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Showbiz Tonight
Dramatic Testimony from George Anthony; Beyonce on Having Children; Showbiz Tonight Real Star Stories: Child Star, Lost Star
Aired June 28, 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: More big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - inside the mind of Casey Anthony. Tonight, what`s going on in Casey`s head right now as she hears dramatic testimony today from her father?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never told Krystal Holloway while the two of you were being romantic that this was an accident that snowballed out of control?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks what would life actually be like for Casey if she actually gets acquitted?
Child star, lost star? Tonight, brand-new revelations from former child star, Kirk Cameron, on surviving Hollywood`s land mines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIRK CAMERON, ACTOR: There were probably three very crucial factors in me being able to keep my head through all of this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why he says firing his own mom saved their family. Beyonce`s big brand-new confession on the day her new album drops. Tonight, Beyonce on having kids.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEYONCE KNOWLES, SINGER: I always said I would have a baby at 30.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Her explosive revelations about dealing with racism. 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 with big news breaking tonight - inside the mind of Casey Anthony.
It is hard for me to even conceive what has been going through the mind of Casey Anthony over the past 30 days of her trial on charges she killed her two-year-old daughter, Caylee.
And if there was ever a day that you had to think what was going through Casey`s mind had to be mind-boggling. Well, today was it, as Casey sat and listened to the meter reader who found her daughter`s remains, as she sat and listened to her own mother testifying again, her brother testifying again, and her father called back on the stand and grilled about allegedly cheating on Casey`s mom with a mom named Krystal Holloway.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have a romantic relationship with her?
GEORGE ANTHONY, FATHER OF CASEY ANTHONY: No, sir, no. To me that`s - that`s very funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very funny?
G. ANTHONY: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And were you ever intimate with her?
G. ANTHONY: No, sir. That also is very funny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Today`s drama all played out live right here on HLN every day. Let me bring in the all-stars right now. Jane Velez-Mitchell, right there on the scene of the trial in Orlando tonight.
Jane is the host, of course, of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL." You can see it every night at 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on HLN.
Also in Orlando, we`re thrilled to have TV judge Alex, Alex Ferrer, who`s been commenting on the trial right here on HLN.
And joining from New York tonight, Atty. Sunny Hostin from "In Session." Sunny bringing us her compelling trial insights here on HLN every day.
All right, all stars. Got to tell you, we`re all stunned today, as Casey watched her father get grilled by her own defense team about that alleged affair with Holloway who was one of the many volunteers who was looking for Casey`s remains.
You have got to see how he responded just this afternoon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is it your testimony that she was just another volunteer?
G. ANTHONY: Absolutely, just another volunteer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No different than any other volunteer?
G. ANTHONY: No, because everyone who ever volunteered at our command centers, stuff like that, some people became more than just volunteers. They became friends.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Did you have a romantic relationship with her?
G. ANTHONY: No, sir, no. To me that`s - that`s very funny.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Very funny?
G. ANTHONY: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And were you ever intimate with her?
G. ANTHONY: No, sir. That also is very funny.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You heard what he said, the idea that Krystal Holloway was his mistress just a joke to him. Jane Velez-Mitchell, off to you. What do you think was going through Casey`s mind as she watched her father just squirming on the stand like that?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Well, this was an absolutely crucial moment for Casey. Remember, her entire defense rests on the notion, the claim that this was an accidental drowning that kind of snowballed out of control with a cover-up.
Now, we know that her father, George, has denied it on the stand once before. This was probably his last chance to do something for his daughter and say, "Yes, it was accidental." He chose not to.
Maybe she should have thought of this before she accused him of molesting her.
HAMMER: Judge Alex, off to you. What do you think was going through Casey`s mind as she watched her father, clearly uncomfortable, up there on the stand and having to answer some pretty tough questions?
JUDGE ALEX FERRER, JUDGE ALEX: Probably not much. I don`t think - I think Casey is a sociopath to be honest with you. I don`t think she feels for anybody but herself.
And the question directed to her father about whether he had an affair or didn`t have an affair with River Cruz, frankly, is a big "so what." I mean, that`s between him and his wife if he had an affair, but it doesn`t get us any closer to finding out how Caylee died.
I know that they`ve laid out an accidental drowning defense which just won`t fly the way they have laid it out. And I wanted to hear the questions about sexual abuse. That`s something relevant to the case.
HAMMER: And of course, all of this just a start for Casey`s defense team this afternoon. They kept on pressing Casey`s father about that alleged mistress, Judge Alex, saying not really all that important.
But the father claims he told her that Caylee`s death was an accident rather and not murder. Watch what happened as far as that is concerned today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never told Krystal Holloway, while the two of you were being romantic, that this was an accident that snowballed out of control?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So the record, to be clear, is the answer yes or no, Mr. Anthony?
G. ANTHONY: Would you ask that one more time, please.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You never told her this was an accident that snowballed out of control?
