Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Body Found on Queen Elizabeth`s Estate; Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger Possibly Reconciling; Demi Lovato Discusses Drug Addiction; Eva Longoria Discusses Weight Issues; Donald Trump Announces New "Celebrity Apprentice" Cast; New Ad Targets Kim Kardashian`s Tax Bill; Khloe Kardashian Tweets to Help Animal Charity.
Aired January 04, 2012 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
A.J. HAMMER, HOST, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT": Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. The shocking royal murder mystery, a young woman`s body found on the queen`s country estate while the queen and the prince are there. Tonight, the burning questions. Who is she? How was she killed? How could such a gruesome crime go down at the royal`s countryside mansion? Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with CSI countryside.
Taxing Kim Kardashian? Tonight, the startling brand-new campaign to squeeze more tax dollars out of can Kim K.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN, REALTY SHOW STAR: Being on TV has changed my life because I get lots of free stuff.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, will the tax man cometh for Kim Kardashian?
Celebrity of president? Donald Trump`s big revelation today about the brand-new cast of celebrity apprentice, including Clay Aiken. So is Trump now getting ready to run for president? Clay Aiken right here tonight for a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight, the royal murder mystery. Call in the investigators from CSI, let`s get some law and order around here. This is a cold case for the ages.
Tonight, even TV`s greatest investigators might not be able to do any good. British investigators were just scratching their heads today, trying to figure out who murdered a young woman and left her on the grounds of the queen`s countryside royal estate some four months ago. The body was just discovered even as Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip stayed in their mansion right nearby. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the cold case that has left a chill in the air on the royal grounds.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It`s a royal murder/mystery that has everyone in a tizzy in England and across the pond here in America.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Now the murder mystery that`s unfolding in Britain.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The royal estate, a crime scene at this hour.
HAMMER: The body of the young woman was found in the wooded grounds of the sprawling estate where almost the entire royal family spent their Christmas vacation, a murder mystery that literally hits close to home for the royal family. If Sherlock Holmes were real, he`d be all over this one.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The single most important case of my career, perhaps of all-time.
ASHLAN GORSE, E! NEWS CORRESPONDENT: Everybody`s just kind of shocked by this find.
HAMMER: This British murder mystery takes place on the queen`s estate in Sandringham about 100 miles from London. Police say on Sunday, New Year`s Day, a dog walker found the body of a young woman between the ages of 15 and 23. Cops say the body could have been there anywhere from one to four months.
JES FRY, NORFOLK CONSTABULARY: I think the circumstances indicate that she is probably the victim of murder.
HAMMER: The shocking discovery was just three miles away from the Sandringham house, the private home of generations of British monarchs dating back to 1862. It`s one of two private residences used by the queen who happened to be there at the time of this week`s gruesome discovery.
CHARLOTTE TRIGG, STAFF WRITER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: Queen Elizabeth and her husband actually are still in residence at Sandringham and they`ve been there throughout the holidays.
HAMMER: Prince William and his wife Kate and Prince Harry were at Sandringham for Christmas. But they were long gone by the time the body was found on Christmas day. So we have an apparent murder on a regal English estate. It`s almost like a game of clue, and in this real-life mystery, police are on the hunt for clues.
TRIGG: Police are saying they`re looking at this as a murder case.
HAMMER: Keep in mind, Sandringham is huge -- 20,000 acres, including a 600-acre park which is open to the public, and hundreds of people live on the grounds. So any link between this apparent murder and the royal family appears to be coincidental. Still, the combination of the glamorous royal family and an eerie murder mystery could just be too juicy for anyone to resist.
GORSE: Anything the royals do, everybody in the U.K. and in the states is really interested. So to think that the queen, will, and Kate, the entire immediate family was there at the estate on Christmas and to know this happened, was discovered on New Year`s Day, it`s a little freaky.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And there is yet another mystery tonight surrounding one of America`s former royal-like couples. Is it game back on?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll be back.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, is Arnold Schwarzenegger saying to Maria Shriver, "I`ll be back" for good? There were startling signs today that Maria may be getting back together with Arnold after, of course, kicking him to the curb for fathering a child with another woman. Today SHOWBIZ TONIGHT obtained this picture of Maria wearing her wedding ring in public. This is the very first time she`s done that since last June. Also, Arnold snapped wearing his wedding ring.
