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Showbiz Tonight
Jennifer Aniston`s Tabloid Slam; Kim Kardashian Multimillion Sex Tape Mystery; "Real Housewives" Suicide Special; Blake Shelton`s Love Triangle with Miranda Lambert?; Justin Bieber in a Car Accident
Aired August 31, 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, Jennifer Aniston`s tabloid slam. What she`s saying about reports she`s pregnant. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
More big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - the brand-new mind-boggling Kim Kardashian sex tape mystery. Who`s behind the multimillion dollar offer to buy Kim`s infamous sex tape to banish it for good? Is it Kim?
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview with the guy who owns the rights to the Kim K. sex tape. His shocking revelations to us about the multimillion dollar mystery.
Brand-new inside details on the "Real Housewives" suicide special. How will Bravo handle the suicide of the husband of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" star, Taylor Armstrong? Plus, startling new details from the emotional 911 call the day Russell Armstrong`s body was found.
Blake Shelton`s love triangle with Miranda Lambert? Miranda`s surprisingly candid new interview about how she fell in love with the country crooner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRANDA LAMBERT, SINGER: Well, I knew he was married. I knew better.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Did she fall in love with the "Voice" judge while he was married? TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight - sex tape mystery. The sex tape that launched Kim Kardashian into the star stratosphere could be wiped away into nonexistence. That is if a mystery buyer gets his or her wish.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can confirm there is, in fact, an offer on the table being made to Vivid Entertainment. That`s the company that owns the rights to the Kim K. sex tape.
We`re talking a multimillion dollar deal to strip the Internet and adult video outlets of every frame of the sex tape starring Kim Kardashian and her then-boyfriend, singer Ray-J.
Now, that Kim is a married woman, we`re thinking, you know, the timing of this mystery negotiation has a lot of people guessing and thinking that the Kardashians themselves could be behind it.
But today, no one from their camp is talking about it. So tonight we go straight to Vivid Entertainment honcho, Steve Hirsch for some answers to this big sex tape mystery. Steve is joining us right now from Hollywood for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Thanks for being with us, Steve.
STEVE HIRSCH, OWNER, VIVID ENTERTAINMENT: Sure. Thank you.
HAMMER: So Steve, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did speak with the lawyer who represents that anonymous buyer. The attorney does confirm to us that, yes, his client is interested in buying the Kardashian sex tape so that they can take it off Web sites like yours where people can pay to watch it.
Steve, are you considering the offer? And if so, can you give me a sense of how much money it would take for you to give up this Kardashian sex video?
HIRSCH: Well, certainly we would consider any offer. We`re in business and I can`t get emotionally attached to any one video. And if the price is right, certainly we`ll look to make a deal.
HAMMER: Yes. Business is business. You certainly have done well by it now. And if it`s a big cash money offer, then I guess it would be hard to walk away from. About what would it take, though, Steve? How much?
HIRSCH: Well, we put out the number of $30 million and that would be a starting point. We`ll have to see what happens. But I`m certainly intrigued and interested in learning more.
HAMMER: I have to imagine on your initial reported investment of around $1 million, all the money you`ve made, a $30 million pay day - why the heck not? This sex video obviously has become a huge part of the whole Kim Kardashian story.
Let`s now check out the tale of the Kardashian sex tape on the SHOWBIZ news line. Between 2003 and 2005, Kim Kardashian and her then boyfriend, singer Ray-J made videos of their sexual encounters.
In February of `07, Kim sued Vivid Entertainment to stop the sale of the video. Vivid reportedly bought it, as I said, from about $1 million, that from an anonymous source.
In April of `07 Kim dropped the lawsuit against Vivid. Terms weren`t disclosed, but it is reported that Kim was paid anywhere from $3 to $5 million.
And in October of 2007, Kim`s reality show, "Keeping up with the Kardashians," debuts on E! to - guess what - huge ratings.
Steve, I know you don`t give out numbers, but it is fair to say this Kim Kardashian sex tape has been huge for Vivid Entertainment, hasn`t it?
HIRSCH: Certainly. There`s no question about it. As a result of Kim`s sex tape, there are other girls who - we found their tapes as well. So you know, certainly, Kim was a big part of it.
HAMMER: It`s been a snowball effect for you. All right. So now that the news of this buyback has been everywhere - I mean, this has really been an explosive story.
Are you noticing more traffic on the site? Because I`m thinking if, all of a sudden, people think this thing is going to go away, the Kardashian sex tape, they`re going to watch it before it potentially disappears. Are you seeing an increase in viewers?
HIRSCH: Our traffic at "Vivid.com" is absolutely out of control. Started right before the wedding, grew. And now, with this news, the traffic is just unbelievable and continues to do well.
Kim`s a huge star and any time her name is out there or connected to the sex tape in any way, we see big numbers.