G. ANTHONY: Never did.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Were you paying attention there? I couldn`t help but notice that Casey saw her father hesitate in the same way that we all just did.
Sunny, in that crucial moment, do you think that maybe what was going through Casey`s mind was, "Hey, my whole future could be riding on what my dad says here?"
SUNNY HOSTIN, CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": You know, I don`t think we`ll ever know what`s in Casey`s mind because I will agree with Judge Alex that I think that she really cares about herself.
She obviously has these narcissistic tendencies. But I`m going to disagree with Judge Alex about the import of George Anthony`s testimony. I did not find him credible when he claimed that he had no relationship, romantically or otherwise, with this woman.
He testified that he visited her to console her because she had some sort of condition, some health condition. And he also sent her E-mails. He visited her at her home.
I think that that testimony was not credible. And if that testimony was not credible, it`s not much of a leap for a juror on that jury to think, well, maybe he`s lying about something else. Maybe he is part of this cover-up, maybe he`s a liar-
FERRER: Like what?
HOSTIN: And that is really important for this defense because he looks to me to be very cagey on the witness stand and he wasn`t a likeable witness today.
I know you`re going to disagree with me, Judge Alex, but that is what the defense needs to do.
FERRER: No, no, no.
HOSTIN: And I thought they did it well with him.
FERRER: Sunny, I`m not necessarily disagreeing with you. I don`t think he was credible either. I thought he was about as credible in his testimony about not having a relationship as Cindy was in her testimony about having done all those computer searches.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Excuse me, people. Any man -
FERRER: Where does it get us to?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Any man who goes and comforts a woman is lying. The only reason anybody visits anybody of the opposite sex is to have sex?
FERRER: No, not the only reason.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s absurd.
FERRER: It did not come off as credible.
HOSTIN: It didn`t. It didn`t.
FERRER: What was he lying about then? Because the problem is this - they want to allege that this was a drowning and that George found the body and that George disposed of the body of his granddaughter like a bag of garbage.
Remember, George is an ex-cop. He knows his daughter is not going to get into trouble for an accidental drowning.
HOSTIN: Yes, yes.
FERRER: He was not going to put the body in the trunk of her car where he knows, as a cop, that it will decompose.
(CROSS TALK)
HOSTIN: But remember - remember, Judge Alex, he also got on the witness stand. And when asked by the prosecution, first witness, did you sexually abuse your daughter, he said no. He looked down and said no.
Now, we have that testimony juxtaposed against this testimony. If the jury thinks he`s lying about this mistress -
FERRER: But he still needs a (INAUDIBLE) testimony.
HOSTIN: They may still he`s lying about the sexual abuse.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: (INAUDIBLE) you can`t put together a sentence. He`s been through hell.
FERRER: You can`t use denial. You need direct testimony.
HOSTIN: Of course. Of course. But now -
FERRER: If that`s going to argue that, she needs to take the stand.
HOSTIN: I agree. She`s got to take the stand.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: She`s not going to take the stand.
FERRER: OK.
HOSTIN: If she takes the witness stand and she says her father sexually abused her, you may get that one juror. I`m not saying it`s true.
FERRER: I get your point.
HOSTIN: They may get that one juror to think, "Uh-oh, he`s a liar. Maybe he did sexually abuse her."
FERRER: But you still have - you still have the unfathomable problem of the defense that they included George in the drowning scenario.
So now, a jury would have to believe that not only did he dispose of his granddaughter`s body, knowing his daughter would not get in trouble for an accidental drowning, because it`s an accident and it happens every day, but then watches his daughter get tried for first-degree murder when the body is found instead of coming forward going, "Guys, I was there. It was an accidental drowning." He`d rather let her go to the death chamber.
HAMMER: Let me turn all of what you`re saying to Jane Velez-Mitchell. Jane, what`s your take on all of this?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, first of all, I think to attack George and say he`s not credible because he said that he went there to comfort a woman is really cruel.
This man has already been through hell. He`s been accused of everything under the book. He was searching desperately for his daughter. He had a lot of empathy and feelings, good feelings toward people who were also involved in that search.
This woman was a volunteer who was searching. And I don`t think that it`s incredible to imagine that a man would go over to a woman`s house to comfort her -
HOSTIN: Oh, it is, Jane.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: When she has some kind of cancer.
HOSTIN: Come on. Come on.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: No. I think it says more about -
HOSTIN: You know I love you, Jane, but you`re way off on that one.
FERRER: That`s so sexist.
HOSTIN: Oh, my gosh.
(CROSS TALK)
VELEZ-MITCHELL: I think it`s sexist against men.
HAMMER: All right. OK. OK. Order in the court of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for just one second. Sunny, I want to thank you. Jane, Judge Alex, we`ve got a lot more to talk about, so please, stay right where you are. More Casey Anthony is coming up in just a moment.
