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Showbiz Tonight
Dancing With the Stars Getting Too Mean?; Former SNL Castmate Discusses Abusive Childhood
Aired October 26, 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, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, HOST: Big news, breaking tonight on Showbiz Tonight, out of the mouth of Max. Tonight, Dancing With the Stars pro Maxim Chmerkovskiy`s shocking new slam adding fuel to his fiery fallout with the judges.
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MAXIM CHMERKOVSKIY, DANCING WITH THE STARS: I have nothing to apologize for.
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HAMMER: Are Maxim`s dancing days numbered? Plus Showbiz Tonight is right there after Chaz Bono gets bumped. But who will be next? Darrell`s dark and disturbing past. Former SNL funny man Darrell Hammond reveals a childhood of terror at the hands of his parents.
(VIDEO CLIP)
DARRELL HAMMOND, FORMER SNL CASTMEMBER: When I was a child, I was a victim of systematic and lengthy and brutality, stabbing, beating, being electrocuted.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Showbiz star`s secrets. Darrell Hammond horror. It`s the headline making interview that you don`t want to miss. Jennifer Aniston fires back. Is she really pregnant? Getting hitched? Jen goes mono a mono with the tabloids in an all new interview today.
TV`s most provocative news show breaks news right now.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight. Dance war. Yes, who knew that ballroom dancing could set the stage for all out war? It has and I`ve got to tell you it`s getting really ugly.
Today, Dancing With The Stars pro Maxim Chmerkovskiy is speaking out about his show time outburst aimed at the judges. Max lashed out at the panel, specifically Len Goodman, saying that Len was way too harsh on his partner, soccer star Hope Solo. Maxim`s controversial comments sparked a back and forth battle that is just boiling over today.
And just when we thought Max would kind of cha-cha his way into an apology, oh no, he took an unexpected turn today saying he`s not sorry and, furthermore, he`d say it again. Showbiz Tonight with the battle from the ballroom.
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LEN GOODMAN, JUDGE, DANCING WITH THE STARS: It`s not all that Max because half the fault is yours.
HAMMER: Judges are sniping, dancers are griping.
CHAZ BONO, CONTESTANT, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": Bruno (INAUDIBLE) makes comments about me and I`m sick of it.
HAMMER: And everyone is hyping the discord on Dancing With The Stars.
UNKNOWN: The battle in the ballroom.
HAMMER: Sure, we expect to see fighting on some reality shows.
UNKNOWN: Really? (INAUDIBLE) threaten me. Look at this.
HAMMER: But on Dancing With The Stars the ballroom has turned into a brawl room.
CHMERKOVSKIY: I`m not being disrespectful, I`m just protecting my partner.
UNKNOWN: Wait, wait, let me just .
UNKNOWN: All right.
HAMMER: With dancers rebelling over the sometimes harsh and over the top critiques from the judges.
GOODMAN: This is your worst dance of the whole season. It was like watching a cutie little penguin.
HAMMER: We can`t dance around the topic any longer. Showbiz Tonight is asking has Dancing With The Stars gotten too mean?
UNKNOWN: Chaz and Lacy.
HAMMER: On last night`s show, Chaz Bono was eliminated a day after his performance was slammed by the judges, especially Bruno Tonioli.
BRUNO TONIOLI, JUDGE, DANCING WITH THE STARS: It was like watching a little ewok dance with Princess Lea.
HAMMER: And last night we saw Chaz lash out at what he felt was Bruno`s crack about his weight.
BONO: Like I`m some fat troll dancing with this beautiful woman every week, you know, and I`m sick of it.
HAMMER: But that was nothing compared to the brawl that erupted when Maxim Chmerkovskiy took offense at Judge Len Goodman`s critique of Max and Hope Solo`s dance routine.
GOODMAN: I`ve been in this business for nearly 50 years.
CHMERKOVSKIY: Maybe it`s time to get out.
GOODMAN: My -- my (INAUDIBLE) as a judge is different to the obvious.
UNKNOWN: Oh, whoa, don`t be disrespectful like that.
GOODMAN: OK.
UNKNOWN: Don`t be disrespectful.
CHMERKOVSKIY: Well, let`s not be disrespectful to everybody, right, because everybody`s putting a lot of effort -- everybody on that balcony has been dying and killing themselves only to hear your guys` a little judgmental comment.
HAMMER: But that was in the heat of competition. Now, Max has had time to calm down. Maybe he`s over it. Maybe he`s even thinking about apologizing.
CHMERKOVSKIY: I`m definitely have nothing to apologize for.
HAMMER: So much for that. Today on Good Morning America, Max doubled down on his judge bashing.
CHMERKOVSKIY: Why is it that the judge is allowed to compare us to animals, you know, and -- and say stuff that they think is funny when it`s nothing constructive at all and we can`t, you know, say that they`re wrong.
UNKNOWN: Voice your opinion.
CHMERKOVSKIY: Basically.
HAMMER: And after Max`s headline making blowup, other Dancing With The Stars performers told Showbiz Tonight they understood how he felt.