HAMMER: Can you blame her for trying to bury this thing?
HIRSCH: Well, I don`t know if it`s her and I don`t know what her reasoning would be. Well, maybe. But I`m not quite sure who it is, but I`m interested in finding out.
HAMMER: Well, here`s the thing. Now, yes, we don`t know who the person that`s trying to buy the tape is. You claim you don`t know who it is, and I take you at your word there.
This is something I found interesting. In the letter that the attorney offered you, they sent to you, they offered to purchase any other footage you might have or control that involves Ms. Kardashian. No mention of Kim`s co-star, Ray-J in this thing, Steve.
So that has a lot of people thinking that maybe Kim, or somebody at least connected to Kim, is trying to buy this video from you. Do you have any sense at all who it might be?
HIRSCH: I really don`t. And certainly, like everyone else, I`d like to find out. At this point, we`re in beginning discussions with the attorney in Tennessee and we`ll see what happens.
HAMMER: All right. Let me play for you something that Kim Kardashian herself told CNN`s Piers Morgan - this is back in February - about that sex tape. Roll that for me, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALITY TV STAR, "KEEPING UP WITH THE KARDASHIANS": I mean, there`s, you know, embarrassment and shame and so much that comes along with it.
And I think that I was so lucky to find a boyfriend at that time in Reggie that we were together for four years. And that was something that he really helped me through. And he picked me up when I couldn`t pick myself up.
You know, and that`s what my family was for as well. So I feel like I`ve dealt with it and now I move on from it, and I don`t really go there.
HAMMER: All right. Now, Steve, I know you said before you do have a tremendous amount of respect for Kim Kardashian. So I`m curious when you hear her talking about how embarrassed she says she still is about that tape, does that sort of give you any extra incentive to perhaps make this deal and have it buried once and for all?
HIRSCH: Well, again, it has to be the right deal. It has to be the right business decision. I understand how Kim feels and we have to do what`s in the best interest of Vivid and that`s what we`ll do.
HAMMER: All right. Steve, I appreciate you being with us for this SHOWBIZ news maker interview. Thanks so much.
HIRSCH: Thank you.
HAMMER: Right now, I want to bring in Alan Duke. Alan is CNN`s entertainment editor. He joins us from Hollywood. So Alan, what have you been able to find out about this mysterious offer to buy and bury the Kim Kardashian sex tape? I know you have your sources.
ALAN DUKE, CNN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR: Well, my main source is Adam Dread, the lawyer in Nashville, Tennessee. I had a very interesting conversation with him about this. While he said he can`t release the name of the client until that client says it`s OK - it`s a confidential attorney/client thing - he did give me some hints.
He said, "You know, we`re in Nashville, Tennessee. There are a lot of wealthy people who have a lot of money and they like to buy things."
So he was leading me to believe that it was somebody from Nashville, Tennessee. I`m not sure if I`m going is to go down that path or not, because why would they want to get it? And why would anybody other than one of the Kardashians or her new husband want to take it off the market?
But he also - one other clue is if you Google "sex tape" and the name "Adam Dread," you`ll find out he`s represented other people in similar circumstances.
In fact, Mindy McCready had a sex tape that Vivid owned and the same lawyer was able to successfully negotiate with Steve Hirsch to take it off line, off the market.
So he`s got a track record, and if you`re looking for a lawyer to do that, he might be one that you would contact.
HAMMER: Wow, that`s really interesting. All right. Alan, thank you so much. I want to go now to AOL west coast editor, Maggie Furlong, also joining us from Hollywood tonight.
Maggie, you know, these days, Kim Kardashian is better known for her reality show, her businesses, her marriage to Kris Humphries, better known than her sex tape. But there is no denying this tape had everything to do with her rise to stardom, right?
MAGGIE FURLONG, WEST COAST EDITOR, AOL: Right. Absolutely. But I mean, I think the biggest question coming out of this is what do you get for the girl who just made millions off of her own marriage?
I honestly think this is a huge elaborate scheme to give Kim something for her wedding that she never expected. And actually, if you look back at Adam Dread`s history, he used to be a radio deejay.
You know who else is a deejay? Their boss, Ryan Seacrest. So maybe Seacrest just decided he`d splurge and get her something she couldn`t afford herself.
HAMMER: You know, I never thought about that. Can you imagine the actual tape showing up at her doorstep, wrapped in some kind of a big wedding box? Perfect, with a bow on top. Alan Duke, Maggie Furlong, thank you so much.
As we move on tonight, will there really be a "Real Housewives" suicide special? We`ve got brand-new details you`ve got to see about how Bravo plans to handle the death of the husband of "Real Housewives" star, Taylor Armstrong.
Wait until you see this - Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony splitting up again. The exes forced to face off in some hilarious new commercials.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Can I see your ID, please?
