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Showbiz Tonight
Can Casey Anthony Beat the Rap?; What Would the "Mob Wives" Do with Weiner?; Will Tracy Morgan`s Apology Be Enough?; "Friday" Taken Down; Most Provocative Celebrity of the Week
Aired June 17, 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: Tonight, Casey Anthony - will she be named SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week? Will she beat out Anthony Weiner and Tracy Morgan? I`m A.J. Hammer. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
More big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - could Casey Anthony beat the rap? Tonight, Nancy Grace is right here with her remarkable revelations.
Does she think Casey will be acquitted on charges she killed her daughter Caylee? Is the defense telling a pack of lies about Casey`s parents? Tonight, HLN`s Nancy Grace, who has covered this trial like no one else, right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and answering your questions.
Weiner goes Hollywood? Tonight, the disgraced sexting former Congressman gets job offers from Hollywood. Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint - should Weiner go into SHOWBIZ after showing off, well, you know.
And what would the "Mob Wives" do to Weiner? I`m almost afraid to ask. Oh, but I will. Renee and Karen from VH1`s "Mob Wives" right here in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
TV most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City. And tonight, Nancy Grace on the Casey Anthony murder trial.
You know, long before the nation became obsessed with the Casey Anthony case and the story of her murdered two-year-old daughter, Nancy Grace brought it to the nation`s attention.
And tonight, Nancy is right here with us on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT to help us make sense of the almost manic obsession with this case, an obsession that has led to wild, crazy scenes like the one very early this morning right outside the courtroom in Orlando where people have been lining up every day just to fight to get one of the very limited seats that are available to the public. And this morning they literally did just that - fight.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, no!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Wait!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You put him in handcuffs! You put him in handcuffs!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. That fight happened apparently after two men cut the ticket line. But why has it gotten to this point? With us tonight is Nancy Grace.
Nancy, I really appreciate you taking the time with us. And I want to read something to you. Robert Thompson teaches TV and pop culture at Syracuse University. He says the reason people are so obsessed with the Casey Anthony case is because of you, Nancy.
Let me read this, "Nancy Grace sunk her teeth into the Anthony case and never let go." So for you, what was it about this case, when you first learned about this little girl missing three years ago, that tugged at your heart strings so much and got so much of your attention?
Because obviously, Nancy, there`s so many cases of missing children every day.
NANCY GRACE, HOST, "NANCY GRACE": Well, number one, thank you for having me, friend. I don`t think the public`s interest in Caylee has anything to do with me.
I think the interest in Caylee has to do intrinsically with Caylee herself. So often, we don`t get to know the children that go missing. But here, we have through pictures, through video, through descriptions - I`ve heard her voice.
I feel that I`ve met her great grandfather by seeing her sitting in his lap singing "You Are My Sunshine" which is what I sing to put my twins asleep sometimes.
So many things about Caylee have struck a chord, not only in me, maybe because of my twins, Lucy and John David. But something about maybe Cindy and George - the way that they were so combative and so angry trying to defend their daughter, tot mom, torn between her and their love, which I think the love of their lives is little Caylee.
One thing I don`t understand, I`d like to ask your expert someday, is why everyone turned on George and Cindy as if they had done something wrong.
You know, people actually wanted them to kick tot mom out of the house when all this first happened and they wanted so desperately to believe her.
I think this case resonates with every family that hears about it because so many of us have daughters, have granddaughters, have grandchildren or children the age of Caylee.
The family dynamics play out like a Greek tragedy with the love-hate relationship between generations and it culminated in the death of a beautiful little girl.
HAMMER: Well, it`s been something, Nancy, to watch this nationwide obsession with this trial. I mean, I`ve never seen anything quite like this before.
And as we saw, violence actually erupted outside of the courtroom this morning involving people who have been waiting in line since early morning hours for those 50 or so seats that are reserved for the public. Let`s watch that again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Let him go! Let him go! Let him go!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You put him in handcuffs! You put him in handcuffs! You put him in handcuffs! You put him in handcuffs! I saw it!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s unbelievable to me, Nancy. Why do you think it has gotten to this point?
GRACE: Well, I think that especially now that the interest is truly heightened, possibly at zenith, because everyone wants to hear, what`s the defense going to come up with today? What are they going to cook up and serve up to the jury?
And of course, today we heard from a bug expert that apparently was hired before Caylee`s remains was even identified. Now, if that isn`t a giant flashing red light like see at a railroad crossing, I don`t know what is.
HAMMER: You mentioned George and Cindy, Casey`s parents. And it almost seems like they`re on trial as well. The defense claimed in their opening arguments that Casey was raised to lie, lie, lie, as they put it, because they claim she was sexually molested by her father when she was eight.
And the defense also claims Caylee drowned in the pool and that Casey`s father, George, found her, covered it up. Do you buy any of it at all?