NANCY GRACE: Max is very emotional and he felt that he had to do that. I understand how he felt.
J. R. MARTINEZ: If I wasn`t doing well and if the judges said something about me, Karina knows how hard I push myself so she would defend me.
GOODMAN: It was like watching a little ewok.
HAMMER: As for judge Bruno`s cracks about Chaz, he`s now in trouble with Chaz`s mom, Cher, which is a bad thing because we all know what happens when Cher gets mad. OK, Cher didn`t go all Moonstruck and strike Bruno but she did send out some nasty Tweets about him, writing "I could teach his little arm waving ass some manners. Critique Chaz`s dance style, movements, etcetera, but don`t make fun of my child on national TV."
Still, Chaz doesn`t have any hard feelings. After his elimination last night, Chaz and dance partner Lacey Schwimmer told Showbiz Tonight it was a good experience.
BONO: This is a life-changing show, doing this show, and I`m so just grateful I did it and I just I take away so much. Nice parting words from Chaz. But Max is still on the show and he`s still mad.
CHMERKOVSKIY: One thing I`m not going to embrace is pointed fingers and disrespectful remarks.
HAMMER: So, it looks like the Dancing With The Stars dance floor might be a tense place to be for a little while longer.
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HAMMER: Well, who knows if contestants will continue to rebel against the judges` harsh criticism. And that brings us to our Showbiz Flash Point. Is Dancing With The Stars too mean. With me right now in New York, the great Kimora Simmons who is the President and Creative Director of justfab.com.
Kimora`s also partnered with Bounty and the Get Schooled Foundation for teacherwishlist.com. Check that out. Right now, in Hollywood, Louis Van Amstel who is a dancing pro with Dancing With The Stars and spokesman for the dance fitness program La Blast.
You know, I`ve got to tell you, it does seem to me as the season wears on, the judges are less forgiving and that makes sense but I do think it is too mean when the judging goes beyond technique and it gets personal and that was exactly Maxim`s point this morning on Good Morning America. Watch what he said.
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CHMERKOVSKIY: Why is it that the judge is allowed to compare us to animals, you know, and -- and say stuff that they think is funny when it`s nothing constructive at all?
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HAMMER: All right, Kimora, I know you`re a big fan of Dancing With The Stars and, look, we know that many reality shows thrive on the big drama.
KIMORA LEE SIMMONS, PRESIDENT AND CREATIVE DIRECTOR, JUSTFAB.COM: Yes.
HAMMER: . but two our Showbiz Flashpoint, do you think Dancing With The Stars is getting too mean?
SIMMONS: It`s too much --it`s too much drama, it`s really rude. I think you`re there to judge the dancing. You`re not there to judge your personal opinion of people, their weight, their size, their shape. I think it -- I think it`s crazy.
HAMMER: So once it goes beyond the dance technique itself, perhaps the costumes, the choreography, then it`s over the line.
SIMMONS: Absolutely. And I feel like they`re doing it also to amp themselves up a little bit. You know, it`s --it`s a show. It takes everybody. These people are there, these are their dreams. This stuff is hard. They`re dancing 100 hours a day. I`ve seen the contract. It-- it`s not easy.
HAMMER: And I know they want you on the show and I know you don`t .
SIMMONS: Every time they ask me.
HAMMER: .you don`t want to be subject to that kind of thing. Wendy Williams was a contestant last year on Dancing With The Stars and she spoke out about this dance war today and she says mean judges and ridicule is part of the formula for success on the show. Watch what she said.
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WENDY WILLIAMS, FORMER COMPETITOR, DANCING WITH THE STARS: Like, when I was on last season`s Dancing With The Stars I saw how it was behind the scenes, which you`ll never fully understand when you watch on TV. I just try to give you little bits and pieces. I saw that I could have stayed on if I gave it up more, not in terms of my dancing, but fighting, you know, more -- more, you know, just more of everything. And I told Tony, I said you know what Tony, you know what, I will fake a broken leg before I will stand and be ridiculed in front of America.
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HAMMER: All right Louis, let me go to you on this. You`ve danced before those judges many times. You know well what it`s like behind the scenes. So, to our Showbiz Flashpoint, do you think Dancing With The Stars is .
LOUIS VAN AMSTEL: Oh yes.
HAMMER: .getting too mean or is it just part of what makes the show so entertaining?
VAN AMSTEL: I mean, it`s part of the entertainment value but this season they have gone extremely personal and when you stand there and you want to protect your star, I mean, even if you speak up and you have a point, you look like the bad guy and I feel for Max because he tried to stand up for all of us as pros and all of the celebrities but, in the end, he almost looked like the bad guy and I don`t know. It`s a dance show, why -- especially Len, he`s been in the business for 50 years. He knows the dance inside out. Keep it to the dancing. And, Bruno was just downright rude to Chaz, called him a penguin, really?
HAMMER: Yes.
VAN AMSTEL: To me, I might -- it might sound extreme but it`s a form of bullying.