JENNIFER LOPEZ, SINGER AND ACTRESS: You know, Jennifer Lopez. J-Lo? We`re doing a whole fashion thing here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with J-Lo and Marc Anthony`s brand-new TV duel. Who will win this fashion feud?
And Jennifer Aniston`s tabloid smack-down. This is unbelievable. She`s pregnant. She`s having twins. What the heck is Jen saying about all the baby bombshell headlines today? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - here come more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Justin Bieber pranks Taylor Swift on first episode of MTV`s "Punk`d" reboot. SHOWBIZ first look: Lifetime`s "Five," directed by Demi Moore, Alicia Keys, Jennifer Aniston.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Will Kanye West be the godfather to Beyonce`s baby? Well, that`s what Kanye is hoping anyway. Kanye was right there at the Video Music Awards celebrating with proud papa-to-be, Jay-Z, when Beyonce, of course, revealed her baby bump to the world.
And according to British newspaper, "The Sun", the rapper is already spreading the news that he will be the baby`s godfather. May be a little premature about it, but OK.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, it is SHOWBIZ justice. Plenty of outrage today after a father allegedly tossed his seven-year-old son over the side of a boat apparently because the boy wouldn`t stop crying.
Well, the father is trying to say he was just horse-playing. Either way, that dad now quite obviously in some pretty big trouble.
With me tonight in New York, Vikki Ziegler. She is an attorney and a professor at Fordham Law.
So in these new reports today, witnesses aboard the tourist boat where this whole drama went down say they actually saw Sloane Briles hit his son multiple times before throwing the boy overboard.
Now, the father is giving his side of the story to our affiliate, KTLA. Take a look at what he`s saying.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Your son off a boat. Were you trying to kill him?
SLOANE BRILES, THREW HIS SON OFF A TOURIST BOAT: Yes, I was trying to kill my son. No, of course, I was not trying to kill - we were playing in the shallows.
I discussed it with him. We jumped in together and just thought, OK, it would be funny, ha, ha, ha. We were just screwing around, just horse- playing.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, that father now is out of jail on $100,000 bail. But he is still facing charges of felony child endangerment and resisting arrest. So Vikki, exactly how much trouble could this dad be in?
VIKKI ZIEGLER, ATTORNEY: A.J., very serious trouble. This is a felony. This is not a misdemeanor, which means jail time possibly in prison up to six years, possibly if convicted.
So the prosecutors in this case obviously did some due diligence and said, "You know what? This is not a minor crime." This is not about horse-playing, which is his defense, which you just saw. This is really serious.
When you throw a child over a rail into the water and you threaten him - allegedly, he said to this child, "If you don`t stop crying, I`m going to throw you overboard," and he did exactly that.
That is really serious, up to four years of probation, up to six years in jail, $10,000 fine and maybe even losing his child one day.
HAMMER: And stay with me on this. I`m guessing if you`re representing a guy like this, first of all, you`re telling him, don`t speak to the press.
But OK, he gave this interview. And the reporter asked him, quite seriously, "Were you trying to kill your kid?" And the guy right there on television said, joking of course, he said, "Yes, I was trying to kill my kid."
I mean, does that give us a little insight into where this guy`s head might be at? That was a pretty stupid, stupid thing to do.
ZIEGLER: Oh, yes. You know what? You never want your clients to speak about anything, especially when they`re charged with something very serious like felony child endangerment. His responses were bizarre, quite strange, in fact.
And you know what? At this point in the investigation, you want to stay mum. And you know what? He threw this child off the boat. There are other boats around. I mean, this child was a fair swimmer. It wasn`t like he was on a swim team.
So, I mean, the seriousness and the injury that could have been sustained by this child is beyond imagined.
HAMMER: Unbelievable to me. The dad is divorced from the boy`s mother. Is there any way this could have an impact on child custody perhaps?
ZIEGLER: Absolutely. I think Child Services should be called, if they haven`t already, to determine whether or not he`s a fit parent, if this child has been in danger before and there are two boys.
Obviously, the seven-year-old was the one thrown off the boat but there is another six-year-old. So absolutely, an investigation could ensue.
HAMMER: And the things people do and the things people say, it`s just unbelievable.
ZIEGLER: Hot sauce. We`re always talking about these crazy cases.
HAMMER: Vikki Ziegler, thank you so much. Well, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines blew up of course the minute Beyonce took the stage of the Video Music Awards and revealed her baby bump to everybody.
In fact, Beyonce`s unborn baby already has a handful of Twitter accounts. Terrific. We had to ask, will Beyonce`s pregnancy be the most watched ever?