GRACE: I buy absolutely none of it. From what I can see, it was George and Cindy that raised the child. They are the ones that went out and bought the Winnie the Pooh blanket and all of the accoutrements for her rooms.
They are the ones that took care of her, that supported her. They are the ones that were looking for her. And to suggest that they were somehow involved, that George was involved in some way, I think is blasphemous, I really do.
An ex-cop like George Anthony - you want to tell me he finds her floating in the pool, and instead of trying to revive her or call 911, he decides to put duct tape over her mouth and throw her in a dump in a wooded area 15 houses from the Anthony home? I don`t buy it for a minute.
In fact, I think maybe the defense`s biggest mistake is trying to frame George Anthony.
HAMMER: Well, it`s going to be interesting to see what direction they take it. Of course, everybody is waiting to see if Casey Anthony would take the stand, which, quite frankly, would make all of the televised drama we`ve seen every day on HLN pale by comparison. So Nancy, what do you think? Should she do it?
GRACE: Well, conventional wisdom is that she will not take the stand. If Baez, the defense attorney, is listening to anybody on his defense team, which I doubt, he will not put her on the stand.
But you know what? For that very reason, he may put her on the stand.
HAMMER: Nancy, one last question I want to ask you because you keep referring to her as "tot mom "and that has caught a lot of people`s attention.
I tweeted that I was going to be interviewing you today. And I got a response from Shaleigh Cameron(ph), who wrote, "I would like to ask Nancy why she will only use the moniker `tot mom.` Is she afraid to say the name, Casey Anthony?"
GRACE: Well, obviously she hasn`t been watching our show, which is a big no-no, because I say Casey Anthony all the time. It`s not like I think I`m conjuring up the devil.
"Tot mom" was a moniker that was attached to her at the get-go and it stuck, just like any other nickname, so nobody is afraid of anything. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) it`s a great show. So your viewer can just put that in her pipe and smoke it.
HAMMER: Nancy Grace, thanks so much for being with us. And be sure to catch Nancy weeknights at 8:00 Eastern on HLN for the latest Casey Anthony trial coverage. And don`t forget to keep it right here on HLN all day long for continuing live coverage of the Casey Anthony murder trial.
Well, Casey Anthony is one of our nominees for most provocative celebrities of the week. But can she possibly top Tracy Morgan and Anthony Weiner? You will find out who we named, coming up.
Speaking of Weiner, Weiner goes Hollywood? Really? Tonight, the disgraced sexting former Congressman is actually getting job offers from Hollywood. Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint, should Weiner go into SHOWBIZ after showing off, well, you know.
Selena Gomez on the paparazzi. You`ve got to hear the surprising thing she tells us about the photogs that follow her everywhere. That is next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Britney Spears conservatorship to remain in effect through the rest of 2011. Stars salute their dads for Father`s Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
IVANKA TRUMP, DAUGHTER OF DONALD TRUMP: Hi, dad. It`s Ivanka. I want to wish you a very, very happy Father`s Day. You are a terrific dad. I`m eternally grateful and I`d like to celebrate you on this day. So Happy Father`s Day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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HAMMER: Did you see this? Talk about an odd couple - Justin Bieber, Chris Brown. Tonight, they are in a brand-new video together for Brown`s single "Next 2 You."
Now, in the video, Biebs and Brown save the world while, of course, protecting their ladies. I`ve got to tell you I think Justin getting together with Chris Brown in this video a little bit risky. But maybe he`s trying to help Chris clean up his image. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) reaction to it.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, the big spin on the Anthony Weiner sex scandal.
The former Congressman is reportedly in the Hamptons tonight with his wife. And this is, of course, one day after he finally resigned during a short public news conference that had one heckler calling him a pervert. The question is, did Weiner spin is right?
With me tonight in New York, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s resident spin doctor and PR guru, Howard Bragman, the founder of Fifteen Minutes Public Relations. Great to see you as always, Howard.
I cannot count the number of times that Weiner just tried to spin his way out of this mess. The question is, where did he go wrong?
Well, we know it all started when he was lying about the fact that his Twitter account was hacked, and he did that over and over, Howard.
And then, he of course gave a teary press conference but he did not resign at that press conference. He said he was sorry. He made his apologies. And then, finally, he does resign at the press conference on Thursday. Watch what happened here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REP. ANTHONY WEINER (D-NY): I`m here today to again apologize for the personal mistakes I have made and the embarrassment I have caused.
I make this apology to my neighbors and my constituents. But I make it particularly to my wife, Huma. Today, I am announcing my resignation from Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! Bye-bye, pervert.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, Howard, that`s how the spin finally ended, obviously. And I imagine knowing you now if you were advising him, you would have spun it completely differently. So spin it within a minute.
