-over) But officials say the reptile house contains extremely complex environments with pumps, motors, et cetera. When the snake gets hungry and thirsty, it`ll come out of hiding, but this may take days or even weeks.
Outside, a news chopper hovered, the "New York Post" dubbed the snake "Cobradini" after the escape artist, Houdini.
There hasn`t been this much excitement over a snake since a busty model was bitten by one earlier this month, and the video went viral so did the story that the snake had died from biting into toxic breast implants.
Experts said no way that snakes aren`t vampires. They don`t suck when they bite. As for tracking down the missing Bronx Zoo cobra -
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If one gets loosing and put talcum powder, they got a powder on the floor.
MOOS (on-camera): We`re putting down a powder perimeter barrier so we can track the snake to see if it leaves the grounds of the zoo.
(voice-over) That`ll be about as effective as trying to charm the snake out. Of course, the easiest place to find a snake was in the gift shop.
UNIDENTIFIED KID: Show my mom and scare her.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And somebody actually decided that it would be funny if the cobra had a Twitter account. You`ve got to check out this tweet. It comes from @BronxZooCobra.
I don`t think it`s the actual cobra, but here you go, "Holding very still in the snake exhibit at the Museum of Natural History. This is going to be hilarious." I bet you`ll never know, Brooke, maybe that was the cobra. I don`t know.
ANDERSON: Maybe so.
(CROSS TALK)
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 is live at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Monday through Friday.
HAMMER: And don`t forget, we`re still TV`s most provocative entertainment news show at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on HLN.
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