We got a call in to "Showbiz on Call" from Jennifer in Alabama who says, no.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
JENNIFER, CALLER FROM ALABAMA: I don`t think it`s going to be the most watched pregnancy, because if Angelina came out and said she was pregnant or was going to adopt, you all would stop talking about Beyonce tomorrow or even the next hour. So I don`t believe it would be the most talked-about pregnancy.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Jennifer. Thank you. We also heard from Sonia in Florida who says she`s already all about B`s baby.
SONIA, CALLER FROM FLORIDA: I was so ecstatic and happy for Beyonce and Jay-Z. She looked so beautiful on the awards show on Sunday night. She did such a wonderful job. She sang that song like she was singing it to Jay-Z.
And I just thought that she was glowing. I`m so ecstatic for her and I think it`s just going to be a very big blessing to her and Jay-Z`s life.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Thank you, Sonia. I`m excited. Are you excited?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
HAMMER: All right. You can call us on "Showbiz on Call" and tell us if you`re excited or anything you want to tell us. "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are open all the time at 1-888-SBT-BUZZ; 1-888-728-2899. Please leave us a voicemail. I would love to play your call right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
A country superstar love triangle? What`s going on here? Well, I have for you Miranda Lambert`s stunning revelation about how she fell in love with Blake Shelton.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAMBERT: I knew he was married. I knew better, like, it was off limits. My parents were private investigators for god sakes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
LAMBERT: So -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you tempted?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you hear this. Tonight, did Miranda fall for Blake while he was still married?
It`s SHOWBIZ trending tonight. The pro partners for the brand-new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" revealed today. I want to know, who is dancing with Nancy Grace? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here comes the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Rapper T.I. released from prison one month early after serving time for weapons violation. Ed O`Neill celebrates Hollywood Walk of Fame star with "Modern Family" cast mates.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big SHOWBIZ trending news tonight, who will dance with Nancy Grace? The "Dancing with the Stars" pro partners were revealed today. It`s sparking big buzz tonight. So who is going to dance with HLN`s own Nancy Grace?
Right now, in Hollywood, Maggie Furlong, west coast editor of AOL TV.
So Maggie, Nancy Grace officially has her dancing partner to hopefully help bring her to dancing victory. That person is a new pro to the show. His name is Tristan MacManus.
A lot of people have been wondering is going to dance with Chaz Bono - Lacie Schwimmer. And another trending "Dancing with the Stars" star, David Arquette, is going to be paired with last season`s champ, Kim Johnson. Maggie, what do you make of these match-ups?
FURLONG: I really love the match-ups. I especially love Chaz Bono with Lacie Schwimmer. I know everyone is freaking out saying, you know, should he be dancing with a woman or a man? Chaz is a man.
HAMMER: Yes.
FURLONG: He should be dancing with someone. And Lacie`s got spunk to spare. And I think they`re going to have a lot of fun together.
I think the Nancy Grace pair is interesting though because we don`t know anything about this guy.
HAMMER: Anybody freaking out and saying that about Chaz Bono really needs to become educated. And I guess, this season, they will be watching Chaz on "Dancing with the Stars."
FURLONG: I hope so.
HAMMER: It blows my mind that people are actually saying that. Here a few more of the match-ups that are going to be happening on the season.
You have Rob Kardashian with Cheryl Burke. You have Ricki Lake and Derek Hough. You have "Saga" star, Hope Solo, with Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
And I just got the results of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive poll. We asked "`Dancing with the Stars` Cast Announced: Who do you think will win?"
And look at this, Nancy Grace only receiving 19 percent of the vote here. Eleven percent saying Chaz Bono. A whopping 70 percent think David Arquette is actually going to win.
What do you think, Maggie? Did they get it right? I`m trying to picture David making it that far in this thing.
FURLONG: I can`t see it honestly. I think Chynna Phillips, I think Ricki Lake and I think Chaz Bono are going to be the ones to watch. They have really great partners.
Everyone thinks David just because his partner won last year. But that doesn`t mean anything in this world. It`s about their votes. It`s about their progress. And I can`t wait to see those three dance.
HAMMER: You know, Maggie, you didn`t mention Nancy Grace there in those people you think are going to make it to the final rounds.
FURLONG: Well, you know, a lot of show is about their progress. It`s about their transformation. And I`m not saying anything bad about Nancy. Not in this house.
HAMMER: You don`t cross Nancy.
FURLONG: Never. Never.
HAMMER: All right. Maggie Furlong -
FURLONG: I wonder if she`s got the time. We`ll see.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, she`s making the time. She`ll be out there covering the Conrad Murray trial. Maggie, thanks so much.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup - here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Big "Housewives" news tonight - will there really be a "Real Housewives" suicide special? Well, Bravo reveals its plan.
Also, Justin Bieber is in a car accident. I`m happy to report the Biebs is fine. The Ferrari he was driving, not so much. I`m going to tell you what happened. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - here come more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Emmy host, Jane Lynch, says she wants "Glee" cast to be part of the broadcast. Alyssa Milano and her husband welcome son named Milo Thomas Bugliari.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - new details about the "Real Housewives" suicide special. So how will Bravo handle the suicide of Taylor Armstrong`s husband?