So here`s our SHOWBIZ "Flashpoint," would it be wrong for Maria to take Arnold back? I can`t wait to hear what she has to say. With me tonight, New York`s Sunny Hostin, a legal contributor for "In Session" on Tru-TV, and TV host Megan Muni also with us tonight.
All right, Sunny, let`s reminisce for a moment. When this story first broke, you and I talked about how we never could have imagined a world, a planet, if you will, on which this woman, Maria Shriver, should take this man, Arnold Schwarzenegger, back. We just could never, ever see that possibly happening. I believe I have a quote from you. You said "He`s a no-good, rotten, cheating cad." Time has passed. So Sunny, would it be wrong for Maria to take Arnold back?
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION": It would be wrong. I`m so disappointed with Maria. She`s sort of a girlfriend in my head. She`s one of those women that you want to go out to lunch with, go shopping with, almost like a Jennifer Aniston. I may have to kick her out of the club if she does this. I`ve got to tell you, if a man disrespects you in this way, I don`t care who he is, I don`t care if he`s the father of all of your children. The fact that he fathered a child with your nanny who lived in the house and everyone was in on it except for you means that he is terminated forever.
HAMMER: Game over.
HOSTIN: Game over.
HAMMER: As far as you`re concerned, it can`t go on anymore. What do you think, Megan?
MEGAN MEANY, TV HOST: It`s awful. It`s as bad as it gets. But there`s this small part in me, maybe it`s the Irish Catholic in me, and I know Maria is Irish Catholic, and she`s thinking, I`ve got to keep this family together for the kids. I can`t imagine it, but I don`t walk in her shoes, I can`t imagine sitting at the dinner table and look into the faces of those four or five kids --
HOSTIN: He`s got to go.
MEANY: I`m not saying I could do it!
HAMMER: Who knows what kinds of conversations they`re having. I don`t think it was any accident, at all, by the way, that they were filmed or caught on camera wearing their wedding rings. Do you think they were trying to send a signal, Sunny?
HOSTIN: I think so.
HAMMER: That`s usually the case in these situations.
HOSTIN: There`s no question about it. We saw her when this scandal erupted. No wedding band. She was with her BFF Oprah, she looked drawn. This is a very different Maria that we`re seeing, which is why I`m so very upset about this, A.J.
HAMMER: I know you are.
Well, we have got another marriage mess tonight that really takes the cake. "Real Housewives" star Brandi Glanville is speaking out for the very first time today. She`s somehow trying to explain her quickie wedding in Vegas that happened while she was drunk. She now says she`s calling it off. And the groom`s ex-wife called Brandi a traitor. We need to sort out the madness. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner is in Hollywood tonight. Nischelle, this is just crazy. Break it down for us.
NISHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: A.J., I actually almost need a flow chart to explain this all. Brandi just told "People" magazine that her spur of the moment weekend Vegas wedding was just something on her bucket list. This all started over the weekend when she tweeted a photo to her fans from Las Vegas saying she just married longtime friend Darin Harvey.
Harvey`s ex-wife is not too happy with this stunt. She took to Twitter right way saying she and Brandi were best friends until she claims that Brandi started an affair with her husband. Brandi denies these claims, saying this was all just done in fun. She also told "People" that any naysayers should, well, just suck it.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: A.J., Brandi and Darin have to file papers in court to make this all official, which they reportedly say they have no plans to do.
HAMMER: I think my head was about to explode right there. She`s always so class, isn`t she? And Brandi`s "Real Housewives" costar Kyle Richards just told me she thinks this stunt is something she thinks Brandi will surely regret someday. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KYLE RICHARDS, "REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS" STAR: I think it was just a drunken stupor and really a bad move. I think she`s probably a little embarrassed now.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Embarrassed? You think? Megan, I`m probably thinking Brandi, if not now, maybe in a few weeks from now, is going to want to climb into a hole and stay there for a while.