HAMMER: Well, you -- you said that Max was really speaking in -- in a way on behalf of so many people there and he wasn`t the only one who was peeved at the judges. Chaz Bono thought that they took it way too far. Dancing With The Stars judge Bruno Tonioli we`re talking about called Chaz an ewok, a penguin, a bouncing ball and that is out of line as far as I`m concerned.
Now, today, Bruno`s judge in crime, Carrie Ann Inaba tells Access Hollywood Live that Bruno didn`t mean anything by it. Watch what she said.
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CARRIE ANN INABA, JUDGE, DANCING WITH THE STARS: I actually thought we were pretty kind, in general, this year. I don`t think he felt bad because I don`t think he meant anything by it. Bruno speak -- Bruno`s Italian and he learned English as a second language so sometimes he speaks in pictures. That`s what he`s always talked about and I think he saw what -- he saw -- he saw a penguin but I don`t think he meant it as a negative or a derogatory statement.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Kimora, I appreciate what Carrie Ann is saying but I do think the name calling was way out of line, don`t you?
SIMMONS: That`s a crock pot. It`s really nice of her to say that but that`s absolutely inexcusable. My husband speaks 25 languages, English is his last one. If he sits there and says you look like a fat pig today honey, he kind of knows what he`s saying, English, (INAUDIBLE), or not, it`s rude. It`s below the belt.
In Chaz`s case I felt like it was a personal attack on Chaz and I feel like Chaz represents so many people, I feel like it was an attack. I feel like people are there to follow their dreams, they`re working really hard, you should stick to the subject and I think he knew exactly what he was saying when he said those things. He`s said many of those kinds of things and he would do it again.
HAMMER: Louis?
VAN AMSTEL: Also, can I say something? Bruno and Carrie Ann have no ballroom dance experience and I think Bruno has to use all these terminologies because he has no terminology on dance. So, he doesn`t know any dance -- has no ballroom dance experience. So.
But, it`s odd, I am Dutch. English is my second language.
HAMMER: You do OK.
VAN AMSTEL: I know what I`m saying.
SIMMONS: And you know a pig when you see a pig.
HAMMER: It`s going to be -- it`s going to be very interesting to see if they soften up.
VAN AMSTEL: Yes.
HAMMER: .at all as a result of what happened this week. Kimora Lee Simmons, Louis Van Amstel, great to see you both, thanks.
SIMMONS: Thank you.
VAN AMSTEL: Thank you.
HAMMER: Moving now to (INAUDIBLE) Housewife`s return two months after a suicide, the late husband of Beverly Hills Housewife Taylor Armstrong making a chilling appearance on the show.
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UNKNOWN: So, did you read the big story today? They link it to Lisa. We`ll just serve them up a lawsuit.
TAYLOR ARMSTRONG: This is very awkward. Am I next?
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HAMMER: Is it just too soon? Showbiz going one on one with a Housewives insider next.
Jennifer Aniston`s firing back. I`m happy to see this. Is she pregnant? Is she getting married again? Well, that`s what the tabloids say about what Jen is doing but what`s Jen saying? Jen versus the tabloids in a remarkable new interview.
And Darrell`s disturbing past. You`ve got to see this. Former SNL funny man Darrell Hammond revealing a childhood of terror and how his past nearly destroyed him at the height of his fame on Showbiz Tonight HLN news and views.
Time for the Showbiz News Ticker. More stories from the Showbiz Tonight News Room making news tonight.
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UNKNOWN: Pre-engagement darling.
UNKNOWN: Oh my God this is such an exciting night.
UNKNOWN: I know.
UNKNOWN: More coffee?
UNKNOWN: (INAUDIBLE) Oh no.
RUSSELL ARMSTRONG: So, did you read the big story today? They link it to Lisa. We`ll just serve them with a lawsuit.
TAYLOR ARMSTRONG: This is very awkward. Am I next?
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HAMMER: Showbiz Tonight revealing a sneak peek at an all new explosive episode on the hit reality TV series Real Housewives of Beverly Hills featuring scenes with Taylor Armstrong`s now deceased husband Russell.
So, are the Housewives ready for the fallout? Right now, Showbiz goes one on one with the Beverly Hills insider and close friend to the Housewives. Welcome back to Showbiz Tonight. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York tonight. Housewives drama. Is there any other way to call it?
Just when you thought the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills might find a way to put aside their differences and all just get along, Well Showbiz Tonight will reveal that may set tensions at an all time high. The episode, which is set to air next week, shows never before scenes, shocking footage of former co-star Russell Armstrong who, of course, committed suicide after the season had already been taped.
The question is, is it all too soon? With me in New York for Showbiz News (INAUDIBLE) interview a real Beverly Hills insider and new breakout star of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Dana Wilkey. Dana it`s nice to meet you. It`s great to have you here.
DANA WILKEY, CAST MEMBER, REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: And, really, what a season of highs and lows on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills for the women on the show, even for the fans of Housewives. Looking ahead to next week`s show, this is bound to be another difficult week. The resurfacing of scenes showing the late Russell Armstrong, including some incredible new revelations about just what was happening behind the scenes.
Dana, you`re an insider. You`re right there. Do you think that friends and family, people closest to Russell are ready for this? Is it too soon?
