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Showbiz Tonight
Hollywood Reaction to Being Killed; Is the Donald Too Thin-Skinned?; Glenn Beck`s Attack on the Lady Gaga Episode of "Glee"
Aired May 02, 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 - just revealed, the very first coast to coast Hollywood reaction to Osama Bin Laden being killed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
L.L. COOL J., RAPPER: I`d just like to commend those SEALs for going in and doing a terrific job and service for our country. I think that that was amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, the headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview with Stephen Baldwin about Osama`s death. Stephen became a born again Christian right after 9/11.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hey, Donald, can`t you take a joke? Donald Trump outraged today after President Obama makes fun of him right to his face. And the Donald`s nasty counterattack today on "Saturday Night Live`s" Seth Meyers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONALD TRUMP, BUSINESS TYCOON (through telephone): I thought Seth had a hard time getting the words out - marbles in his mouth. His presentation was very poor and he got some pretty poor marks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today, is Trump too thin-skinned?
HAMMER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
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 - Hollywood shock and awe.
HAMMER: Yes. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just been overwhelmed today by the number of stars reaching out to let everyone know they, too, were shocked and in awe that the most hated man in the world, Osama Bin Laden, has been killed by U.S. forces in Pakistan.
From Katy Perry saying, "It is a great day for America," to Jim Carrey tweeting, "They killed the bogeyman," SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you the emotional and remarkable star celebration - yes, celebration - following the news that Osama Bin Laden finally got what he deserved.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BARACK OBAMA, UNITED STATES PRESIDENT: The United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden.
HAMMER (voice-over): The minute we learned that the world`s most wanted man, Osama Bin Laden, had been killed by U.S. Navy SEALS in Pakistan, the reaction spread like a massive wave all over the country.
And today, that massive wave continued throughout the TV universe and Hollywood.
REGIS PHILBIN, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": Kind of a joyous day in America.
HAMMER: Bin Laden`s death was the big story in all the morning talk shows.
L.L. COOL J.: It`s amazing to be able to play the character, you know, because these are guys that - they really are the true heroes.
HAMMER: This morning on "The View," L.L. Cool J., who plays an ex-navy SEAL on "NCIS Los Angeles" paid tribute to the real-life SEALs who got Bin Laden.
L.L. COOL J.: I`d just like to commend those SEALs for going in and doing a terrific job in service of our country. I think that that was amazing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Absolutely.
(APPLAUSE)
HAMMER: And as people throughout the country cheered the news, some big- time Hollywood stars were right there celebrating with them. Rob Lowe joined firefighters in New York City`s Time Square.
And as a huge celebration broke out outside of the White House, David Arquette tweeted this photo of himself in the thick of the party.
JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: This is a perfect example of celebrities becoming cultural commentators and becoming journalists. Minka Kelly was down at Ground Zero, actually tweeting pictures of the celebrations that were then used in newspapers and on blogs.
HAMMER (on camera): Here, in New York today, there is still plenty of celebration over Osama Bin Laden`s death. This historic news has sparked a variety of responses all over the country. That goes for Hollywood as well.
(voice-over) As the news broke last night, Paris Hilton tweeted, quote, "So happy to hear the news of Osama Bin Laden`s death. He was the face of terrorism and such an evil man. The world is a much better place with him not in it."
Kim Kardashian tweeted, "Osama Bin Laden is dead. I can`t wait to hear Obama`s announcement." Lindsay Lohan tweeted a picture of the CNN coverage she was watching and then posted a very simple message, "Go USA."
PIAZZA: Most people were probably asleep when this news broke last night. It`s entirely possible that they learned the news of Osama Bin Laden`s death from our cultural ambassadors, Lindsay Lohan, Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton.
HAMMER (on camera): It is impossible to think about Bin Laden`s death without thinking about the tragedy that happened here in New York, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, almost 10 years ago. The 9/11 attacks, orchestrated by Bin Laden, profoundly affected this country and deeply affected Hollywood.
(voice-over) The 9/11 attacks inspired a flood of movies based on that awful day including Oliver Stone`s "World Trade Center."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Evacuate the tower.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: He`s coming.
HAMMER: And "United 93."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: We have to do something. They are not going to land this plane.
HAMMER: And even before today`s news, some Hollywood heavyweights reportedly were working on the movies about the effort to get Osama Bin Laden.
PIAZZA: The director of "The Hurt Locker," Kathryn Bigelow was working on one. Hollywood has been scrambling to fast-track and figure out how they can capitalize on this moment.
HAMMER: And now that the tale of the search for Bin Laden has an ending, one actor appears to be volunteering for duty in a movie. Today, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson re-tweeted a post from a fan that reads, "Can`t wait for the Ron Howard movie about this with The Rock playing the Navy SEAL who pulled the trigger."