HOWARD BRAGMAN, FOUNDER, FIFTEEN MINUTES PUBLIC RELATIONS: Well, first, he shouldn`t have called Tiger Woods for PR advice. Bad move, A.J. That was his first bad move.
Every move he made was wrong. And I contend right here on national TV if he had come out, apologized, admitted it, gone into rehab right away, it would have blown over and he could have saved his job.
But bad PR took this guy down. He lied. He made the story bigger. He got belligerent with the press. Nothing was done right, A.J. Heckled at his open news conferences twice. Do you never learn?
HAMMER: Yes. Lied, lied, lied, lied and then lied some more. What`s the bottom line for the spin with Anthony Weiner?
BRAGMAN: What`s the bottom line for Anthony Weiner? We`re in the laboratory. It`s time to reinvent yourself. This is America. We all have second acts, A.J.
HAMMER: Maybe he should go work in the porn industry, and we`ll have little bit on that a little later tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The job offers are flooding in.
BRAGMAN: You know, he`s been showing his business. He`d be good in show business.
HAMMER: OK. Let`s move on now, because even as the Weiner scandal played out, Tracy Morgan tried to spin his way out of his own mess of course.
Tracy went on this homophobic rant while doing his standup comedy act in Nashville. Nothing funny about that. So now, he`s on the apology tour. He`s going back to Nashville to actually apologize to people who were there and saw the show.
He`s also making some other steps. He`s teaming up with GLAAD doing a PSA. He was in New York City just today meeting with the gay youth. I think he`s definitely on the right track.
I don`t like the fact he waited so long to initially apologize, but now, I think he`s making the right moves. Spin it within a minute, Howard.
BRAGMAN: Tracy Morgan is going to survive this, and I`ll tell you why. Number one, people generally like him. He`s a comedian. Number two, everybody knows he`s a little loose in the head to begin with, you know.
And so they give him a lot more leeway than they might give somebody else. Third thing is, he`s apologizing. He`s meeting with the groups. He`s learning. He`s trying to make it better. I give him a lot of credit for that. It hard to admit you`re wrong, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. Spin doctor, we`ve got to bring it to a close. The bottom line for Tracy Morgan, please?
BRAGMAN: Tracy Morgan, all the right moves. Proud of you dude.
HAMMER: All right, then. Well, I`m happy hear you say that, because if you`re saying that and you think he actually can repair this thing, then I believe it actually is true.
BRAGMAN: Absolutely.
HAMMER: And let`s hope Tracy really is on a genuine and correct path with us. The spin doctor, Howard Bragman, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you very much, Howard.
BRAGMAN: Thanks, A.J.
HAMMER: Moving on now, tonight, Selena Gomez`s surprising revelations about the paparazzi. She wants them to back off. But at the same time, she gets where they`re coming from.
Now, we caught up with Selena while she was out promoting her new movie, "Monte Carlo." I`ve got to say, even though she`s only 18, Selena has a pretty mature attitude about the paparazzi.
You`ve got to listen to Selena and her "Monte Carlo" co-star, Leighton Meester, who you know from "Gossip Girl," of course.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SELENA GOMEZ, SINGER AND ACTRESS: I wanted to be in this position. So in a way, I can`t be mad at them, even though I don`t really respect what they do.
There are moments in my life where I think it`s completely inappropriate, especially because I`m only 18. But they`re doing their job, I guess, so I just kind of have to keep my head down and keep moving forward.
LEIGHTON MEESTER, ACTRESS: This is our business and I guess it`s part of it. It`s sort of weird that it`s part of it because nobody should really care what I`m doing in my life. I pretty much - though I don`t do anything. I pretty much work, and the rest of the time is really boring.
But I feel like just living your life is important. And what really is good going to work and having that, and I wouldn`t give it up for anything. So if there`s moments of being annoyed, it`s fine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Good points there from Leighton and Selena. "Monte Carlo" is in theaters on July 1st. Well, tonight, Tracy Morgan, as we said, is kicking off his apology tour for his homophobic stand-up rant. Will his "I`m sorry" tour be enough?
I bet if Anthony Weiner were married to one of the "Mob Wives," he`d have to do a whole lot more than say "I`m sorry." Tonight, two stars from the VH1 show, "The Mob Wives" right here. What would they do to Anthony Weiner? I`m almost afraid to ask.
There`s a big Lady Gaga controversy tonight. Is her new video for "Edge of Glory" brilliant or a big bore?
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HAMMER: A SHOWBIZ trending debate next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Lady Gaga to be a guest judge on "So You Think You Can Dance." Stars salute dads for Father`s Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR: All the fathers out there, I just want to wish you a very happy Father`s Day. Happy Father`s Day to all the daddies out there. I am a daddy`s girl, so I love you, Daddy. He`s watching.