Because coming up next, defending Casey. Tonight we`re posing a startling question. Is there enough evidence to convict Casey Anthony at all anyway? And what if she`s acquitted? I mean, what`s life going to be like for her? That`s next.
Also, Beyonce`s big, brand-new confessions on the very day her new album drops. Wait until you hear Beyonce tonight on having kids.
And Neil Patrick Harris` incredible revelations, how he made the transition from being Doogie Howser to being a big grown-up star today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NEIL PATRICK HARRIS, ACTOR: Hollywood takes a toll when you`re young.
KAREEN WYNTER, CORRESPONDENT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: When that series ended, he made a fateful decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So how was Neil able to stay so grounded where so many other child stars have failed? 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: Top eight finalists on "The Voice" are going on tour. Tom Hanks reveals "Toy Story 4" is in the works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TOM HANKS, ACTOR: I understand it`s happening, and if it is, I hope they will hire me as Woody. They have almost every line I`ve ever said in the hard drive up there at Pixar, so they might not need me.
I hope they have some unique grunts that they`re going to need from me so I can get in there and do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
G. ANTHONY: Sir, I never had a romantic affair with Krystal Holloway, River Cruz, or whatever name she wanted to give you or the world. If I`m not mistaken, sir, she has a questionable past.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yet another dramatic moment from a can`t-miss-a-moment trial of Casey Anthony. That`s Casey`s dad, George Anthony, giving eye-popping testimony today, telling the court he never had an affair with a volunteer who helped in the desperate search for his granddaughter, Caylee. And of course, it was all seen live right here on HLN.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, defending Casey. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that even though the case against Casey Anthony is intense and it is incriminating, a startling question continues to hang over the trial.
Is it all enough to convict her? Well, tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, what will Casey Anthony`s life be like if she is acquitted?
Back with us tonight from outside the courtroom in Orlando, Jane Velez- Mitchell, the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," 7:00 p.m. Eastern every night here on HLN. Also in Orlando tonight, TV judge, Alex Ferrer.
Guys, we seem to be just days away now from the case going to the jury. And as you both know, this is anything but a slam dunk for the prosecution. While the case is certainly long on drama, it is short on solid evidence.
Jane, is it too far-fetched to think the conclusion of this gripping soap opera will end with Casey Anthony being acquitted?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, she might get acquitted of first-degree murder, but there`s a slew of other charges, four of them are lying to cops. She`s definitely going to get convicted of that.
That has been established beyond a reasonable doubt. I think everyone would agree. Of course, that would be time served. She`s been in jail for quite a while. She could also get convicted of aggravated child abuse.
So it`s not just a question of guilt or innocence. There are approximately seven charges, plus lesser included, that she faces.
And I don`t think she`s just going to walk, walk, walk, although I will never predict what a jury will do because, remember, the Michael Jackson case where everybody thought he was going to go away and he was acquitted on all counts. So never say never.
HAMMER: Yes, that`s for sure. And let`s talk specifically about an acquittal of the murder charges. Remember, when O.J. Simpson was acquitted of killing his ex-wife and her friend back in 1995.
There was even a sense even though a jury set him free, O.J. was guilty. Of course, I don`t have to tell you that. O.J. was a wealthy man. He lived a comfortable life.
But if Casey is acquitted, she`s broke and her parent`s home is now in foreclosure. So Judge Alex, I don`t know. Can you see her cashing in right away and maybe writing a tell-all book or something?
FERRER: Well, I don`t know about financially, but I`ll tell you her life will be hell whether she`s convicted or acquitted unless she gets first- degree murder, because if she gets the death penalty, she`s put in isolation.
If she`s gets something less, she`s going to be in gen pop. And in general population, they don`t think kindly of the people who hurt children. Those people do the worst in prison.
If she gets acquitted, she`s not like O.J. O.J. was a big menacing figure who was accused of murdering his wife and her new guy with his bare hands, OK? So nobody - while they may come up to him, "Hey, I want to be the murderer," and made snide comments, nobody was going to take him on.
She`s a woman accused of murdering her own child. She`s going to have a rough life anywhere.
HAMMER: Yes. And people continue to go after O.J., and they still do. He`s pretty much been a pariah since he wasn`t convicted. He was acquitted. I think the same thing is going to happen to Casey Anthony. I mean, Jane, how will she ever be able to walk the streets again?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, unfortunately, we live in a culture where people become celebrities based on their bad behavior. So yes, absolutely, I think she will get a deal to write a book.
She may write one with her mom, Cindy, who has been taking notes throughout the trial. She will also probably get some kind of a deal where her story will become a Lifetime-type movie.
And on top of that, I think that nothing is out of range of possibility in today`s upside-down world. She could even get her own reality show. I mean, "Keeping Up with Casey Anthonys." It could happen.
HAMMER: It could happen, but, man, you know, we`ve talked on the show before. Will riots break out? I hope it would never come to that and that people would keep their common sense about themselves.