And the strangest effect of the Bin Laden news - it seems to have created a sort of truce between Donald Trump and President Obama.
Today, Trump tweeted a pat on the back for his political adversary for getting Bin Laden. Trump tweeted, quote, "I want to personally congratulate President Obama and the men and women of the armed forces for a job very well done."
"I am so proud to see Americans standing shoulder to shoulder, waving the American flag in celebration of this great victory." Today, President Obama had a similar message.
OBAMA: As a nation, there`s nothing we can`t do when we remember the sense of unity that defines us as Americans.
HAMMER: And today, that`s a unity the entire country, including Hollywood, is enjoying.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, September 11th obviously changed so many lives including the life of actor Stephen Baldwin who has starred in some 65 movies. Now, Stephen, of course, once had a reputation of being a so-called Hollywood bad boy, and he became a born again Christian after September 11th.
Stephen is in New York to host a party for singer Cory Lamb`s single, "Break The Cycle" from Cory`s EP of the same name. Stephen directed the video and joins me tonight for a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsmaker video.
It`s always good to see you. I mean, wow, what a day. Where were you when you heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed?
STEPHEN BALDWIN, ACTOR: I was in Los Angeles, California and a friend of mine kicked me in the foot, said, "Wake up. They are flying planes into the Twin Towers."
I thought he was kidding until I got up and saw the TV screen, obviously a day that changed America forever. And now, we`re seeing 10 years later some justice being done.
HAMMER: And where were you when you heard the news he had been killed?
BALDWIN: I was just at a hotel here in Manhattan and I sort of coming up on my iPad and all that.
HAMMER: Yes.
BALDWIN: You know, bloggers and all that. And it`s so interesting now how news travels.
HAMMER: That`s how it happened for me. I got an alert, actually, from the CNN app on my iPad that this happened. I went right to the television. I don`t think anyone was prepared to hear President Obama reveal to the world they finally got Bin Laden. Really a moment none of us will soon forget. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How did you feel, Stephen, when you heard that he was dead, that we got him?
BALDWIN: Honestly I`m still in shock. You know, I can`t believe it. It`s kudos to the administration and the military. Obviously, as you heard the president in his speech say that they had been monitoring this since last August -
HAMMER: Yes.
BALDWIN: Which is very impressive. I think that it`s, obviously, in the pursuit of going after al-Qaeda and taking the fight to these guys. We haven`t had anything bad happen since 9/11 and that`s probably because this plan, implemented by the previous administration and now taken on by President Obama as a necessity, we see it`s working.
HAMMER: Well, obviously, a lot of people had their lives so profoundly impacted by September 11th, you among them. You completely changed your life. You became a born again Christian after 9/11.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HAMMER: What specifically about September 11th really forced you into the way you lived your life?
BALDWIN: Well, it`s very personal for me in that 9/11 was just an event that in my life here on earth - I just deemed it to be something that was a total impossibility. Something like that could never happen. So, in my life, when there had been ups and downs, tragedies, whatever. You look left. You look right. You look down. It forced me to look up.
And it was a time where I just said, you know, I`m really going to start to - as this wake up call for me personally has shaken me up, it forced me to take a look at where I was, what my beliefs were, my own immortality, so to speak.
And it just made me say, what`s more important for me going forward? And for me it was a closer relationship with God.
HAMMER: Well, we`ve been hearing so much reaction today, a lot of statements coming from stars. Hollywood, of course, was deeply impacted as well.
And we`re also hearing from some people. In fact, they were talking about it on "The View" this morning how maybe there shouldn`t be so much jubilant celebration going on. What`s your take on that? Because I can kind of understand that perspective.
BALDWIN: Yes.
HAMMER: Do you agree with that to an extent?
BALDWIN: Well, I would compare it, A.J., to - if somebody horrifically murders a member of your family. And all of a sudden, that murderer is brought to justice and you`re in the courtroom and there`s that relief, you know, that justice has been served.
I think that`s obviously, in a very patriotic way, what we`re seeing many of Americans express right now. I kind of feel the same way maybe that you do. I don`t know necessarily that a jubilee is necessary.
I think it`s great. I think we have to keep our eye on the ball. I think it`s absolutely not over. It`s probably going to cause a lot of super backlash in the months to come -
HAMMER: Perhaps, yes.
BALDWIN: And we`ve got to stay on our game and be on point and keep fighting the good fight.
HAMMER: All right. Stephen, always good to get your perspective and your take on things. And I`ve also got to get your take on Donald Trump, your former boss on "Celebrity Apprentice."
BALDWIN: The next president of the United States of America.
HAMMER: Well, I don`t think so. But he was roasted at the White House correspondents` dinner. He wasn`t really pleased with that. I`ve got to take your take on what happened. See you back here in just a few minutes.