KELLAN LUTZ, ACTOR: Happy Father`s Day. I love you, Dad.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
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HAMMER: SHOWBIZ trending tonight, on the edge of controversy. A brand-new battle erupts over Lady Gaga`s just released video for her hit song, "Edge of Glory."
Gaga`s new video is on the edge of controversy tonight. You`d better believe it. Her fan, the little monsters, as she calls them, have been on the edge of their seats waiting for this new video to come out.
But trending tonight, is the video brilliant or a big bore? That`s the big debate out there. Gaga, of course, likes to be over-the-top. But in "Edge of Glory," it`s just her.
There are no backup dancers, no meat dress for sure, just a fog machine and that saxophonist, Clarence Clemons, who is now recovering from a stroke.
And I have to say I`m really happy to see him in this video. She loved working with him on this thing. But lots of people are surprised that there`s not a whole lot else going on in this video.
Let me bring in entertainment journalist, Kelley Carter. Kelley is in Hollywood tonight.
Hey, Kelley, I think the video is actually pretty clever. "Edge of Glory" - you know, it`s kind of an `80-ish song. So it seems Gaga`s sending kind of a shout out to all those `80s videos, not being overly complex. What do you think? Love it or hate it?
KELLEY CARTER, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: You know, I love it. And I love it because even though there are no, like, sacrilegious overtones and controversy, it still is grabbing headlines.
Lady Gaga is still getting imprints and people are going crazy talking about whether or not this is good Gaga or bad Gaga. So I`ve got to love it because it gives me something to talk about.
HAMMER: Yes. Gaga fans have this built-up expectation with her wild outfits, her performances. So it`s certainly easy to understand why they may expect something more over-the-top from Gaga every time. I mean, look at what she did with "Judas," right?
CARTER: You know, absolutely. I mean, she definitely has set the stage for doing these very over-the-top, very styled-out, you know, music videos. She`s definitely given a reason to watch music videos again.
But that said, I think that there still are some beautiful things to take note of in this video. It is a nod to the `80s. It looks much like, you know, what Madonna was doing or Michael Jackson.
HAMMER: Right.
CARTER: You know, what they were doing back in the `80s. There`s not a lot of CGI in it. It`s just Gaga dancing, strutting her stuff. And for that, it`s kind of cool.
HAMMER: And the question is, will the next one be super splashy or very minimalist? Kelley Carter, I thank you for joining us tonight.
CARTER: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: Got to move on now to the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Anthony Weiner goes Hollywood? Could it be? Tonight, the disgraced sexting former congressman gets job offers from Hollywood. Here`s our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint - should Weiner go into SHOWBIZ?
Tracy Morgan kicking off his homophobic rant apology tour. Will that be enough?
(MUSIC)
How about taken down on Friday? What the heck happened to Rebecca Black`s viral video hit? Why is it gone? I need to know. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Astronaut and "Dancing with the Stars" star Buzz Aldrin divorces third wife. Mariah Carey reveals ad for new fragrance, "Lollipop Bling."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Weiner goes Hollywood? Tonight, the disgraced sexting former congressman`s star- studded job offers. Our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint, should Weiner go into showbiz?
Plus, the stars of VH1`s "Mob Wives" reveal what they`d do if they were married to Weiner. Renee and Karen right here for a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Tracy`s train wreck rebound? Tracy Morgan starts his apology tour after his homophobic rant. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, will it be enough?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City.
And wow, do we have big news breaking tonight. We`ve got to talk about Weiner`s other package. All right, I said it. Just one day after Anthony Weiner resigned from Congress, we learned today he could be going to Hollywood. Can you imagine?
And there was new outrage as the news broke that he`s leaving with a - how do I say this - bulging retirement package that could be worth more than $1 million dollars. Now, get this - this would include an annual pension, gold-plated health plan and a Capitol Hill parking space.
Oh, my goodness! Are you kidding about this? The guy sends lewd pictures to a porn star, and now, we`re going to have to pay for his congressional perks for the rest of his life. Great.
With me tonight, in New York, we are happy to welcome back comedian Ross Mathews. He`s also a spokesman for Jenny Craig and looking fine at it.
And also with me tonight, comedian and blogger, Carey Reilly, who is with "GossipMama.com."
All right. We`re going to get to Weiner`s possible gig in just a moment. But first, I must remind everybody of the embarrassing way this all came to an end when he resigned at a rowdy news conference. Watch how this played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WEINER: Unfortunately, the distraction that have I created has made that impossible. So today, I am announcing my resignation from Congress.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes! Bye-bye, pervert!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Look, I think there should be a new congressional rule. Here it is - if you get heckled while you`re attempting to resign, you lose your taxpayer-funded retirement perks.