But oh, it`s just hard to imagine what will happen if she does walk. Judge Alex, Jane Velez-Mitchell, I thank you both. And of course, keep it right here on HLN for continuing coverage of latest developments in the Casey Anthony murder trial.
As we move on tonight, we have to talk about Beyonce`s big brand-new confessions to CNN`s Piers Morgan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KNOWLES: I always said I would have a baby at 30.
PIERS MORGAN, HOST, "PIERS MORGAN TONIGHT": I know you did.
KNOWLES: I`m 29.
MORGAN: Exactly. Can we expect the little patter of little Beyonce and Jay-Z`s?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Beyonce on having kids and her explosive revelations about dealing with racism.
Child star, lost star? Tonight, we`re one-on-one with Kirk Cameron. Brand-new revelations from the "Growing Pains" star on surviving Hollywood`s land mines.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: When he was 18 years old, Cameron says he decided to end that part of their relationship.
CAMERON: For me, it was, like, I don`t like treating my mom like a business associate. She`s mom.
WYNTER: So nothing personal, but just felt it was the right thing to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why he says firing his own mom saved their family. That is coming up.
Now, it`s time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: "Survivor" host Jeff Probst gets daytime talk show, will premiere in fall 2012. SHOWBIZ first look at film about Bernie Madoff, "Chasing Madoff."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Money manager Bernie Madoff.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It looked like nothing from finance.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t get straight lines in financing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If this guy was a baseball player, he would be hitting a .964. Took me five minutes to figure this out that this was explosive, that this was going to rock the world and needed to be solved.
HAMMER: And now, the SHOWBIZ buzz list, the things the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff just can`t stop buzzing about this week.
Well, the Essence Music Festival starts this Friday in New Orleans. I can`t wait to head on down to the Big Easy for that.
Mary Louise Parker is smoking. I`m so happy. The new season of "Weeds" is back on Showtime.
Well, this could very well be the party song of the summer, LMFAO`s "Party Rock Anthem."
I`ve got a feeling that the Black Eyed Peas` new videogame is going to be a huge hit. See if you can (INAUDIBLE) Fergie and Will.I.Am.
And the robots in disguise are back. "Transformers" sequel, "Dark of the Moon," out this week. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: It`s over. I`m sorry, but it`s over.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, big Beyonce news.
Beyonce`s new album, "Four," dropped today and to go along with it, she is dropping all kinds of never-before-heard details about her life.
In a revealing new interview with CNN`s Piers Morgan, Beyonce talks all about her husband Jay-Z and whether they are ready to start a family. It`s Beyonce unplugged.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) There`s already a lot we know about Beyonce. She`s a music superstar, a fashion icon and a proud diva.
KNOWLES: I`m a diva. I`ve worked hard.
HAMMER: But in her brand-new interview with CNN`s Piers Morgan, Beyonce who admits she`s not the most revealing celebrity out there, reveals some details we`ve never heard before.
She`s uncommonly open about her super private relationship with her superstar husband, Jay-Z.
KNOWLES: I definitely had a very natural friendship and connection with him.
HAMMER: Her plans to have a baby.
KNOWLES: OK. I always said I would have a baby at 30.
HAMMER: And her views on race.
MORGAN: Have you had to put up with racism as you grew up? Did you experience the bad side of it?
KNOWLES: A bit. I don`t think people think about my race. I think they look at me as an entertainer and a musician. And I`m very happy that that`s changing because I think that`s how I look at people.
HAMMER: The superstar couple rarely speak about each other in public, and Beyonce tells Piers that`s no accident.
KNOWLES: Jay and I have kind of made a decision that we want to be known for our music and, you know, not our relationships or scandals.
And it`s hard because sometimes, like, OK, I can`t talk about him, but he`s amazing.
HAMMER: And then there`s the issue that`s been asked, gossiped about and hinted at ever since these two music superstars got together. When are they having a baby?
MORGAN: Can we expect the little patter of little Beyonce and Jay-Z`s?
KNOWLES: You know, only God knows.
HAMMER: Beyonce turns 30 in September and she tells CNN`s Piers Morgan she`s happy where she is.
KNOWLES: I feel, you know, like, I`m very aware of who I am, and I feel great.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And she looks great, too, doesn`t she? Beyonce`s new album "Four" is in stores right now. It is time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup. Here`s what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Are child stars doomed to trouble? No, not Tatyana Ali. She started out on "Sesame Street" and then she starred alongside Will Smith in "Fresh Prince of Bel-Air." So how did she avoid the pitfalls of being a kid actress?
Also, we`re one-on-one with "Little House on the Prairie" star, Alison Arngrim. Her stunning revelations that that show saved her life.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALISON ARNGRIM, ACTRESS: So I had this enormous creative outlet and this outlet for my rage that really most people in my situation don`t get.
HAMMER (on camera): Sure.