ANDERSON: A.J. ABC News correspondent Ashleigh Banfield has a stunning connection to Osama Bin Laden`s death. Ashleigh was right there at Ground Zero on 9/11. And she covered the hunt for Bin Laden from the very start. And she is right here in a not-to-be-missed SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsmaker interview, next.
HAMMER: Well, talk about bad timing. America`s number one Superman - he`s our number one hero - reveals he`s given up his U.S. citizenship just as Osama Bin Laden is killed.
ANDERSON: Donald Trump is outraged today after President Obama makes fun of him right to his face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. And that`s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, did we fake the moon landing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Trump too thin-skinned? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you continued celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden`s been killed.
TEXT: Neil Patrick Harris on Osama Bin Laden, "Everyone is sitting around my living room, mouths agape. Wow, what a night. Thank you, Mr. President, for such an eloquent speech."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KELLY RIPA, CO-HOST, "LIVE WITH REGIS AND KELLY": I got a text message from Anderson Cooper telling me to turn on the news because, sure enough, he had been killed and I couldn`t believe it. I thought I had dreamed the whole thing for a minute.
PHILBIN: What a story, huh?
RIPA: Oh, my gosh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHLEIGH BANFIELD, ABC NEWS CORRESPONDENT: I am just about between five and 10 blocks north of the actual site of where those two towers have come down. We`re obviously having a bit of trouble right now maintaining our location because we just heard one more explosion.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was then NBC reporter, Ashleigh Banfield, reporting live from the World Trade Center site on September 11th. Tonight, Ashleigh`s emotional reaction to the news that the mastermind behind those horrific September 11th attacks, Osama Bin Laden, is dead.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. A.J. Hammer is in New York.
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, no one will ever be able to forget where they were when they heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed. So what does this moment in history mean to someone who was on the ground right there on September 11th when those towers came down?
ABC News correspondent, Ashleigh Banfield was right there. She joins me right here right now for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. I`ve got to tell you, Ashleigh, just seeing that footage, and I haven`t seen that since that day happened.
BANFIELD: Neither have I.
HAMMER: And I felt such anxiety just seeing you in that scene. And I`ve seen pictures of you in that scene. Where were you when you heard the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed?
BANFIELD: You know, amazingly, I was in the same kind of place that I was when I saw the Twin Towers attack. I just got out of the shower last night. And I watched with just - I was mesmerized by the coverage.
And I had my two little boys, ages three and five. And I was trying to explain to them why this was important. And it was pretty tough to sort of encapsulate 10 years to two little kids who really don`t know anything about this.
HAMMER: And how did you feel personally having been involved in so much of the coverage? And you went over to Pakistan right after as well. How did you feel personally hearing that he was dead?
BANFIELD: You know, funny - a bit sick and a bit happy. It`s such a tumultuous time for us. And it was so distressing that we could never kind of bring closure to what happened for everybody and for all the people who died since in trying to find this guy.
So, you know, I was amazed. And the first thing I did was grab my Blackberry. And my team - we all connected. My producer, my audio, my cameraman who - we`re joined at the hip for five months.
HAMMER: Right.
BANFIELD: And we all connected with one another saying, "Can you believe this?" It`s bringing it all back. And we all did it at the same time. We all E-mailed and texted each other at the same time, so we were all reliving it a bit last night.
HAMMER: Yes. It has to have been such an incredibly bonding experience to have gone through. I mean, what we`re looking at again right here - you when you were working for NBC and covering it that day and then having gone over to Afghanistan and to Pakistan.
BANFIELD: Yes, it was - you know, it was a strange thing to be on assignment. And literally, the four of us were a unit that did not leave each other`s side at all.
We camped on the ground. We bounced on the rubble in Tora Bora when those daisy cutters fell. We experienced the vitriol of those in Afghanistan and Pakistan who were so thrilled with their mujahedeen warrior. Can I show you a little -
HAMMER: Yes. Yes. Put that over.
BANFIELD: I bought a t-shirt and I`ve hidden this in the last 10 years. I bought a t-shirt on the street of Pakistan, and this is what they were doing.
It`s kind of hard to see but, "Osama Bin Laden, our great mujahedeen warrior, the great mujahedeen of Islam." They were wearing these and buying up.
HAMMER: A celebratory shirt.
BANFIELD: They loved him. And I don`t know that they ever stopped really loving him. So this is going to be a bad, bad time in terms of dealing with those who are very unhappy with what we`re very happy about.
HAMMER: Yes, certainly. And obviously, things are far from over, but do I hope and believe this will bring a certain sense of closure to a lot of people, including you and others who were profoundly affected. Ashleigh, it`s always a pleasure to see you.
BANFIELD: What a difference 10 years can make.
HAMMER: What a difference 10 years can make. Unbelievable. Thanks, Ashleigh.