WILKEY: I mean, for me it was a little soon. To be honest. I -- I was a little surprised when I saw the preview and I`m sure that his family is going to find it challenging to see him on TV like that.
HAMMER: Was it your hope that they just would not have included Russell at all this season?
WILKEY: Yes, for me it was my hope but, you know, that`s not up to me. That`s, you know, somebody else`s choice.
HAMMER: Well, that, of course, is only part of the drama that we get to see on the Real Housewives.
WILKEY: Right. You always see my sunglasses.
HAMMER: Wow. We`ve seen sunglasses and some major blowups and breakdowns on -- on the show. You`ve got to be pretty tough to hang with the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I`m telling you. And, in fact, we asked on Tuesday -- we`ve -- viewers vote in our Showbiz Tonight exclusive poll just moments ago I got the final results. Here`s the question we asked, Dana.
Which reality show has the best fights? 14 percent said Dancing With The Stars, 38 percent cast their vote for Jersey Shore, and look at this, a whopping 48 percent said your show, Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. So, you won by a landslide for the best fights.
WILKEY: We`re so proud.
HAMMER: Do you see that as a good thing or a bad thing?
WILKEY: Well, you know, I didn`t exactly stop the fights so I guess I see it as a good thing when I was hosting it.
HAMMER: Well, we saw one of the biggest fights on the show happen in your own home.
WILKEY: Yes.
HAMMER: A major blowout as a matter of fact. Yesterday, one of your costars, Brandi Glanville, was right here and she gave us her own take on what happened. Let`s take a look at that.
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BRANDI GLANVILLE, REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS, ACTRESS: There is a lot of drama to come. I mean, so much. It definitely gets worse before it gets better.
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HAMMER: Do you have any regrets of putting it all out there?
WILKEY: I think we all have regrets like maybe saying the wrong thing or, you know, but, that`s what you sign up for.
HAMMER: Do the cameras keep all this drama going or is it genuinely a clash of personalities?
WILKEY: No, it`s genuinely a clash of personalities really happening, we`re not -- you know, it`s -- it`s real and it really (INAUDIBLE).
HAMMER: So this is the real deal. Not making it up because it`s reality TV.
WILKEY: No, no. I think everybody -- I mean, obviously when cameras are on you, you might be a little bit more intense than you would normally be but I do 100 percent see it that way.
HAMMER: Well good. Hey, look, it`s good to know that reality is real. Dana, I appreciate you being here. Thank you so much. And, you can see much more of Dana on the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. It`s Mondays at 9 on Bravo. Dana is also one of the creators of a new line of diet supplements coming out soon called Thin Shot.
We move on tonight to Kim K`s marriage confessions. Tonight, what Kim Kardashian just told People Magazine is going to make your head spin. Admitting that her marriage is not ideal. What`s up with that? I`ve got your exclusive details coming up. Also, Justin Timberlake, Ryan Gosling, certainly two of Hollywood`s hottest men, right?
Well, they actually share a unique connection. You`ve got to hear Justin`s amazing story. This is Showbiz Tonight on HLN News and Views. Time for the Showbiz News Ticker. More stories from the Showbiz Tonight news room making news tonight.
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HAMMER: Countdown to the M.J. trial verdict. Reckless. Negligent. Careless. Those are just a few of the words heard in court over the past 17 days of the Michael Jackson death trial and now, as the defense makes its case to counter those harsh descriptions with testimony by Dr. Conrad Murray`s friends and former patients, the question remains tonight, will their testimony alone be enough to save the doctor from jail? Will Conrad Murray have to testify himself?
With me now from Hollywood, defense attorney Debra Opri, and Debra, I`ve got to tell you, I`m sitting there watching the character witnesses getting up there on the stand today for the defense. They adore Conrad Murray. Dr. Murray saved their life. That may all be true but does it really matter in fighting the prosecution`s claim that when it came to Michael Jackson, Dr. Murray`s gross negligence is what resulted in his death?
DEBRA OPRI, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: No, it doesn`t and the only purpose why they`re putting up character witnesses at this juncture is they`re trying to get that demonization of the prosecution`s case and bring Conrad Murray back down to earth as a human being who was well-liked by a number of people but it has no bearing on the gross negligence he administered to Michael Jackson and these people, as sweet as the Grandma Ruby was, in the end, what he did with these people have absolutely nothing to do with Michael Jackson and the fact that he was illegally administering a very strong medicine outside of the hospital environment.
HAMMER: So, Debra, when you look then at what the defense is up against at this point in the case, do you feel that they`re going to be forced to have Murray testify, something that everyone seems to agree would be an act of desperation.
OPRI: If -- if I had done the defense A.J. I would have done it a little differently. I would have really chipped away at the beginning of my defense case with those elements of the gross negligence. I would have basically said that well, just the fact that Michael Jackson died and I was out of the room for this amount of time doesn`t make it gross negligence.
HAMMER: Right.
OPRI: If they had really leveled themselves with the it was a judgment call it would have been a stronger defense. I don`t think he should testify.