ARNGRIM: So that`s when people said, "Did Nellie Oleson save your life?" I have to go, yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a not-to-be-missed SHOWBIZ special report, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s real star stories, "Child Star, Lost Star," next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Russell Brand and Kristen Wiig named PETA`s sexiest vegetarians. Smurfette models in "Harper`s Bazaar" magazine!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, real star stories, "Child Star, Lost Star." Does being a child star always lead to disaster? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes one-on-one with the child stars who have beaten the odds. The remarkable success of Doogie Howser, MD star, Neil Patrick Harris.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HARRIS: Hollywood takes a toll on you when you`re young.
WYNTER: When that series ended, he made a fateful decision.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Harris` shocking revelations to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about how he survived fame as the world`s most famous kid doctor on TV.
All right. Remember this little guy? He stole the spotlight in Tom Cruise` film, "Jerry Maguire."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONATHAN LIPNICKI, ACTOR: Jerry, did you know a human head weighs eight pounds?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you see him now. Jonathan Lipnicki is all grown up. And wait until you hear what he tells us about how he escaped the early pitfalls of fame.
Kirk`s shocking "Growing Pains" confessions. `80s heartthrob Kirk Cameron speaks out about SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about growing up on set and the toll his early fame took on his family.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer coming to you from New York City with this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - real star stories, "Child Star, Lost Star."
We are digging deep into the risky world of young fame. And right now, we begin with the child stars done right. You know, out of the countless cautionary tales of kids who got famous when they were young only to head down the wrong road, we can now reveal the real stories of child stars who have beaten the odds.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the secrets straight from former child stars who are now celebrating success in Hollywood and beyond. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER (voice-over): Lindsay Lohan at 12.
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: I can`t believe it`s you.
WYNTER: Lindsay Lohan at 21. Another child star gone off track. There are more than enough to fill a police lineup. Dana Plato, Gary Coleman, Mischa Barton, Tracy Gold.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wants to know, is every child star doomed to live troubled lives? Doctor of psychology Wendy Walsh says there is hope.
WENDY WALSH, DOCTOR OF PSYCHOLOGY: Because it`s a hard road to walk. Remember, these are children, and they suddenly enter a very adult world where there are partly adult pressures, but a lot of adult pleasures. They enter a land of no no`s.
NATALIE PORTMAN, ACTRESS: It feels very, very dream-like right now.
WYNTER: Natalie Portman is living proof that a child star can escape the land mines of being a child star. She reached Hollywood`s summit this year with an Oscar victory, fulfilling all the promise she showed as a 12-year- old in "The Professional."
PORTMAN: What exactly do you do for a living?
WYNTER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT uncovered this long lost interview with Portman where she talked about that first movie experience.
PORTMAN: I liked watching, you know, the camera and figuring out what it was doing and what different shots were on, even though that`s not my job.
WYNTER: In her teens, she kept on the straight and narrow, earning straight A`s in school, even as she built her career.
PORTMAN: Do you have any idea who is behind this attack?
WYNTER: By the time "Star Wars Episode 3" came out in 2005, she was studying neuroscience in Harvard. We talked with her back then and she knew just who to thank for keeping her grounded.
PORTMAN: I`m really lucky to have an incredible family and friends who would never let me, you know, get out of line. They would kick me in my booty before, you know, they would let me, you know, get too high on myself for anything.
WYNTER: Anna Paquin had every reason to be high on herself after winning an Oscar at age 11 for "The Piano."
ANNA PAQUIN, ACTRESS: When mother was struck down.
WYNTER: But young Anna kept it real as she told us back in 1996.
PAQUIN: When I`m not working, I get up. I go to school. I come home. I do my homework. I go to bed. Oh, my god.
WYNTER: Now 28, Paquin is the successful far of "True Blood." At the premiere for the she`s new season, Paquin told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT how she avoided becoming one of those wayward child stars.
PAQUIN: I`ve worked with some people that really inspired me to want to be good at my job and being good at my job didn`t mean being out until 4:00 in the morning.
WYNTER: Neil Patrick Harris admits it`s not easy for child stars.
HARRIS: Hollywood takes its toll on you when you`re young.
WYNTER: He was 16 when he became the star of "Doogie Howser, MD."
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: OK, we`re getting circulation.
WYNTER: When that series ended, we made a fateful decision.
HARRIS: Moved back to New Mexico for about a year and a half and lived in an adobe house with brick floors and climbed rocks and just sort of calmed down a little bit.
WYNTER: Wendy Walsh tells us Harris got it just right.
WALSH: I think what Neil Patrick Harris did was genius. He didn`t forget his roots. He went back to New Mexico. He lived in a middle class way when he didn`t have to and he stayed in touch with extended family and friends. So he was, again, back in the real world.
WYNTER: Walsh has got a piece of advice for moms and dads who don`t want to see their child star turn into a train wreck.