BANFIELD: Absolutely.
ANDERSON: All right. Moving now to Donald Trump`s outrage. He is ticked after President Obama makes fun of him right to his face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. And that`s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, did we fake the moon landing?
ANDERSON: Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Trump too thin-skinned?
HAMMER: Is Kim Kardashian about to get engaged? And you might want to sit down for this. Reports are out there saying she wants a 10-carat rock. That`s more like a boulder, if you ask me. Kim sets the record straight today.
ANDERSON: And brand-new outrage today over "Glee`s" Lady Gaga episode.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t be a drag, just be a queen, whether you`re broke or evergreen. You`re black, white, beige, chola descent. You`re Lebanese, you`re orient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: And get this - Glenn Beck is leading the "Glee" Gaga showdown. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you continued celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.
TEXT: Lady Gaga on Osama Bin Laden`s death, "Just landed. Watching CNN. What a historical moment in the fight against hatred."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HODA KOTB, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: I went to sleep early. I woke up and was shocked to hear the news about Osama Bin Laden because this is one of those things that you think this will eventually - this day will come eventually and we`re going to read that headline someday.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Someday, but I have to say it was so surprising.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(CHEERS)
ANDERSON: Will Duchess Kate or Catherine become a bigger fashion icon than Princess Diana? Kate Middleton looked absolutely stunning arriving at Westminster Abbey. And it was the moment everyone had been waiting so long for.
We`ve got the remarkable proof today why the newly-named Duchess of Cambridge could be bigger than Princess Di. That is coming up.
Everybody is still talking about Kate`s dress today. I thought it was gorgeous. She looked so striking. But what do some of the biggest star bridesmaids think?
"SNL`s" Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph, along with Rose Byrne and Melissa McCarthy star in a brand-new movie. It`s called "Bridesmaids" It`s from Judd Apatow, the guy who directed "Forty-Year-Old Virgin" and who produced "Super Bad" and the movie that I had a role in called "Get Them to the Greek."
So when we just caught up with the ladies of "Bridesmaids," we had to ask, Kate`s dress - thumbs up or thumbs down?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was so much hype about it. And they were like, oh, it looked like a Grace Kelly-esque kind of thing. I thought it was gorgeous.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was really pretty. It was beautiful.
KRISTEN WIIG, ACTRESS: I loved it. It was like modern princess with a long train. Oh, my god. It was like watching a movie of a prince and a princess` wedding.
MAYA RUDOLPH, ACTRESS: It was a prince and a princess` wedding.
WIIG: I know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And there`s lots of reaction coming in today about Kate Middleton and her Alexander McQueen dress. I just checked our "Showbiz on Call" phone line. I checked our Facebook wall.
Most of you seemed to love the dress. Let me get to a couple of these. Michele M. wrote, "Kate looked beautiful. How I think a bride should look. She was elegant and timeless."
Now, Susan P. had this dress diss, though, "My feeling of the dress is that it looks like something she would wear to an event of royal duty. I didn`t want to see a dress like Princess Di, but I did want to see more gems or beading."
Let`s go over to "Showbiz on Call." Kerry calling from Texas thinks the dress was amazing.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
KERRY, CALLER FROM TEXAS: I think that Kate Middleton could not have done a better job of her dress no matter what. Gorgeous.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thanks so much, Kerry.
ANDERSON: And now, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT lineup - here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Donald, can`t you take a joke? Donald Trump outraged today after President Obama makes fun of him right to his face. Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Trump too thin-skinned?
Did you see this? Justin Bieber gets egged. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you continued celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.
TEXT: Rob Lowe on Osama Bin Laden`s Death, "At Ground Zero now. Everyone together. No separate religions or political parties. Just people. Americans together: proud."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE, ACTRESS: Osama Bin Laden is dead.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, yes. Oh, yes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s a little awkward. Somebody`s dead and we`re like -
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking today on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Donald Trump`s Obama outrage after the president makes fun of him to his face.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. And that`s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, did we fake the moon landing?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Donald`s nasty counterattack today on "Saturday Night Live`s" Seth Meyers. Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint - is Trump too thin-skinned?
Superman super dumb? Superman announces that he`s giving up his U.S. citizenship just as Osama Bin Laden is killed. Worst timing ever?
HAMMER: A new "Glee" attack today over the Lady Gaga episode led by Glenn Beck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Don`t be a drag, just be a queen, whether you`re broke or evergreen. You`re black, white, beige, chola descent. You`re Lebanese, you`re orient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you coast-to-coast celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.
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 - Trump`s no joke? Donald Trump is publicly whining today about a weekend-filled jab fest of jokes aimed at him. And A.J., the hits just kept on coming.