HAMMER: All right Debra, thanks so much. Debra Opri and HLN and Showbiz Tonight covering the trial like no one else. Justice for Michael. Stay with Showbiz Tonight until the very end of the Michael Jackson death trial. We will be live at 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific when the verdict is announced.
Time now for the Showbiz Lineup that`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on Showbiz Tonight. Darrell`s dark past. Former Saturday Night Live Darrell Hammond reveals his private childhood pain. This is amazing. How he suffered even at the height of his fame.
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HAMMOND: I mean, performing with Anthrax in the building is not nearly as difficult as performing in a home where you might get stabbed that night.
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HAMMER: Tonight, Darrell Hammond Showbiz Star Secrets. And Jennifer Aniston is fighting back. Pregnant? Ready for hubby number two? It`s Jen`s remarkably honest new interview today. This is Showbiz Tonight on HLN News and Views.
Time for the Showbiz News Ticker. More stories from the Showbiz Tonight news room making news tonight.
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HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on Showbiz Tonight. Jennifer Aniston declares war on the tabloids. Is she pregnant? Is she getting married? Tonight, why is Jen sick of all the talk and is setting the record straight. Showbiz Star Secrets. The shocking and sad tale of a Saturday Night Live star`s past. Inside Darrell Hammond`s disturbing and heartbreaking childhood.
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HAMMOND: There was cutting backstage. There was -- there was one (INAUDIBLE) in fact, the week that I did the Gore debates, I believe, I went -- I was taken away in a straight jacket.
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HAMMER: Abuse, cutting, psychiatric drugs. Tonight, the Showbiz Star Secrets of SNL`s Darrell Hammond. Kardashian marriage shocker. Kim K`s new admission about her marriage. Why she`s calling her new reality a challenge.
UNKNOWN: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
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 tonight. Showbiz Star`s Secrets. Darrell Hammond`s horror. Former SNL funny man Darrell Hammond is revealing his dark and disturbing past.
I`m talking about a childhood of terror at the hands of his own parents. I`m talking so severe it is nearly unbelievable. I can tell you that this is one of the most candid and one of the most heartbreaking star interviews you will ever see. Here`s Darrell Hammond, unplugged.
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HAMMOND: When I was a child I was a victim of systematic and lengthy and brutality, I mean, stabbing, beating, being electrocuted, stuff like that. That`s my mom.
My name is Darrell Hammond. I`m a former SNL cast member, author of a new book God If You`re Not Up There I`m (AUDIO GAP). My dad never really abused me. He was a -- a war vet that was haunted by dreams of Nazis and dismembered corpses and things that war vets go through. So, it was frightening to be around that. But, he never really abused me.
On the other side, my mom did some things which, you know, have cost me dearly. I think it started manifesting itself when I was 19 years old and I -- I think -- I -- that`s the first time I ever cut myself and then over the years, you know, it became habitual.
I was never in a mental institution for a long time. I was in psych wards where I would go in and they go, well, is he -- is he going to kill himself? What`s wrong with him? You know, I was diagnosed with everything from schizophrenia to multiple personality and bipolar and all the things that doctors have traditionally -- the labels doctors have traditionally placed on people who are only really just trauma patients.
With me, I was on as many as seven medications at one time. I mean, these doctors really didn`t know what to do with me. All the shows that I did on SNL, almost all of them, I was on these what I call soul killing drugs but they`re not really soul killing. That`s not their purpose. The purpose is to stabilize a trauma patient and that`s what they did, enough so that I could go out there.
I mean, performing with anthrax in the building is not nearly as difficulty as performing in a home where you might get stabbed that night. There was cutting backstage. I was once taken to a psych ward. In fact, the week that I did the Gore debates, I believe I went -- I was taken away in a straight jacket. And there`s no way that you people would know about that. But, SNL is a place where if Lorne judges that you can hit the ball over the wall that night then you`re going to go out and get up and step up to the plate.
So, I didn`t want to let Lorne down who, you know, I`m close to but I didn`t want to -- and I didn`t want to make fun of a guy who`s -- who`s body, soul, and voice were changed by combat. This is why I had a hard time playing John McCain and didn`t want to play John McCain. You know, when my father was on his death bed and he made -- and he wanted me to play him, he was on morphine and all these things and he didn`t realize what I would have to go through to do it.
I don`t think that he was aware. I think that he, you know, he was a traveling salesman, he sold guns and fishing tackle. He drank all the time. Had nightmares nightly about Nazis. He was living in his own world of trauma and confusion over having killed so many people and, yet, being proud of America and serving his country.
He would not have allowed it if he knew it. You know, this all occurred when people weren`t around. You know, you don`t do things like this to people where there are witnesses. But, I mean, you can laugh about it with the right people and you can laugh about it in the nut house. You know, you can laugh about it in the psych ward where some guy`s standing outside your door going I think bad things momma, I think bad things. And you`re like, wow, really? This is how far I`ve come?