A very country love triangle? Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton are country`s hottest couple, but did they fall in love when Blake was still married to his ex?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAMBERT: I knew he was married. I knew better, like, he`s off limits. My parents are private investigators for god sakes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
LAMBERT: So -
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you tempted?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So did they cross the line? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals Miranda Lambert`s very candid interview.
And as if that isn`t enough, we`ve got more wild love news tonight. Brand-new reports that Jennifer Aniston is pregnant? Are they true? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking today - return of the "Real Housewives."
Yes, it`s official. Tonight we know "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" will be back on Monday as scheduled. All sorts of reports have been flying around about if, when and what should happen when the reality show returns after, of course, the tragic death of Russell Armstrong.
But tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the highly-anticipated brand-new details. But as details emerge, there are more questions than ever about the future of the show and one of its stars, of course, Russell`s ex, Taylor Armstrong.
With me in New York, Vinnie Penn, who is the host of radio`s "The Vinnie Penn Project."
All right. I want to get right to the statement that SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got from Bravo today. Here`s what they`re telling us, "Bravo will proceed with the September 5 premiere date of `The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.`"
"Given that these episodes were filmed months ago, the producers of the show taped a brief interview this week with several of the cast members to introduce the premiere. Re-editing of the episodes is still underway."
Now, this is, of course, a direct response to the flurry of reports that there was going to be some kind of a special show focusing on Russell`s suicide. I thought that actually would have been a real risky move.
So the show is going on as scheduled three weeks to the day that Russell Armstrong was fond dead. Vinnie, do you think they made the right move here?
VINNIE PENN, HOST, "THE VINNIE PENN PROJECT": I think it`s either pull the show completely or, yes, you know, address it, infuse it in.
I think to draw lines now with these girls is - we`re kind of past that point. You know, Bravo seems like the wrong network all along for this kind of show. That word lends itself to sophistication, I think.
HAMMER: Well, yes -
(CROSS TALK)
PENN: That`s more fitting.
HAMMER: They`ve changed their programming model. But as far as doing the special, a lot of people were worried that it would seem to capitalize too much on the tragic death of Russell Armstrong.
PENN: I think the PSA is powerful and it`s a good move rather than ignoring it.
HAMMER: Yes. No, they have to address it, absolutely. And Bravo is going to be airing these PSAs about suicide prevention throughout the show.
Here`s the thing, though. Got to keep in mind, as much as they run PSAs, they do any edits to the show, there is still a family grieving here. Taylor will relive her final troubled moments with Russell as all the world is watching.
Maggie Furlong is joining from us Hollywood. She`s the west coast editor for AOL-TV. Maggie, in your mind, did Bravo make the right decision here?
FURLONG: I mean, absolutely. At the end the day, it`s a business decision. And I think if they delayed it any longer, we`d start to wonder how much are they taking out? What aren`t we seeing?
I think the fact that this is still so such fresh news and they want the other women to kind of sound off. I`m disappointed Taylor won`t be doing her own confessional about the situation, but it`s obviously still very raw with her.
But I think they`re going about it the right way. People want to know more. People want to see what`s going on. And they`ll continue to edit things out throughout the season, you know, just to make sure that he`s not shown in such a horrible light after his death.
HAMMER: And we continue to learn new things about this disturbing story. There`s another disturbing development just uncovered, the 911 tape of the moments just after a friend found Russell Armstrong`s lifeless body.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has decided not to air the call. But when we listened to it, there`s a woman who is believed to be Taylor Armstrong, sobbing uncontrollably in the background.
The distraught friend who called reveals details of Taylor and Russell`s troubled marriage to the 911 operator. Meanwhile, TV networks have reportedly been reaching out to Taylor for her very first interview.
In fact, "Radar Online" reports today that Taylor wants to speak with Barbara Walters. And Vinnie, I think if she wants to do it, if she wants to do it for all the right reasons, it is a good move because there`s a lot of speculation and rumor out there that needs to be cleared up. What do you think?
PENN: Unless she approaches it in a way where she`s just trying to purge any guilt she might be - or just get herself out-of-jail-free-card, so to speak. If she`s in pain and agony and wants to set the record straight, so to speak, yes, I think that`s powerful stuff.
HAMMER: Of course, it`s going to be up to whoever does interview - let`s say it`s Barbara Walters - to come up with the right questions to ask. Maggie, what do you think? Good idea?
FURLONG: I mean, I just worry why she`s doing it in the first place. Obviously, she`s an open book. She`s on the "Housewives." Pretty much everything gets shown.