HAMMER: Yes. Brooke, I`ve got to tell you Donald could not escape being the butts of the jokes. This all began at the White House correspondents` dinner when "Saturday Night Live" writer Seth Meyers delivered a smackdown of joke after joke after joke about Donald`s public toying to run for president.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SETH MEYERS, COMEDIAN: Donald Trump has been saying he`ll run for president as a Republican, which is surprising since I was just assumed he was running as a joke.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And so this played as Donald sat there in the audience purely stone-faced, didn`t crack a smile even once. So here`s our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint today - is Donald too thin-skinned?
With me, right now, in New York, Stephen Baldwin who was a contestant on Trump`s "Celebrity Apprentice" reality show. Stephen makes his directorial debut on a new music video for singer Cory Lamb. Stephen is helping kick off Cory`s brand-new album, "Break The Cycle," with a big party in New York City.
Also with me, entertainment journalist, Ereka Vetrini, who is also a contestant on "The Apprentice."
We just saw a small taste of what Seth Meyers dished out at that dinner. Trump clearly not laughing along. I see that. And I think for all the dishing out he`s done, he`s just way too thin-skinned, Stephen. I mean, he dishes out all the time. What do you think?
BALDWIN: Well, I think, you know, he showed up at the White House correspondents` dinner. Look, he`s a brilliant promoter. He knew going in he was going to get a little backlash and I don`t think at all he`s too thin-skinned. I think he`s doing what Donald Trump does.
HAMMER: Or maybe he thought if he does sit there stone-faced, then people will talk about it tomorrow and thinks, "At least they`re getting my name out there." He was the butt at so many jokes at this dinner. Let`s take a look at some more.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MEYERS: Gary Busey said recently that Donald Trump would make a great president. Of course, he said the same thing about an old rusty bird cage he found. Donald Trump owns the Miss USA pageant, which is great for Republicans because it will streamline their search for a vice president.
Donald Trump said recently he has a great relationship with the blacks. So unless the blacks are a family of white people, I`ll bet he`s mistaken.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Ereka. Trump sat there. He barely cracked a smile. In fact, it looked to me like he was pouting a bit. So to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint, you think he`s a bit too thin-skinned?
EREKA VETRINI, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: I don`t think it has anything to do with that. I think, you know, he`s not crying about it at home. I think this is what he does. If you disagree with him, if you don`t agree with him, he just attacks you.
And you know what? That`s worked for him in business. He`s intimidated, but it`s not working for him in politics. And how uncomfortable was it to sit at that table while everybody around him was laughing.
You couldn`t laugh. He wasn`t laughing. I think that he`s not - he is definitely thick-skinned enough. He`s just not approaching this debate well.
HAMMER: Yes. Oh, I don`t think anybody really expected our president to go as deep as he did, but President Obama right in on the action making fun of Trump`s relentless push to get President Obama to release his birth certificate. We`ve got to watch some of Obama here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OBAMA: No one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. And that`s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter, like, did we fake the moon landing? What really happened in Roswell? And where are Biggie and Tupac?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Stephen, I`ve got to tell you, I think that President Obama handled that brilliantly. And quite frankly, he had that coming, Trump.
BALDWIN: Well written. Well written.
HAMMER: Yes.
BALDWIN: But you know - you know me, A.J. I`ve got to be me, and it`s like you said a couple minutes ago, it`s very interesting that Obama went as far as he did. It kind of - to me, it`s a bit of an indication of maybe the president`s a little bit insecure.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Oh, did you see the smile on his face the whole time? Give me a break. Come on.
BALDWIN: Wait a second. If it wasn`t a big deal to him, you take one shot, two shots, maybe three. You go to four, five, six, seven, eight. Come on.
VETRINI: You can - if you can, you do it.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: You can`t pass up on that opportunity. I don`t know. He`s sitting right there.
VETRINI: For the record, he delivered those jokes better than Seth Meyers did.
HAMMER: He did do well with his performance.
VETRINI: Better comic timing -
HAMMER: He did do nicely with his performance.
(CROSS TALK)
BALDWIN: I think Seth Meyers was funnier than the president.
HAMMER: I`m sure you do.
BALDWIN: Love you, Seth.
HAMMER: Well, listen. Donald clearly not happy about being the target of all these jokes. In a brand-new interview with CNN`s John Lemon, Trump couldn`t resist getting personal like he is wont to do. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRUMP: I thought the president`s performance was much better. I thought that Seth had a hard time getting the words out, marbles in his mouth. He had a hard time with his speech.
But you know, I hosted "Saturday Night Live" and I understand Seth. And I never got him, but his presentation was very poor and he got some pretty poor marks.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He`s always so in the know. He drops a name, "Oh, I did. I know that person." Apparently, he didn`t get it all out of his system. He did another interview calling Seth a stutterer in that one.