I don`t feel ashamed for falling down because I got hit by a Mack truck, you know. The fact is, I kept trying to get back up and -- and then I did. When she was on her death bed with cancer and she called me over and in her best southern accent said you were always my little buddy weren`t you honey? And, I looked at her and I went oh my God and didn`t say anything and everyone in the room sort of looked at the floor because a moment of horrible discomfort had sort of blossomed into the room.
And, that`s when she won. On the other hand, you know, I began to realize that my mother had once been an innocent child. Someone had to do something to her to cause her to behave the way she behaved. My mother died about two-and-a-half years ago, just a few months before my father died in the same hospice. Even though they told him he had less than 36 hours to live, he wanted me to do SNL because President Obama was on -- or Barack Obama was on who might be the president and the thought that would be an honor that I should do that.
So, the night before I did that and the next morning I take like an early morning flight with my cop friend, Eddie. They had taken him off his morphine and so he wouldn`t die and he -- he turns to my cop friend and he says, Eddie, son, I`ll see you somewhere on down the road. And, then he goes, now give me my (EXPLETIVE DELETED) morphine and y`all get out of here and that was the end. Was on who might be the president and the thought that would be an honor that I should do that.
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HAMMER: Such an unbelievable story, heart-wrenching interview with former SNL funny man Darrell Hammond. All right, as we switch gears and move on tonight, Jennifer Aniston is all fired up over those incessant tabloid reports about her life. Everybody`s wondering is she pregnant? Is she getting married? Well, tonight I`ve got Jen`s all new interview. She is declaring war on the tabloids.
Plus Kim Kardashian`s shocking new admission about her marriage, why she`s calling her new reality a challenge. I`m going to tell you what she`s saying today.
This is Showbiz Tonight on HLN News and Views. Now the Showbiz News Ticker. More stories from the Showbiz Tonight news room making news tonight.
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L.A. REID: Barack Obama certainly has the X Factor, right? Bill Clinton had the X Factor. You know, you know, Ronald Reagan had the X Factor. John F. Kennedy certainly had the X Factor. Desmond Tutu has the X Factor. Nelson Mandela has the -- has it. You know, there -- there -- Simon Cowell has the X Factor, you know.
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HAMMER: Welcome back to Showbiz Tonight. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Kim K`s marriage confession. Yes, the reality star`s revealing new details about her two month marriage to Kris Humphries saying well things have not always been ideal. And, Jennifer Aniston is firing back today at all those reports that she is pregnant and about to get married.
Why is there such an obsession to see Jen married and pregnant? With me in New York the fabulous Kimora Lee Simmons who is the President and Creative Director of justfab.com. Kimora has also just partnered with Bounty and the Get Schooled Foundation for teacherwishlist.com. It is a pleasure to have you here.
SIMMONS: Nice to see you again.
HAMMER: All right, let`s begin.
SIMMONS: OK.
HAMMER: .with the newlyweds. Kim Kardashian, of course, and Kris Humphries. And Kim`s making a big confession now, fresh off of her wedding to Kris Humphries back in August. The honeymooners launched into shooting Kim`s new reality show with her sister Kourtney and to get it done Kim and her new husband had to share a hotel suite with Kourtney, with Kourtney`s boyfriend, and with their baby.
And in a brand new interview with People Magazine it was just revealed today, here is what Kim is saying about that arrangement. She calls it challenging. It`s not ideal because when you`re newlyweds you want your privacy. I can imagine. But, here`s the thing that I don`t understand. Kim is a professional.
SIMMONS: Yes.
HAMMER: Obviously, she knows when she`s planning all these things that this is what`s going to happen. Are you surprised that she is having sort of a tough time by her own revelation balancing being newly married and the fact that she has reality TV as a major part of her life?
SIMMONS: Well, it sounds to me in that quote like she is having trouble living in close proximity with everyone else in your marriage and the baby.
HAMMER: Which was brought on because the cameras were rolling.
SIMMONS: Yes, and I know Kim and I love her. I think she`s fabulous. And I`ve never heard any of those kind of things. But, I feel like, you know, she`s been married before. We kind of know these ups and downs. When you add TV to something I think it makes it strenuous and stressful no matter what. She can`t walk anywhere without someone knowing and seeing something. I mean, if you have the wrong look on your face you`re fighting.
HAMMER: Yes.
SIMMONS: You know, if you`re too happy or you`ve gained a little weight you`re pregnant. I think it`s kind of a tough call any time living your life in front of the cameras but I don`t think it`s impossible and I don`t think she`s necessarily saying it`s over or it`s -- it`s so bad.
HAMMER: Well, I think you`re a great example of -- of how to strike the balance. You know, it always seems to me like you have a smile on your face and you have so much going on in your career. You`ve got your family reality show, Life in the Fab Lane on the Style Network. The show features your whole family. It even features your ex-husband Russell Simmons. Do you have one piece of advice that you would give Kim and Kris as they navigate their new life together?
Do you think every now and then -- I personally think so but I don`t have a reality show -- that the cameras should be clicked off from time to time?
SIMMONS: I definitely think that. I mean, I think the difference between my show and a lot of shows is my show is a show that focuses on the business of fashion. I didn`t do anything extra other than being a designer, being a model, being a fashion girl. My kids and my personal life is a small drop in the bucket compared to what`s really going on.