Ross, are you with me that maybe it was just a little bit nuts to put himself up there and subject himself to the possibility that that would happen? I think that`s why he didn`t answer questions, but it happened anyway.
ROSS MATHEWS, COMEDIAN: Well, hello! Security, right? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to security and I don`t have security. So I mean, he got heckled in his first news conference. Wouldn`t you think that they would just keep an extra eye out on the second one?
HAMMER: Now, you would think so. It sounded like a male voice, Carey. But was that you shouting "pervert"?
CAREY REILLY, COMEDIAN AND BLOGGER: OK, it was. Pervert! No, I think he deserves it. My mother used to say if you`re going to dance all night, you`ve got to pay the fiddler. There`s his fiddle. I think he deserves to be booed and (UNINTELLIGIBLE) and all that.
HAMMER: There you go talking about his fiddle.
REILLY: Well, I just can`t help myself. Am I crazy? Was it that bad? I know so many guys who do stuff like that online.
MATHEWS: Really?
REILLY: Yes, yes! I`m not going to name names, but, yes, I do. Trust me. You don`t know that they do but you know people who do that.
HAMMER: That`s probably true. But then, they probably don`t get on TV and lie about the fact that they did over and over.
REILLY: I would lie about it. Wouldn`t you lie about it?
HAMMER: It would never come to that, Carey. But today, it actually looked like there was a chance that Weiner can have a future in Hollywood.
There are reports that he had been offered to do a cameo playing himself on HBO`s hit series, "Entourage." Now, it turns out that wasn`t true. But what do you think, Ross? Could he have a future in Hollywood?
MATHEWS: Yes.
HAMMER: Is there a particular role you`d like him to play or show to be on.
MATHEWS: Well, I just don`t think it`s a shock he`s going Hollywood. I mean, does anyone really expect Weiner to go down the straight and narrow? Yes.
No, I don`t think he`s going to become a show man, but I mean, I think he should capitalize on all of this right now. Because I think - I even feel - I talked to the people on the street about this, because I like talking to people.
And I feel like tides are turning a little bit. People are kind of starting to think like - that he was a really good politician. And people are starting to feel bad for him.
HAMMER: Well, now people will be able to decide again. And it`s nice that you like to talk to the people, by the way.
MATHEWS: Yes.
HAMMER: People will be able to decide again whether or not they want to accept him. He`s out of office. So if he does go on a show, they`ll cast their vote by either watching and paying attention or not.
MATHEWS: And he should. He should go on like a "Tonight Show," like Jay Leno show or something and really - let`s talk about it, because then I think it takes the taboo away from it a little bit, if he can just make a little joke about himself.
REILLY: I think he should do a reality show. I think he should follow in the steps of Kim Kardashian. What would you name that reality show? There`s so many possibilities.
MATHEWS: "Weiner Goes Wild" -
HAMMER: Let me move this right along. I realize it`s Friday night and all, but don`t get too excited here, Ross.
MATHEWS: I have like 14 titles but I can`t say any of them on TV.
HAMMER: Here`s a job or a place he might be well-suited for a job, the porn industry. What do you think about that? It turns out that Weiner got a legitimate offer today from porn king, Larry Flint.
Let me read the letter that Larry wrote Weiner. This is what it said, "After having learned of your sudden and compelled resignation from your congressional post, I would like to make you an offer of employment at Flint Management Group."
"This offer is not made in jest. We are willing to pay 20 percent more than your former congressional salary." Carey, should Weiner take it and maybe get some advice perhaps from his Twitter pal, former porn star Ginger Lee on what he should do in this business?
REILLY: Well, I think when Larry Flint is in your life boat, things are really bad. You know what I mean?
HAMMER: Why is that? He`s a successful entrepreneur.
REILLY: Yes, but when that`s like the best job offer you have, things are not looking good. No, I don`t think - I think he should steer clear of that. You know what I mean? I think - I don`t know. I think maybe something more conservative, like get involved with the Catholic Church. Do what you`ve got to do. I don`t know.
MATHEWS: I kind of feel like, listen, it`s a job offer at least. Have you seen the job reports out there? It`s a recession, or haven`t you heard? He should be grateful he`s getting offers.
REILLY: He cannot go and work with Larry Flint.
MATHEWS: Why not?
REILLY: It`s insane.
MATHEWS: Not if he can be quality control inspector. It`s what he should be.
REILLY: First all, you know he wants a centerfold. That`s what he really wants. He doesn`t want to be behind the scenes. He wants to be in front of the camera and be naked.
HAMMER: Then he should go work for Larry Flint.
MATHEWS: He`s qualified. If there`s any job besides being a congressman, he`s qualified for the job though.
REILLY: I don`t know if he`s qualified for the picture?
HAMMER: Should we move on to another celebrity train wreck?
REILLY: If we have to.