Ereka, this is his M.O. as we know. Now, I, quite frankly - look, he looks like a petulant child whenever he gets so personal. Every time somebody says something about him he doesn`t like, he gets personal with it and goes on the attack. And quite frankly, I think, particularly, if he has political aspirations, that does him a great disservice.
VETRINI: That`s why we`re asking, is - does he not have a thick skin enough? That`s why we`re asking it because he looks like he`s attacking. And you have to deliver it like Obama. Take the right opportunity and gracefully take down your opponent. He doesn`t do that. He just attacks and hits it hard.
HAMMER: And look, we all saw the Comedy Central roast just a couple of weeks ago where Trump - you thought he got hammered at the correspondents` dinner. He was getting nailed at this thing. It was a vicious roast at the Comedy Central.
And this weekend he couldn`t even crack a smile. So Stephen, in your mind, what was the difference? What changed between then and now? Because, like I said, it was much more brutal at that Comedy Central roast.
BALDWIN: I think - what`s funny to me is, if Donald Trump is serious and he`s going to run for president, which he could - it`s got the Republicans pretty nervous, A.J. This guy, in some the polls, some of them that are valid, actually Middle America.
The hard working, regular Joe, blue collar people of this nation - you know what they`re sick of? Politicians lying. A guy like Trump - maybe they`re striking a chord with him.
HAMMER: But why wasn`t he laughing this time? That`s what I`m trying to understand.
VETRINI: He`s trying to be taken seriously. I think he`s struggling with bridging from a reality host to being looked at as a presidential candidate.
HAMMER: Yes.
VETRINI: And that`s very clear. And it`s really embarrassing to see him in a setting where everybody around him is just laughing so hard.
HAMMER: Yes.
VETRINI: And he`s sitting there, you know, unable to respond as he loved to do.
HAMMER: All right. I do want to move on to something else that`s happening right now, Stephen, because I`m pretty excited for you. You`re making your directorial debut. You worked on Cory Lamb`s "Break The Cycle." And the music video for the song I know has a very special message, which is what?
BALDWIN: The message is you don`t have to be who you don`t want to be. If you`re in darkness, you can come into light. Break the cycle of the world pulling you down.
The single written by Cory Lamb has gone from like number 29 about six weeks ago to number four in some of the music charts, so I`m excited. The video was just a support mechanism for that. And I`m looking forward to it.
HAMMER: Me, too.
BALDWIN: My parlay right into a movie they`ve asked me to direct later this year.
HAMMER: Stephen Baldwin, the director, and stumping for Trump. It`s all coming together. Great to see you both. Ereka Vetrini, Stephen Baldwin, thanks so much, guys.
ANDERSON: Disgusting, depraved - that is how one of the hottest shows on television is being described. The nasty new attack on "Glee" led by Glenn Beck.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Don`t be a drag, just be a queen, whether you`re broke or evergreen. You`re black, white, beige, chola descent. You`re Lebanese, you`re orient.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: the unbelievable new controversy today over "Glee`s" Gaga episode.
HAMMER: And as we tip our hats to our real-life heroes today, Superman announces he`s giving up his U.S. citizenship just as Osama Bin Laden is killed. I mean, is this the worst timing ever?
ANDERSON: Kim Kardashian`s engagement bombshell. She is setting the record straight about whether or not her baller boyfriend is about to put a 10-carat ring on it. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you continued celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.
TEXT: Jimmy Fallon on Osama Bin Laden`s Death, "Got Bin Laden and interrupted `Celebrity Apprentice`? Win for Obama all around."
ELISABETH HASSELBECK, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": I think everyone watching him saw our commander-in-chief deliver a most powerful, moving, impactful announcement. And this is such a national moment of just justice come to be, as he said, and a world moment in history that no one will ever forget.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Did you see this? Justin Bieber dancing and dodging a hail of eggs. Justin just got attacked at a concert in Sydney, Australia. And as you can see, he didn`t even miss a beat. That`s a true pro.
This looks like weird to me. These Justin haters paid good money to go to the concert just to throw eggs at the guy? Come on, grow up.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood with A.J. Hammer in New York.
And A.J., I cannot believe what I`m hearing that on the same day that we learned that Osama Bin Laden has been killed, Superman is bailing on us?
HAMMER: Yes, Brooke. I think some people want to egg Superman today. There`s big news breaking today about America`s number one hero. We have just learned he is renouncing his U.S. citizenship. Superman, say it isn`t so.
Well, in an upcoming new issue of "Superman," it`s true the Man of Steel says, "Truth, justice and the American way just isn`t enough anymore." And you better believe Superman`s diva drama is a stirring up huge controversy just on the very same day we`re tipping our hats to our real life heroes today who took out Osama Bin Laden.