WALSH: Parents, make sure you maintain the chain of command. The parents are still king and queen. The family support is so important.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So what are the other secrets to success after having been a very popular child star? Well, I spoke with someone who knows just how that goes.
Jonathan Lipnicki was the glasses-wearing kid who kept Tom Cruise on his toes in "Jerry Maguire." Wait until you hear what he did to survive being a child star.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) You`ve had such a great career in Hollywood and, of course, had you some of the most memorable movie lines when you starred opposite Renee Zellweger and Tom Cruise in "Jerry Maguire." Let`s flash back, shall we? Roll that out.
TOM CRUISE, ACTOR: Did you know Troy Aikman in six years has passed for 16,303 yards.
LIPNICKI: Do you know bees and dogs can smoke beer.
RENEE ZELLWEGER, ACTRESS: (INAUDIBLE). He doesn`t smoke, does he?
CRUISE: I don`t know. Do you know the career record for most hits is 4,356 by Pete Rose who is not in the Hall of Fame?
LIPNICKI: Do you know that my next door neighbor has three rabbits?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s fantastic, man. Look at you.
LIPNICKI: Yes.
HAMMER: And obviously, you look so different now. You`re working a lot. But I`ve got to ask, were you ever afraid, because of how big that movie was, that maybe people in Hollywood would only see you as the kid from "Jerry Maguire"?
LIPNICKI: Well, A.J., I was 5 years old so I don`t even really think it was part of my thought process. I just was having the most fun, you know, that I had ever known. And I just was moving forward positively, and I never really, you know, feared anything like that.
HAMMER: And after that moment when you starred in that film and you saw all the attention that you were getting, did you say at that point, at any time, "Man, this is all I want to do with my life? This is really, really cool"?
LIPNICKI: You know, I think I realized I wanted to be an actor before then. I think I realized I wanted to be an actor when I started doing acting classes.
It was not - you know, it was before I got any attention for it. I just loved doing it.
HAMMER: Seeing right there, the exact perspective that has kept you on the right track and the perspective that is lacked by so many child stars who didn`t stay on the right track.
LIPNICKI: Thank you.
HAMMER: And of course, the great Cuba Gooding, Jr. also starred in that movie. And I don`t know if you remember this, Jonathan, but CNN was right there on Oscar night with you and your family when Cuba won the Oscar for best supporting actor. Do you remember that?
LIPNICKI: I do remember that actually. I do, you know. Being that young, there`s stuff I do forget, but that`s something I remember pretty clearly.
HAMMER: All right. Well, let`s flash back to that moment because we`ve got it right here. Roll it out, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LIPNICKI: Yes!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Show me the money! Yes!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Look how excited you are. I thought he was going to drop you there for a second. So much glitz and glamour around you at such a young age. And obviously, you`re sitting there at home watching. But what do you remember about that day?
LIPNICKI: For me, you know, Cuba and Tom and everyone who worked on it - they were really special to me. I loved all of them. And I was just so excited to see someone I worked with, you know, really triumph that night.
HAMMER: And one of the things you did that obviously helped you stay on track, I`m sure, is you took a break from acting. You wanted to go to high school. You wanted to be a normal kid.
LIPNICKI: Yes, yes.
HAMMER: Did you feel that that was important, or did somebody push you in that direction?
LIPNICKI: My parents definitely were amazing. They felt that whatever I did as a child was more important. And they always told me, "You can always work." So I did - I turned down a lot of projects for Little League Baseball, for Youth League Basketball, for different things, so going to school was a no-brainer for me.
I really thought that, you know, I`m going to come back later, but I need these experiences for me. I need to go to prom. I wanted to play water polo in high school so I got to do all that. And now, I get to come back as a completely different person and I think that`s such a blessing.
HAMMER: Total blessing.
LIPNICKI: Yes, definitely. I feel like I`m just very well adjusted because of it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: So great to see Jonathan all grown up. He also told me he felt so honored to work with James Caan and Edward Furlong in the movie, "For The Love of Money." Be sure to follow Jonathan on Twitter. He wants to hear from you.
Well, we have Kirk Cameron`s stunning confessions about his growing pains. The `80s sitcom star speaks out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about severing ties with his mom-mager.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WYNTER: When he was about 18 years old, Cameron said he decided to end that part of their relationship.
CAMERON: For me, it was, like, I don`t like treating my mom as a business associate. She`s mom.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, how Kirk Cameron came to terms with his childhood stardom. The original mean girl - no, not Lindsay Lohan. Nellie, from "Little House on the Prairie." Alison Arngrim`s surprising take on growing up on the set.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNGRIM: So I had this enormous creative outlet and this outlet for my rage that really most people in my situation don`t get.
HAMMER (on camera): Sure.