But again, she didn`t do these interviews talking about Russell`s death and what happened. I`m wondering if she`s waiting for a bigger paycheck. And if so, that would just break my heart.
HAMMER: Yes.
FURLONG: She shouldn`t be profiting off a tragedy.
HAMMER: And I would like to believe, if she`s going to speak with Barbara Walters, and they`re not going to pay for an interview. You know, there`s been so much about that going on ever since the Casey Anthony case.
Nobody is paying for these types of interviews anymore. So I don`t see that happening.
PENN: Yes. I don`t know that we should expect a whole lot of decorum with wig-tugging, table-flipping girls. I don`t know what we can expect.
HAMMER: Yes. I think we would see a different side of her, for sure.
PENN: I would hope so.
HAMMER: And again, and I go back to this, Maggie, when you say you don`t know why she would do it. There`s been so much rumor and speculation that`s been flying around out there since Russell died. I think she does want to set the record straight.
But right now, I do have to move on to this. It`s another big story breaking today. Lambert`s cheating heart.
Miranda Lambert says in an intimate new TV interview that, yes, she fell for her husband, country star and "The Voice" judge, Blake Shelton, while he was still married to his first wife. Miranda tells NBC`s "Dateline" that even though she knew it was so wrong, it felt so right.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIRANDA: Well, I knew he was married. I knew better, like, he`s off limits. My parents are private investigators for god sakes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Were you tempted?
LAMBERT: You know, it was one of those things where we spent time together and we`re like, we can be friends. We had so much in common. And it was a thing of, how do you separate that?
I`ve got to separate this emotion, and for him, too. There was a time when we`re not going to talk. We`re going to cut this off before it gets worse.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Yes. That plan didn`t work out so well because Blake left his wife a year after meeting Miranda. Miranda, in fact, sang about it in her song, "The House That Built Me."
All right. Maggie, I`ve got to get your take on this. I do appreciate her candor. But do you think Miranda`s honesty is refreshing? Or is it just wrong and maybe she shouldn`t have been so open about all this?
FURLONG: You know, I think it`s refreshing. Anyone that looks at their history and looks at the dates - I mean, Blake Shelton was married from `03 to `06. And they technically started dating in 2005.
So, hi, it`s right there. I think it`s refreshing that she`s at least coming out and saying that she was concerned about it and then it wasn`t something that, you know, she didn`t give thought to. I love them as a couple. I think they`re very happy. Things happen. Things come up. So I was happy that she came out and said that.
HAMMER: The heart wants what the heart wants. But here`s something that jumps out at me. Even though the sparks were flying between Miranda and Blake while he was still married, they didn`t get hitched for five years after they met.
They weren`t doing anything, as far as we know untoward, while he was still married. So Vinnie, do you think anybody who is out there crying "home wrecker" really needs to take it down a notch and calm down and give her some slack?
PENN: I just don`t - isn`t this the girl, the crazy ex-girlfriend who lit a guy`s house on fire for doing her wrong? Who leaves their wife for that? Who makes the decision? Yes, I`m going to go with the kerosene girl, who, if things go awry, may light my house on fire.
HAMMER: To be clear, Vinnie is referring to a character from a song Miranda Lambert sang, not Miranda herself. At the end of the day, it has the makings of a great country song.
PENN: Oh, absolutely. I agree with that. Absolutely.
HAMMER: All right. Vinnie Penn, Maggie Furlong, thank you both. Moving on to J-Lo and Marc Anthony`s post-split duel. I`m going to tell you why this couple is now caught in a very public and very funny battle over their new department store line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Can I see your ID, please?
LOPEZ: You know, Jennifer Lopez - J-Lo. We`re doing the whole fashion thing here.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You like that? Wait until you se Marc Anthony`s video. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, who is going to win this fight for the biggest laugh?
Plus, is Jennifer Aniston pregnant? There are new reports out there saying she is. But is this just more tabloid hot air, or is it the real deal? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates. 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: Robert Downey, Jr. and wife Susan pregnant with their first child. Michelle Obama is on "Essence" magazine`s "2011 Power List."
"My story to young people around this country and around the world is, `Don`t look at me as the First Lady first, look at me as Michelle Obama.` Because I was there and this is attainable. There is no magic to this. It is hard work."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, REALITY TV STAR, "JERSEY SHORE": Welcome to the news according to Snooki.
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HAMMER: Perfect. Did you see this? Snooki, the news anchor? The "Jersey Shore" star is getting real - well, as real as she can on the Web site, Cambio. Who would have guessed it`s one of Snooki`s lifelong dreams to become a news anchor. I think Diane Sawyer has some real competition here.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And yes, you can believe your eyes. That really is Snooki hosting her own news show on the Web site, Cambio. Of course, being Snooki, she is giving her own very unique take on the news of the day.