So, I think any time you open it up that much and you have all of this going on and sometimes it gets a little chaotic, I don`t think we really do all that on my show.
HAMMER: Yes.
SIMMONS: It`s a little -- it`s a little difficult and I think people tend to pass judgment very quickly. It`s hard for you to live up to some of those standards that you`ve probably set. It`s very difficult. Like, Djimon, we don`t have cameras in Djimon`s face, no.
HAMMER: So, work very hard at striking the balance, maybe, they need to work a little harder. I do want to move on to Jennifer Aniston because I think this is terrific, the fact that she is firing back today at all of these reports that she is pregnant, with her boyfriend Justin Theroux`s baby, that she`s ready to tie the knot any day now.
She gave a brand new interview to Hello Magazine and Aniston that she insists that she does, or admits that she does look a little different and she says I quit smoking so I`ve gained a couple of pounds. Well, good, I`m glad she quit smoking.
About getting hitched, she says I am not planning to get married anytime soon, this ring that I`ve been wearing is not an engagement ring. I`ve been married once and I don`t know if I`ll get married again but I can tell you as of this moment, as of today, I have no plan to get married.
Hats off to Jen addressing the issues straight on. Why are so people so obsessed with her being married and pregnant, Kimora?
SIMMONS: I don`t know. I think we love Jennifer Aniston. I feel like she`s kind of America`s sweetheart. I sometimes think she gets a -- a bad rap when it comes to the relationship thing, you know, is she or isn`t she, is she finding true love?
I think, really, people just want the best for her. We want her to be happy. I think it`s been said or heard that she wants kids. Obviously, she wants a family and I feel like people are just rooting -- you know, rooting her on and I think pushing her a little too far ahead of her time.
HAMMER: I think so too. Yes, and I think there`s a segment of the people out there who just want that sort of sensationalized life for her.
SIMMONS: Always.
HAMMER: With all the drama, but I think, you know, I root for her every time we talk about her. You have it all together though, you`ve got the family, you`ve got the career what, and of course you`re the President and Creative Director of justfab.com. As a mom of three kids, what`s the secret to being able to -- to keep all that going?
SIMMONS: It`s really crazy. I can`t -- I can`t be rooming up with a lot of extra people with my kids. I think I put my family first. Obviously, you have to prioritize. You know, I take my kids to school in the morning, I pick them up when I can. If I don`t, you know, my husband does.
I think it`s really tough. You have to protect your children. You also have to let them explore themselves and get out there in the world but I-- I definitely think it`s about striking a .
HAMMER: The balance.
SIMMONS: .striking a balance.
HAMMER: And keeping the drama to a minimum.
SIMMONS: Always.
HAMMER: .and it seems that you do a very good job.
SIMMONS: I`m certainly not fabricating any extra drama.
HAMMER: Kimora Simmons, it`s terrific to see you.
SIMMONS: Thank you.
HAMMER: Thank you so much for being here. Good luck with the partnership with the Bounty and Get Schooled Foundation for teacherwishlist.com.
SIMMONS: Thank you.
HAMMER: All right, we`ve got to move on because, did you see this, Will Ferrell just honored with 14th annual Mark Twain prize for humor. A bunch of his celebrity friends, some of my favorites, the great Larry David, Zach Galifianakis, Christina Applegate, Eva Mendez, even his former SNL co-star Amy Poehler, all asked by funnyordie.com to say a few special words about Will.
Oddly enough, they all shared a personal letter they received from Will himself only all of them sounded the same. Watch.
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LARRY DAVID, ACTOR: So, what`s going on here? What are you doing?
UNKNOWN: Mr. Will Ferrell actually won the Mark Twain prize for humor and we`re just asking people to share their personal memories of Will.
DAVID: Really? First of all, that`s wonderful. Congratulations Will.
CHRISTINA APPLEGATE, ACTRESS: My favorite memory of Will, probably this letter. I just wanted to say thank you so much for your contribution to comedy over the years and, of course, for the incredible letter that you wrote me.
ZACH GALIFIANAKIS, ACTOR: The letter you sent me.
AMY POEHLER, ACTRESS: I`d like to think of it more as a smile that was delivered to me in letter form.
SARAH SILVERMAN, ACTRESS: Dear Sarah, you are the single most important influence in my life.
EVA MENDEZ, ACTRESS: You`re the single most important influence in my life.
POEHLER: The single most important influence in my life.
GALIFIANAKIS: It may surprise you to hear such words but they`re true and I`ve never shared them with anyone before.
DAVID: I`ve never shared them with anyone before.
MAYA RUDOLPH, ACTRESS: Anyone before. You may have noticed that I`ve even mimicked your style.
POEHLER: What is Anchorman?
JOHN HEDER: What is Bewitched?
SILVERMAN: If not a homage to the Sarah Silverman program?
HEDER: If not a Napoleon Dynamite (INAUDIBLE)?
DAVID: You know what`s odd about this, he sent me two letters.
POEHLER: Maybe one day with your help.