ARNGRIM: So that`s when people said, "Did Nellie Oleson save your life," I have to go yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views. And now, a SHOWBIZ child star flashback to 1999. Eighteen-year-old Christina Aguilera reveals how she felt when she got her first number one hit with "Genie in a Bottle."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTINA AGUILERA, SINGER: Seeing my name in the number one spot on a Billboard chart was a dream of mine forever. And to see it there on the chart, it`s like, "Wow, `Genie in a Bottle,` Christina Aguilera." Wow, that`s amazing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Could you just say your name for me.
TATYANA ALI, ACTRESS: Tatyana Ali. Tatyana Ali.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s legendary musician, Herbie Hancock, on "Sesame Street" making music with a very young and talented Tatyana Ali, one of the child stars from the 1990 hit TV show, "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air."
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, secrets of a child star. Tatyana Ali is a childhood star who became famous alongside superstar Will Smith when they were in the hit TV show, "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air."
In my interview with her, Tatyana revealed to me how important her days on "Sesame Street" were for her career. Watch this.
ALI: Everything that I learned about - you know, first learned about being on a set and following directions and learning lines, it all happened there first. It was the perfect learning environment, very safe place for a kid.
HAMMER: Yes, and I imagine you were such a joy on that set, and you brought all that energy to "The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air" years later.
But when you were on "Fresh Prince," did you even realize how big of a deal it was to be on such an enormous hit show?
ALI: You know what? At first, no. I knew that it moved me and my family to California. I knew that I loved the people that I worked with. I knew who Will Smith was as, you know, Deejay Jazzy Jeff on "The Fresh Prince."
But you never really know that something is going to have such an impact on so many people and just be around forever. I don`t think - I don`t think any of us were prepared for that.
HAMMER: Well, here`s what I love. I mean, look, you had a positive experience as a child star, and you started out so young. Who do you give the most credit to for helping you really stay on the right path whereas we well know so many child stars do not?
ALI: I think that it takes - with child stars sometimes we forget that they are children, that they are just children because they make us laugh and they entertain us.
But it really takes a large group of people to raise a child. So first of all, I`d absolutely credit my parents because they told me no.
You know, they had the same boundaries. I had the same boundaries, the same chores, the same - I had to have the same level of respect for them as I would have if I wasn`t in this business as all.
But I was also very blessed to work with people throughout my career who were more interested in me as an individual and as a person than in my career or what I did or what I could do for them.
And she`s doing great. Tatyana not only has her own production company, but she stars in the BET Web series, "Buppies" and the TV 1 sitcom, "Love that Girl."
We`re moving from `90s TV star, Tatyana Ali, to `80s teen heartthrob, Kirk Cameron. Kirk, of course, starred as Mike Seaver on the hugely popular show, "Growing Pains," from 1985 to 1992, quickly became a household name.
So just how did Kirk handle fame at such a young age and come out virtually unscathed by it? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter found out when she went one-on-one with Kirk Cameron.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
WYNTER: Kirk Cameron had a lot to smile about as a kid. He was one of Hollywood`s most successful teen heartthrobs and star of the hit sitcom, "Growing Pains." But now -
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You`ve grown up.
CAMERON: I have.
WYNTER: Certainly has. And nearly 20 years after his role as the wise- cracking Mike Seaver came to an end, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Cameron succeeded where countless others have failed, by not getting consumed by drugs, alcohol and rehab during his transition from childhood fame to adulthood.
Now, the 40-year-old devout Christian lives with his family 30 minutes north of Los Angeles and out of the Hollywood spotlight.
(on camera) You were such a big star on "Growing Pains." It really made you famous. At what point though did you realize you were becoming famous and you were a part of something truly special?
CAMERON: I think everybody else had a view of me and my role in "Growing Pains." That was much larger than what I had myself because I was, in my mind, one of three kids on a family sitcom.
Alan Thicke was the star. I was going to school in a little trailer behind the set. I`d wake up, go to work, come home, and that was my life. It wasn`t until I would go to the grocery store and I with a see my face on the cover of some teeny bop magazine.
WYNTER: That must have been so bizarre.
CAMERON: It was weird.
WYNTER: That you have the fame, you have the money. That is a lot for a kid to handle especially at such an early age. So how did you manage to stay grounded?
CAMERON: There were probably three crucial factors in me being able to keep my head through all of this. One would be my parents. My parents were very grounded.
They didn`t see me as their ticket to mansions and limousines. And I had a very strong faith in Christ when I turned about 17 or 18 years old, while my friends had their faith in beer.
Christ leads you in a whole different direction than beer does, you know, or drugs or something else. And then thirdly, as when I turned 19, I met the most amazing woman in the world.
WYNTER: Chelsea.
CAMERON: And she - Chelsea. Getting married to an amazing wife who loved the Lord and loved the concept of being a wife and a mother first above all things grounded us as a family.
WYNTER (voice-over): Family has always been crucial in Cameron`s life. His mother served as his manager during his rise to fame on "Growing Pains." But when he was about 18 years old, Cameron says he decided to end that part of their relationship.