With me in New York, Tru TV`s Sunny Hostin, who is a legal contributor for "In Session."
Look, Sunny, even superheroes are furious about this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has just spoken with the stars of "Thor," this year`s first highly-anticipated big superhero movie. It`s opening this weekend.
They even think Superman is nuts for denouncing his American citizenship. Watch what two of the movie`s stars, Kat Dennings and Jamie Alexander, just revealed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: What an idiot. What is he thinking? Thor would never pull that diva crap.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Captain America is going to, like, you know, kick his butt now, I`m sure. I feel like they`re trying to make him more international or something.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Well, the timing of this - I mean, think about it. It couldn`t be worse. America now celebrating the death of Osama Bin Laden. Here, you have Superman denouncing America.
I`m thinking the geniuses behind these comics which publishes Superman - they`ve got to be pretty embarrassed by this. Talk about bad timing. Sunny, are you bothered by this. I`m just torn up.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV: I am very bothered by it, but it is bad, bad timing. And it doesn`t really make sense. I mean, Superman is from another planet, right?
HAMMER: Right.
HOSTIN: He wasn`t really American. He wasn`t born here.
HAMMER: Truth and justice, the American way.
HOSTIN: We haven`t seen his birth certificate. But yes, truth -
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: Oh, god. Are you going to be a birther for Superman now?
HOSTIN: I mean, seriously, it`s just such bad timing when we are all feeling very patriotic, very pro-American for DC Comics to do this to Superman. But bottom line is, do little kids really understand that? I mean, my son doesn`t really understand what`s that about.
HAMMER: Maybe this will start the education process, Sunny.
HOSTIN: Yes. Maybe.
HAMMER: Get on now. Let`s bring in AOL TV editor, Maggie Furlong from Hollywood. I`ve got to say, Maggie, I understand people are upset because, look, real American heroes are risking their lives overseas.
Are you bothered Superman is renouncing his U.S. citizenship so he can be more of this international superhero?
MAGGIE FURLONG, EDITOR, AOL TV: I am bothered. Obviously, you can see what it is from a business standpoint that international means big bucks. But the bottom line is, it`s the American way. It`s always been part of his motto. And now, they`re stripping it away. I`m sorry. That`s just not right.
HAMMER: Well, it`s not just Superman getting heat today. Brooke Anderson, there is another big backlash going on against one of our favorite TV shows, "Glee."
ANDERSON: That`s right, A.J. Conservative critics are now ripping the show for embracing gay characters. Here is the scene, some believe, that`s really causing all of the controversy. A gay character signing Lady Gaga`s "Born This Way." Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Hit it. It doesn`t matter if you love him or capital H-I-M. Just put your paws up because you were born this way, baby.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Sunny, do you understand why some feel that it sends bad message? Or are you "Glee" all the way?
HOSTIN: I`m "Glee" all the way. I think it`s wonderful. It`s a message of tolerance. And Glenn Beck, who is stirring all this up - I mean, isn`t he unemployed? Do we care about what Glenn Beck thinks?
ANDERSON: It is about acceptance. It is about tolerance. You`re right. And speaking of Glenn Beck, Sunny, in one breath, he`s calling "Glee" a nightmare saying that it`s all about self-gratification.
And in the next, he`s saying it`s a brilliant, brilliant show. Watch what he just said on his show on Fox.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GLENN BECK, HOST, "THE GLENN BECK SHOW": I`ve watched it in stunned horror combined with a sense of admiring awe. It is a brilliant, brilliant show - very, very well done.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HOSTIN: He`s definitely a secret "Glee" watcher. There`s no question about it. Not even so secret because he`s out in the open. But I got to tell you, for him to say that it`s just so horrible and that he`s just watches it and he`s just, you know, - just terrified of what he sees.
I`m terrified when I watch Glenn Beck. The few times that I`ve watched him terrifies me. So you know, right back at him.
ANDERSON: Ladies, we will leave it there for now. Sunny Hostin, Maggie Furlong, good to see you. Bye.
HAMMER: From Lady Gaga to going gaga for babies. Mama Mariah Carey gives birth. It`s a celebration twice over. Charlie Sheen might be celebrating today, too. Yes, the warlock is officially single again.
Lindsay Lohan has a new plan today to put her whole theft drama behind her. All that making big news in "The Buzz Today."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) A Lohan plea deal? Reports have Lindsay Lohan ready to plead no contest on charges that she stole a necklace. The allegations have already resulted in a parole violation for Lohan and a sentence of 120 days in jail and 480 hours of community service.
Lohan`s camp apparently hopes the plea will help her avoid any additional punishment.
Sheen`s split official? TMZ just reported Charlie Sheen and Brooke Mueller are officially divorced. The end of their messy split comes after months of back-and-forth between them that reportedly includes a requirement for both sides to undergo random drug tests.