SILVERMAN: I can be as great as you.
DAVID: Practically exactly alike.
MENDEZ: But, for now, let`s just accept it.
HEDER: You, Jon.
POEHLER: Amy Poehler.
GALIFIANAKIS: Sir or Madam.
MENDEZ: Are my hero.
DAVID: This is one, and they`re seven years apart.
HEDER: While I hope this letter flatters you.
APPLEGATE: It did. I ask that you keep it in a personal and special place.
DAVID: It`s a form letter.
RUDOLPH: Knowing that our connection is something so profound.
MENDEZ: Others would be.
HEDER: Jealous.
SILVERMAN: Or fail to understand.
UNKNOWN: I think it`s a coincidence.
DAVID: You know what, you know what I feel like doing? I feel like going down there.
APPLEGATE: Sincerely, John
RUDOLPH: William.
POEHLER: Ferrell.
DAVID: It`s a form letter. You sent me two form letters you son of a bitch.
POEHLER: P.S.
HEDER: My wife and I.
APPLEGATE: Are naming our first daughter after you.
SILVERMAN: That`s all.
GALIFIANAKIS: You guys bring the camera in a little closer. I want you to see the emotion in my eyes.
DAVID: Get out. Get out of here.
UNKNOWN: The Mark Twain award.
DAVID: He doesn`t know who Mark Twain is. Put that camera down.
GALIFIANAKIS: Now, can you play a different kind of music? Thank you, that`s better.
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HAMMER: Now, I`m guessing Larry David is not going to be calling Will anytime soon. All right, tonight, we have big news about Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling. Tonight, the amazing connection between these two hot Hollywood stars and I can tell you Justin and Ryan they go way back.
This is Showbiz Tonight on HLN News and Views. Time for the Showbiz News Ticker. More stories from the Showbiz Tonight news room making news tonight.
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HAMMER: Are you watching this? It`s hard to believe that that`s Justin Timberlake and Ryan Gosling in the 90s revival of the Mickey Mouse Club. Wow, they`ve come a long way. Well, in a brand new interview today, Justin reveals that`s not the only connection between these two superstars.
Tonight, Justin Timberlake reveals his unbelievably close childhood connection with Ryan Gosling. Hard to believe Justin and Ryan starred in the Mickey Mouse Club when they were only about 10 years old. So cute, right. Well, today, Justin reveals to Ellen DeGeneres that the two superstars to be weren`t as innocent as they looked.
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JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE, ACTOR/MUSICIAN: We actually, funny enough, he -- his mother had to keep her job in Canada the second year that we were on the television show and my mom was his guardian for like six months and so we actually lived together when we were that age and.
ELLEN DEGENERES: Really?
TIMBERLAKE: Yes.
DEGENERES: Wow.
TIMBERLAKE: Yes, we, like, stole a golf cart and we were, like, yeah, man, we`re stealing a golf cart. But, meanwhile, you know what it`s like on a back lot, there`s just golf carts everywhere people just -- so we stole the, you know, we stole the golf cart and, you know, we, like, drove into MGM Studios, which is totally illegal by the way, and I was like, what -- what you want to do, thug? And he was like, I don`t know, cuz. Because that`s definitely how we talked.
DEGENERES: With you overalls on.
TIMBERLAKE: And I was like, I -- yes. Yes. And, and so -- and so, I was like, I don`t know man, I`m in the mood for some vanilla. And he was like, I`m in the mood for some chocolate so we went and got milkshakes.
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HAMMER: Probably in those overalls. Justin also says it`s hard to keep in touch with Ryan because they`re both so busy but Justin says he thinks Ryan`s one of the best actors of his generation. I would say Justin not doing too bad for himself either.
All right, tonight, Rosie O`Donnell defends Tracy Morgan. Tracy made some pretty nasty anti-gay comments earlier this year during a comedy show. Why is Rosie now saying I forgive you? That`s next.
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HAMMER: Tonight, Rosie O`Donnell forgives Tracy Morgan for his anti- gay jokes. You remember back in June Tracy came under fire after running off at the mouth with anti-gay comments during a comedy show in Nashville. Well, soon after, he went on an apology tour across the country. Well, Tracy just appeared on Rosie`s show and revealed his regrets.
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TRACY MORGAN, COMEDIAN: You know, I felt hurt because the people who were at my show was hurt.
ROSIE O`DONNELL: Sure.
MORGAN: I felt bad for that. I don`t pride myself on hurting anyone with the mic.
O`DONNELL: No.
MORGAN: That`s so easy to do. I want to make this world a little bit better.
O`DONNELL: Right.
MORGAN: .place than it was when I got here.
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HAMMER: Rosie told Tracy that as a fellow comic she understood him and she forgave him.
And that is it for Showbiz Tonight. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch Showbiz Tonight exclusively Sunday to Friday when we`re on at 11 p.m. Eastern and Pacific right here on HLN.
Dr. Drew is next and tonight Nancy Grace speaks with Dr. Drew about Chaz Bono`s dramatic Dancing With The Stars exit. That starts right now on HLN.
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