CAMERON: For me it was, like, I don`t like treating my mom like a business associate. She`s mom.
WYNTER (on camera): So nothing personal about that. It just felt it was the right thing to do?
CAMERON: Well, in a way, though, it was personal. I wanted my mom to be my mom.
WYNTER (voice-over): But at the same time Cameron believes parents of young stars should still stay involved in their children`s careers, especially as they navigate their way through Hollywood.
CAMERON: That`s why we have families, to raise our kids with values and to shape them so that when they enter into the world, you`re right there alongside with them. You`re not handing them over to other people to raise.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And as we move on tonight, you remember Nellie from "Little House on the Prairie"? Well, before Lindsay Lohan`s "Mean Girls," Nellie, she was the original mean girl.
But despite her incredible fame, the actress who played her, Alison Arngrim, didn`t end up going down the same troubled path as Lindsay.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNGRIM: So I had this enormous creative outlet and this outlet for my rage that really most people in my situation don`t get.
HAMMER (on camera): Sure.
ARNGRIM: So that`s when people say, "Did Nellie Oleson save your life," I have to go yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why Alison says "Little House" saved her life. More of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s real star stories, "Child Star, Lost Star," next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And now, a SHOWBIZ child star flashback to the young Jodie Foster. Jody was 13 when she played a pre-teen prostitute in the 1976 movie, "Taxi Driver." She was even nominated for the Oscar in 1991.
Before Jodie became a mom, she revealed to us how being a child star affected her view on kids. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JODIE FOSTER, ACTRESS: Played complicated children, children with problems, children with little pieces of them that were ugly, little doubts about themselves, not just this sort of prop that you stick in a chair and go, "OK, be innocent now, and now, we`ll see the movie through your eyes."
So I don`t really feel that children are kind of like dolls, I guess. And I guess that`s the kind of parent I`ll be.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARNGRIM: Stay away from her. Don`t touch my horse.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: I`m not hurting anything.
ARNGRIM: I said stay away from her.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Don`t do that.
ARNGRIM: She`s my horse and I`ll do as I please.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: You won`t get anywhere being mean to her.
ARNGRIM: I know how to handle a horse.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ouch. That`s why we like to call Nellie on "Little House on the Prairie" the original mean girl. But how did that character save Alison Arngrim`s life?
Alison, who played Nellie Oleson, is right here. And she reveals to me the surprising story behind her troubled child star past. Tonight, confessions from the prairie.
It`s now been 37 years since "Little House on the Prairie" made its debut on the small screen. And I`ve got to tell you Alison Arngrim, who played Nellie, has come a long way since then.
As a child star she endured a horrible home life despite her massive TV success. I asked her about that and how she liked playing TV`s first mean girl at that time.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
ARNGRIM: I always liked the villains. When I was really little and I saw "Peter Pan," I really liked Captain Hook. I thought the villains were cool.
I liked horror movies, the villains. And in fact, when I read the script at the audition, I was so excited because so many parts for child actors, especially in the `70s, were, "Oh, yes, Mother. Oh, gosh, Daddy." And it was kind of revolting.
And here was this girl who said what she thought and really didn`t care and told everyone to bugger off. And I went, "This is great. This is insane. She`s a bitch."
And I was so thrilled and I read it with my father who was with me and he said, "Just read it that way." And they hired me on the spot.
I was the bitchiest girl they had seen all day. And as soon as I did it, I mean, the reaction the second it aired, it was so strong that I just hit some kind of nerve in people`s psyche. Everybody knows someone like that, and I was it.
HAMMER: So you`ve had all of this great success, but you`ve been very candid about the fact that home life wasn`t always terrific.
ARNGRIM: True.
HAMMER: You write about it in your terrific book, "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch." And quite frankly, could there be a better title than that?
ARNGRIM: Thank you.
HAMMER: One of the things you talked about though, which obviously had to have been difficult to talk about and certainly to endure was being abused by your brother.
Did being a star at that age, at that very young age - did being a child star sort of help you escape that situation?
ARNGRIM: In my case, it did. I mean, on the one hand, it could be more difficult. Here you are, going through trauma and having this situation that you can`t talk about to anyone.
And now, you have the pressure to be famous and to work. But I was so lucky being on "Little House." I was around this really great group of people who were very supportive and very kind to me.
And because I was playing this bizarre character who yelled and screamed and vented all of her hostility and rage, this gave me an outlet for all of this pain and all of this anger that had like nowhere to go.
So I had this enormous creative outlet and this outlet for my rage that really most people in my situation don`t get.
HAMMER: Sure.
ARNGRIM: So when people say, "Did Nellie Oleson save your life?" I have to go yes.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And Alison does such great work these days with the National Association to Protect Children to change laws to better protect children who are being abused.
Well, that is it for this very special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - real star stories, "Child Star, Lost Star." I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Thanks for watching. Remember, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is now seen exclusively Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific.
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