HAMMER: Why not? Because Tracy Morgan remains in the headlines. He is on his apology tour. He is going back to Nashville next week. He`s going there to apologize for this homophobic rant he went on at a comedy club.
I just spoke with Fran Drescher, whose husband revealed he was gay after their marriage ended. I also spoke with Tracy`s former "SNL" co- star, Jim Breuer. And I wanted to get each of their takes on Tracy. Watch what they told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIM BREUER, COMEDIAN: Tracy`s off cuff. He said when he had to say. He realized it. He apologized. But to keep going, "Then you can`t say we`re one nation under God. I said I`m sorry." Now, is he truly sorry? I`m going to say without a doubt he is.
FRAN DRESCHER, COMEDIENNE AND ACTRESS: I find this completely unacceptable and outrageous. And I don`t really - I will - I don`t know if I can, you know, accept any kind of apology.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Russ, are you buying Jim`s argument at all that he should be cut a break simply because, number one, he`s Tracy Morgan.
And Jim said even beyond the fact that he`s a comedian, he`s Tracy Morgan and, essentially, was alluding to the fact that maybe, you know, there are a couple of chips not fully charged or something like that. Or are you more with what Fran is saying that under no circumstances is what he said right?
MATHEWS: Well, let me just say what he said was unacceptable, horribly offensive, not only to me, but to every person who knows a gay person, loves a gay person, has met a gay person. Horrible.
Now, that being said, the man is apologizing. You know, and I`ve done things in my life I regretted doing or saying, and I`ve apologized. I`ve been lucky enough that people have forgiven me.
I think he`s not only apologizing. He didn`t just release a statement. He`s partnering with GLAAD, going out of his way to apologize.
HAMMER: I agree and he needed to take those steps in order to move past this, which I think he will now.
REILLY: Yes. And also, I mean, when you`re a comic - you know I`m a comic - and you`re in the room and you are going down and you see that maybe people are going to laugh at that, you go for it.
And you don`t really understand what you`re doing in the moment but they`re such quick second decisions. And I`m not saying he`s wrong or right. But if he goes ahead and he works with the appropriate people and does the appropriate things, then we do have to forgive him.
HAMMER: Yes. I guarantee you this - he will never work any of that into his act ever again.
REILLY: No.
HAMMER: And I`m happy to see him taking the measures he`s taking. Carey Reilly, Ross Mathews, got to end it there. And Ross, again, congratulations. I know you`ve been very busy working with Jenny Craig as their spokesman.
MATHEWS: Forty pounds!
HAMMER: So congratulations on that.
MATHEWS: Thank you.
HAMMER: And thanks for making time for us tonight. All right. Moving on now, the one person who has been extremely quiet during Anthony Weiner`s roast has been his wife.
Now, we`ve all been wondering what should Huma do? Should she dump him? Well, coming up next, the stars of "Mob Wives" will reveal what they would do if they were married to the disgraced former congressman. I`m very eager to hear this. Renee and Karen from the VH1 show right here in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And here we go. It`s my favorite part of the week. Just moments away, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT naming the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Weiner for sexting his way right out of Congress?
Maybe Casey Anthony as her murder trial becomes the biggest TV drama of the summer? Or perhaps Tracy Morgan for his homophobic rant and now apology tour? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Rihanna named tourism ambassador for her home country, Barbados. Stars salute their dads on Father`s Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Happy Father`s Day, fathers out there.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: To all the fathers of the world, Happy Father`s Day to you.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: That`s good.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Dad, look for that $15 check.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, it`s the "Mob Wives" unplugged.
With me tonight for our SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview are two of VH1`s "Mob Wives," Renee Graziano and Karen Gravano. And we are not wasting any time getting right to the juiciest news of the day.
Let`s talk cheating husbands. We`ve got to talk Weiner, Arnold, all of them. Ladies, it`s really nice to meet you. I appreciate you both being here.
There`s a lot of speculation today whether former Congressman Anthony Weiner`s wife will really stay with him. Now, Anthony`s claimed in the past she will stay with him.
Of course, Anthony Weiner resigned with all the boos and heckles from the audience after it was revealed that he tweeted and E-mailed photos of his private parts to various women.
His wife reportedly is now pregnant, was nowhere to be found at his press conference, not standing there by his side. She was completely silent the whole time, hasn`t released a statement, nothing going on.
So Karen, I`ve got to ask you, if you were married and your husband did something like Weiner did, what would you do? Would you just instantly kick him to the curb?
KAREN GRAVANO, REALITY TV STAR, "MOB WIVES": Probably. I`d probably instantly kick him out the door. I mean, it`s hard to say because you don`t know what goes on in the household. But for me, if it happened in my household, yes, I`d kick him out.