I`ll just say it like this - you may not want Snooki to be your only news source. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLIZZI: Beyonce`s baby bump makes an appearance at the VMAs. Honestly, I love Beyonce. She`s so cute. You know what? I really think she`s going to have a really cute baby. Tan, obviously.
A Montana dog becomes a local celebrity for his math skills. Supposedly, this dog can add, subtract - I don`t believe that. I mean, I have a dog of my own and she can`t even walk straight. I mean, I can`t even do math, really, so let`s get real with that fake story.
Never too old? A 75-year-old gets breast implants. I think it`s never too old to get breast implants. I can see myself at 75 years old and, you know, my boobs just are sagging to my knees and I`m like, eww, like, I need to do something about this.
So you know what? Good for you. That`s an awesome physician. Your boobs probably look phenomenal.
A surgeon general calls for health over hair. What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) does this one mean?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: If you`re like me, you can`t turn away. Perfect. All right. Now, on to a post-split duel. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony were supposed to have a joint clothing line at Kohl`s. And then, of course, that whole break-up thing happened.
And now, both megastars are launching their own line separately. And today, both just released their very own clothing commercial. Both are funny, but which one wins this duel of the exes?
With me right now in New York, Cathy Areu, publisher for "Catalina" magazine. Right now, from Hollywood, it`s Hyla. He is the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show, "The Hollywood 5 Countdown."
Look, I`ve got to give J-Lo and Marc Anthony both credit. Their commercials I think are really funny. In fact, let`s look at J-Lo`s first.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: I still need to see your ID.
LOPEZ: Don`t be fooled by the rocks that I got. I`m still, I`m still Jenny from the block.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: No dancing. Hey, Phil. What? I know him. You`re bull.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. That`s pretty good. The competition is on, however. Let`s now watch Marc Anthony`s hilarious commercial for his clothing line.
Perfect. All right, Hyla, off to you first. I think they`re both hysterical. For you, which one wins the duel of the exes?
HYLA, CO-HOST, "THE HOLLYWOOD 5 COUNTDOWN": Oh, I`m loving J-Lo. I mean, no one recognizing her. That`s ridiculous and hilarious at the same time. Go J-Lo.
HAMMER: See, I`m with you on that. Cathy, it`s an old joke, of course, the celebrity who doesn`t get recognized, has to show their ID. Somehow, J-Lo pulls it off and makes it fresh all over again.
CATHY AREU, PUBLISHER, "CATALINA" MAGAZINE: She is such a diva and yet she looks so humble and so sweet and just so hurt. She`s a great actress and she definitely wins.
HAMMER: All right. Personally, I actually think it`s terrific that they`re doing this. I think it`s a great way to deal with what obviously has been a very sticky situation for Kohl`s.
So good for them for doing that and good for Kohl`s for putting this on. Here`s the thing, though. It has now been six weeks since the couple announced they were divorcing. We still don`t really know exactly what led to the split.
Some of that may change soon though. ABC getting set to air the first ever interview with Marc Anthony since his split from J-Lo tomorrow. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What can you tell us about what went wrong in the marriage? Do you love Jennifer?
MARC ANTHONY, SINGER: I`ll always love Jennifer?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you want this divorce?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Do you want this divorce? And then, we`ll have to wait and see exactly what Marc Anthony says. Now, if you remember, J-Lo was pretty candid in her first post-split interview.
She really seemed to make Marc out to be a pretty difficult person to be with. She did seem to me to put a lot of it on him. Hyla, do you think J-Lo should be worried about Marc possibly saying some pretty unflattering things about her?
HYLA: No, not at all. Also in the interview, J-Lo did say she loves Marc Anthony and will always love him. And at the end of the day, they have too many business ventures together for there not to be peace in the press.
You know, Kohl`s is a perfect example of that. It`s a big time paycheck for them. They can`t go around hating each other publicly.
HAMMER: All right. I hear you saying that, but then again, Cathy, we saw the interview that J-Lo gave shortly after they split. And she really pulled no punches and I think said what could have been deemed some pretty unflattering things about her. So do you think that maybe she may be getting the same from Marc?
AREU: No, this is the mother of his children. There is no way that this man will talk negatively about the mother of his children. And recently, he stormed off of a set of "El Gordo y la Flaca" actually because a show was trying to be inappropriate about his going to be ex-wife.
So no, he did not allow it now and I don`t think he`ll allow it in the future.
HAMMER: It`s going to be interesting to see exactly what happens and if there are any, in fact, bombshells revealed. It`s a highly-anticipated interview. Of course, we`ll all be watching. Cathy Areu, Hyla, thank you both, guys.
As we move on tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT breaks news with Janet Jackson. She`s revealing big news about her brother Michael`s tribute concert.
Also, Justin Bieber`s accident drama while he was driving a Ferrari. And why "Splash" actress, Daryl Hannah got thrown in jail because she loves the environment?