Sheen was arrested for attacking Mueller and allegedly holding a knife to her neck on Christmas Day, 2009.
Mariah`s twins arrive on her anniversary. Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon celebrated their third wedding anniversary with the birth of their twins. The proud papa reacted to the birth of his baby boy and girl by tweeting, "My wife just gave me the most incredible anniversary gift ever in life. I won`t ever be able to top this."
In a second tweet, he added, "I`m in the happiest place I`ve ever been in my life. I never had more amazing things happening. I am humbled by God`s favor."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
ANDERSON: Oh, how wonderful. Congratulations to them. All right. Moving on to Kim Kardashian`s engagement bombshell. Is Kim about to be a basketball wife like her sister Khloe? Is there a massive 10-carat engagement ring in her future? Kim K. sets the record straight about walking down the aisle with her boyfriend of just five months. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you continued celebrity reaction to the news that Osama Bin Laden has been killed.
TEXT: Alyssa Milano on Bin Laden`s Death, "Sending love to the @US_NavySEALs and all divisions of our military tonight. I appreciate your efforts, sacrifice and courage."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WILLIAMS, TALK SHOW HOST: This is one I`m going to frame because I don`t know about you, but it`s a big day, particularly if you`re here in New York metropolitan area but all around the country, in Washington.
You know, everybody - this is the one I`m going to frame. Are you going to frame one? Hopefully, this gives some closure to those who lost loved ones during the 9/11 disaster.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: One of the articles where they said that you wanted Lorraine Swartz to design your wedding ring. So how close are we to this wedding?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Is there big bridal news breaking for Kim Kardashian today? Hey, she lives her life on TV, so it wouldn`t be a stretch for Kim K. to make a bombshell announcement - her engage to New Jersey Nets star, Kris Humphries right on "The Wendy Williams Show" this morning.
So is Kim ready to walk down the aisle? There have been reports that Kim and Kris, who have been hot and heavy for five months are this close to getting engaged. There`s even word that Kim wants to whopper of the ring, 10 carats minimum. This morning, Kim sets the record straight on Wendy`s show.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR: I swear, I don`t know where - I mean, it`s like, sometimes, we`re married, the wedding. And it`s funny because one of the magazines - I looked at this and everyone` like, "Oh, my god. There`s a picture of you and Kris on, like, `OK` magazine."
And I`m like, "Wait, that`s me at Khloe`s wedding and they Photoshopped the color of the dress and that`s not even Kris because he`s so tall." They took his head and put it one someone else`s body.
WILLIAMS: Oh.
KIM KARDASHIAN: These wedding details - I`m like, I`m not getting engaged - that I know of. Maybe - I hope I don`t know right now, you know.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
KIM KARDASHIAN: AND it`s so weird because I don`t know where all this is coming from.
ANDERSON: So no wedding bells yet for Kim. I`ve got to imagine she gives Kate Middleton a run for her money, a Hollywood princess` wedding
HAMMER: And speaking of the royal wedding, Brooke, I`ve got to say you just did an amazing job in London for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
ANDERSON: Thank you.
HAMMER: I thought, in particular, your visit to the jeweler for the royals, that thing - that was particularly cool. And you nailed it with this. This was a great look for you, your spectacular wedding day hat. Well done.
ANDERSON: Thank you. Thank you. It was a Susan Vanderlin(ph) hat. Thank you so much. I loved it. Did not want to take it off.
But it was a real treat for me to cover the royal wedding because it was such a joyous, celebratory and significant event for so many people, A.J.
And speaking of, on Friday, we asked all of you to vote in our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. Just moments ago, we got those final results - "Kate Middleton`s Beautiful Wedding Dress: Will Kate become a bigger fashion icon than Princess Di?"
Sixty percent say yes, but 40 percent say, no, Diana was one of a kind.
HAMMER: Well, Brooke, always hard to say good-bye. This time, it`s no different. You know, for six years, you and I have been doing this show together. After today, you`re going to be leaving us for a new challenge.
I know I speak for everyone at SHOWBIZ TONIGHT when I say how much we will miss you. You are the definition of a true professional and I`m also proud to call you a true friend. We all wish you nothing but the best, Brooke.
ANDERSON: thank you. Likewise, A.J., I will miss you and the entire crew here tremendously. I`ve been at CNN and HLN for nearly 11 years. My colleagues are friends, a family to me, so I am full of mixed emotions today.
But my time here has been extremely gratifying and I am eternally grateful for all of the opportunities I`ve had. And I really wish I could name everybody by name but TV moves fast and there is not time for that, so I will simply say thank you.
And to all of you at home who have watched and supported me over the years, thank you.
HAMMER: Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Brooke, one last time, please.
ANDERSON: All right. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now seen exclusively Monday through Friday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. Take care.
END