HAMMER: The package is being texted around. That`s not -
GRAVANO: The package needs to stay in your pants or in our bed, not all over the place.
HAMMER: What do you think, Renee? I mean, does that just cross the line so far that it`s irreparable? Or is there a chance you`d give him a shot?
RENEE GRAZIANO, REALITY TV STAR, "MOB WIVES": First, I`d like to say that I think Anthony Weiner is a cocky man, no pun intended. But -
HAMMER: Certainly, no pun intended.
GRAZIANO: No. I personally - yes, don`t bother coming home. Don`t even attempt the phone call.
HAMMER: OK. Well, I know your feelings about Weiner right now. So let`s move on to another major cheating scandal that`s also got big news breaking today.
Let`s talk about Arnold Schwarzenegger. His mistress and former housekeeper speaking out for the first time, explaining how she told Arnold`s wife, of course Maria Shriver, about her secret child with Arnold.
She said Maria had suspected all along and was strong and understanding when she finally found out about this. Karen, if you were in Maria`s shoes, would you have been strong and understanding if you found out that your husband had a child with the housekeeper? I give a lot of credit to Maria. But really?
GRAVANO: Absolutely. I definitely give her a lot of credit. It`s just so hard when there are kids involved. You know, you try to be strong and keep it together.
And hey, you don`t - again, it`s their household and what goes on. But I think would I definitely be strong and try to hold it together, at least for the kids.
HAMMER: Would you be hugging the housekeeper, say it`s OK?
GRAVANO: No.
HAMMER: Not you?
GRAVANO: No.
HAMMER: I have a feeling I know what you would do.
GRAVANO: Yes.
HAMMER: If it were you, Renee?
GRAZIANO: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) to feel my heart right now.
HAMMER: Put yourself in Maria`s shoes.
GRAZIANO: I`ve been there. Been there.
HAMMER: Yes. How did that go down?
GRAZIANO: She went down actually. No, for me it`s been very, very rough. When I had found out that my son`s father had had a child before we had gotten divorced, I was extremely upset.
And I did not handle it as graciously as Maria has. So I think it depends on the woman. It depends on how you feel about your husband. It depends on, you know, what - the love for my son - I felt very disrespected.
And it wasn`t just me. It was for my child, more or less. So I commend her. I think she`s an amazing woman for handling it the way she did because I would have called a mob wife.
GRAVANO: Yes, if she would have called me, I would have come over. We would have handled it.
HAMMER: Taking care of business.
GRAZIANO: Yes, absolutely.
HAMMER: Is it politically incorrect for me to say something about swimming with the fishes right now? Or I should -
GRAZIANO: No, it`s OK. But I personally wouldn`t go there. I would just, you know, maybe tripped down the stairs.
HAMMER: You know, I remember when you guys first got together to do "Mob Wives," there was no love there. Actually, let me put it more bluntly. You basically hated each other - is my understanding of the situation.
But let`s take a little look at some of "Mob Wives" with the ladies there.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GRAVANO: I wanted to talk to you because I walk into a party and (EXPLETIVE DELETED) -
GRAZIANO: I walked away because I don`t (EXPLETIVE DELETED) feel comfortable with you.
GRAVANO: Then leave -
GRAZIANO: I don`t leave anywhere. I never did and I never (EXPLETIVE DELETED) will.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. And look at the two of you sitting here smiling all buddy-buddy. Is this for real now? Because it seems like you guys really do get along and everything`s good.
GRAVANO: We definitely have respect for one another. We are two women that understand each other`s position and we have respect and love for one another.
You know, we realize that we are people that are going to be outspoken. We`re going to say how we feel and either we`re going to move on from it or just not going to talk. And we decided we`re going to move on for it and we have a great relationship now.
HAMMER: Is that for real, Renee?
GRAZIANO: Absolutely. To go back to that for a minute - I was brought up in my house that I believed everything that my father told me, so that kind of grew with me.
And when Karen and I had first, you know, met up with each other after all that time, it was all of that ignorance that had come out of me.
HAMMER: And that`s a lot of family history that people are going to have to watch your show or check out your Web site to understand because I`m out of time. But it`s great to meet you both.
GRAZIANO: Thank you.
GRAVANO: Thank you.
HAMMER: We have Renee Graziano and Karen Gravano. And make you are you catch "Mob Wives" on VH1.
Moving on now, it`s Friday, Friday. But apparently, you can`t sing along with Rebecca Black anymore. The can`t-get-it-out-of-your-head song vanishes from YouTube. Oh, the horror.
And after walking away out on millions, is Dave Chappelle ready to return to TV? Those stories are on top of "The Buzz Today."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) Chappelle`s TV comeback on hold? Dave Chappelle has just slammed the breaks on his much buzzed-about return to TV. The comedian`s rep tells "EW.com" the reports Chappelle is planning to jump start his career by signing a deal with online services Netflix or Hulu are absolutely untrue.