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) Daryl Hannah in handcuffs. The environmental activist actress has just been hauled off by police in front of the White House. Hannah and more than 100 others were busted Tuesday while protesting a planned 1,500 mile-long oil pipeline.
Before her arrest, she said, quote, "We stand here today to just say no to slavery, to just say no to tar, sand, oil and no to the Keystone pipeline."
Bieber`s fender bender. Justin Bieber has just gotten shaken up in a traffic accident. Bieber was reportedly behind the wheel of a Ferrari that got hit by a Honda Tuesday in L.A.
"People.com" says cops got called to the scenes, but there were no injuries. The damage is so minimal that a police report wasn`t even filed. The Ferrari Bieber was driving reportedly doesn`t belong to the 17-year-old star.
Jackson`s family drama. Janet Jackson has just announced she`s bailing on brother Michael`s tribute concert.
She tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that taking part on the October show would be too painful as the trial for Michael`s doctor, Conrad Murray, will be taking place at the same time, "Because of the trial, the timing of the tribute to our brother would be too difficult for me."
The Jackson family is divided on the "Michael Forever" tribute. Brothers Jermaine and Randy have already declared they don`t want to be a part of the Cardiff Wales concert being organized by Michael`s mom.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Moving on to a very big and important question tonight - is Jennifer Aniston pregnant? Come on, we`ve got to know.
So why are the celebrity magazines saying two completely different things about this? Next, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom that are making news tonight.
TEXT: Mel Gibson ordered to pay ex Oksana Grigorieva $750,000 as part of custody settlement. Fan returns $22,000 diamond Rolex Chris Brown lost during VMA performance.
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Is Jennifer Aniston pregnant? Seriously, we need to know. And today, there are two more magazines with Jennifer Aniston pregnant stories right there on the cover. Put them up, please.
First, you`ve got the "Life and Style" showing Jen on the cover. It says, as you see, "It`s twins." But that`s not all. There`s "OK" magazine which is out today showing Jen Aniston and Justin Theroux with the title "New Homes for New Babies." What exactly is going on here?
Well, with me in New York right now is Cathy Areu, publisher of "Catalina" magazine. And in Hollywood tonight, Hyla, the co-host of the nationally syndicated radio show, "The Hollywood 5 Countdown."
Look, we all know that Jen Aniston is no stranger to tabloid sensationalism. She has had deep speculation about her love life and her baby life throughout her life.
Let`s face it. A lot of what`s reported never pans out to be true. Hyla, I don`t think a lot of people care. They`re going to gobble up these headlines whether or not they`re true. What do you think?
HYLA: Absolutely. That`s why you and I need to stand up for Jennifer Aniston and say stop the madness. I mean, if all the rumors were true about all these different babies over the years, she would have double the kids of Angelina Jolie.
Listen, I want a single Jennifer Aniston. I don`t want a mom Jennifer Aniston. I like her on the dating scene. I don`t know why so many people are projecting their desires on her. I think we want her to have a baby more than she wants to have a baby.
HAMMER: I want her to have a baby if she wants to have a baby. And I happen to like her with Justin Theroux, not that I have any reason other than my casual observation of the two of them.
HYLA: Absolutely.
HAMMER: But here`s the deal - SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you Jen is sick of the tabloid fanfare. Here`s what she tells "Glamour" magazine this week, "There`s not nearly as much stealing and obsessing and middle-of-the-night secret calls to ex-boyfriends and scheming and cheating. Most of it`s just BS, however entertaining."
So you know, Cathy, I think Jen sort of hit the nail on the head and has exactly the right spin on all of this headline-making drama.
AREU: She does. But you know what? I work for a magazine and, a lot of times, we do get it right. So she has been looking a little pudgy.
HAMMER: You guys get it right. We`re not going there. No, going to end it there. Cathy Areu, Hyla, thank you, guys.
Gwyneth Paltrow ditches her make-up for a (UNINTELLIGIBLE). So is she as beautiful as ever? You`ve got see what she looks like, and you will, coming up next.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, a rare Hollywood sighting. A celebrity without make-up. All right. Check out this picture of Gwyneth Paltrow.
I mean, who needs make-up when you`ve got a beautiful face like that, really. Someone snapped this picture of the actress at a book-signing in the Hamptons. Paltrow is a huge foodie and she was off promoting a new cookbook.
She showed up to the signing just hours before Hurricane Irene hit the east coast and she really had the casual thing going on. She had flip flops on, wearing cut-off jeans, not a stitch of make-up.
And get this - I love it - Gwyneth is as generous as she is gorgeous, donating the proceeds of her new cookbook to a food pantry in the Hamptons.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Remember that you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively Monday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
And stay right here on HLN for "DR. DREW." It starts right now.
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