"EW.com" says that while Chappelle is still expressing interest in returning to TV, if he decides to do it, it will be on a much larger scale.
(MUSIC)
"Friday" is gone? It just isn`t Friday without Rebecca Black`s infamous YouTube hit. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you "Friday" was just yanked from YouTube.
Rebecca`s rep confirmed to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "We submitted a takedown notice to YouTube as a result of the dispute we have with Ark Music regarding the `Friday` video."
(END VIDEOTAPE)
That makes me kind of sad. Well, "Friday" may be gone from YouTube, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s fantastic Friday institution is right here to stay. We are naming the most provocative celebrity of the week.
Will it be Anthony Weiner for sexting his way right out of a job in Congress? Will it be Casey Anthony as her murder trial becomes the TV obsession of the summer? Or will we name Tracy Morgan for his offensive, anti-gay rant and his "I`m so sorry" tour. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: "Dancing" pro, Mark Ballas, teaching Kim Kardashian to dance for wedding. Stars salute their dads on Father`s Day.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROMEO, RAPPER: I just want to say to my best friend, the best man ever, the man that made me the person I am today, I love you. Happy Father`s Day. You can never be replaced. I know I don`t say it enough, but I love you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, yes, it`s that time once again. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT naming the most provocative celebrity of the week. Will it be Anthony Weiner, whose sexting peccadilloes got him into a pickle and forced him out of his job in Congress?
Or will it be Casey Anthony as her murder trial really becomes the biggest TV sensation since the O.J. Simpson trial? Maybe it`s Tracy Morgan for his offensive anti-gay rant and his now subsequent apology tour. Three very different controversies, each of those stories sparking a lot of outrage tonight.
Back with me in New York to help sort out all of this, TV personality and Jenny Craig spokesperson, Ross Mathews and Carey Reilly who is a comedian and blogger from "GossipMama.com."
Guys, I`ve got to tell you we`re actually taking quite a bit of heat on our Facebook wall over even including Casey Anthony as a nominee tonight. I actually can`t repeat most of the comments that we`re seeing up there on the wall.
But there`s no question about it in my mind, Ross, this thing is playing out. This trial has more twists and turns than any other drama on TV.
MATHEWS: Absolutely. But I have a little point of contention with calling her a celebrity. I just feel like that just sends a message that you can become a celebrity by doing allegedly something like this, you know?
I don`t enjoy that. Provocative, yes. I mean, I`m following it. I can`t stop reading about it and watching it, but I don`t like celebrity.
HAMMER: That`s fair enough. Who do you think we should name SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week?
REILLY: Oh, the Weiner dog. Definitely. Forget it. I mean, now, that she`s pregnant? I mean, it`s unbelievable. Then he gets this package and - I know, the package. But the package -
HAMMER: You`re talking about the retirement package.
REILLY: I think it`s unbelievable. I cannot believe that.
HAMMER: All right. It would be two weeks in a row if he does indeed get the honor because he was SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s most provocative celebrity of the week last week after the big sexting scandal first broke prior to his resignation. Of to you, Ross, who do you think it should be?
MATHEWS: I think it should be John Edwards because he`s fallen -
HAMMER: John Edwards is not a nominee.
MATHEWS: I know but -
HAMMER: Are you watching a different channel?
MATHEWS: No, I`m watching here -
HAMMER: Are you watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT?
MATHEWS: I watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. But tonight, I`m on it and I just cannot give my opinion. That`s just what I thought.
HAMMER: OK. That`s fair. All right. Let me just get right to it.
MATHEWS: Come on, am I going to play by the rules here?
HAMMER: I guess not. Apparently, of the three people we have nominated - let us get the drum roll so we can officially show who we have named the most provocative celebrity of the week - no surprise, it is Anthony Weiner.
MATHEWS: Yes.
HAMMER: And here`s what I`d like to say here and now. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT declares a ban on all Weiner puns and punch lines, that is unless he does something that is bone-headed, if you will, and all bets are off.
But if you have one more, Carey, I`ll take one pun before we go. The night is young.
REILLY: It`s a long way for a hotdog. That`s all I got. Oh, no. A long way for a hotdog.
HAMMER: All right. Ross, since now I know you officially tune into SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and you`re the first person to have actually said it should somebody who wasn`t even nominated, you have five seconds for your last Weiner pun before we set it down.
MATHEWS: If can you say anything nice about Weiner, at least he`s not stiff, you know?
REILLY: What I do? Mine was G at least.
HAMMER: Thank you, Ross, and thank you, Carrie. Have a great night.
MATHEWS: What did I say?
HAMMER: Music, please. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Please keep in mind SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now seen exclusively Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on HLN. Not good.
END