MEANY: Look, I wanted to get my Twitter following up as well. This does read a little desperate to me.
HAMMER: Is that the thing? Is this a stunt? I don`t know if it`s that deep.
MEANY: I think maybe she`s not smart enough to strategize in that way. I do think there was definitely some stunting involved here. What bothers me the most is that she is a mother, and there are two boys that she gave birth to and then there`s a boy on the boyfriend Darin`s side, three little boys involved here. You don`t fake a marriage. This isn`t good.
HAMMER: And on enough tequila, who knows if it`s really faking --
MEANY: But did she deny she was drinking? I was hoping she was.
HAMMER: Brandi and her ex, Eddie Cibrian, he of course cheating with and ultimately marrying Leann Rimes fame, they have an ongoing battle over their divorce. Sunny on a legal level, could this actually hurt her? I`m Eddie Cibrian, I`m marching into court going and saying, judge, look at all these tweets.
HOSTIN: Yes, because he was always the bad guy and she came out and there was a lot of the Twitter, social media stuff going on, and she said she couldn`t believe that Leann Rimes did this with her husband and her husband left her. Now she`s not looking so good.
The legal standard is what`s in the best interest of the child? It`s not in the best interest of a child to have their mother traipsing off to Las Vegas, getting drunk, and marrying a guy. I don`t think this was sort of a planned stunt. I do think it was sort of this, let me get drunk, and the guy I`m having an affair, I`m going to marry him. That I don`t like either
HAMMER: But for the Twitter, we may have never known about it. Sunny Hostin, Megan Meany, thank you both.
Taxing Kim Kardashian? The lavish wedding and expensive furs, we all know Kim K.`s worth millions of bucks. Now Uncle Sam may be looking for his cut. The startling new campaign to make can Kim K. pay.
Showbiz beauty shocker. Eva Longoria`s dramatic weight loss revelations. Also, is Donald Trump crying wolf about running for president yet again?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER, "TODAY SHOW" HOST: Are you still getting people urging you to run? The only person I hear people talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Great point, Matt. Donald Trump getting grilled on whether or not he is going to run. And this is on the very same day that he`s revealing the brand-new "Celebrity Apprentice" cast. Clay Aiken, one of the new contestants, he may break news of the Donald`s presidential plan tonight in the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EVA LONGORIA, ACTRESS: He`s coming over for dinner tonight. That gives me nine hours to teach you to be courteous, gracious and well mannered, the exact opposite of what you usually are.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is why you kept us home from school?
LONGORIA: Oh, you`re in school, and class is in session.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ah, yes, of course we love Eva Longoria, stealing the scene in the hit show "Desperate Housewives." Over the past eight seasons Eva Longoria has shined as a very sexy desperate housewife. But in a new interview, Eva shares a very personal side of he`s that she rarely shows.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Eva`s heartache revealed. Eva Longoria`s life off-camera hasn`t exactly played out as she`s expected it to. Her headline making split from NBA star Tony Parker back in 2010 nearly broke her. But it`s not until now that she`s actually sharing exactly how low she got.
Joining me now is TV host Megan Meany and Maria Canals-Barrera, star of Disney Chanel`s "Wizards of Waverly Place." It is airing its series finale this Friday night. So Eva just did this brand-new interview with "Health" magazine, and she reveals a really painful secret about her divorce. I want to bring in SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Nischelle Turner from Hollywood right now. What`d she say, Nischelle?
TURNER: A.J., from the outside, it looked like Eva was just sailing through her divorce, but as she explained, this was not the case. In this newly released interview, Eva said, quote, "I remember after my divorce, I was so thin, and everyone kept saying how great it looked. And it was probably the most unhealthy place I`ve ever been. So it was fun what people would see as healthy. In my worst time, people were saying I`ve never looked better."
HAMMER: You see, things clearly not always as they seem. I have to say, I give Eva a whole lot of credit for being so candid about what was obviously such a tough time in her life. And this may sound strange, but I`m actually not all that surprised that just as Eva had hit her lowest point and lost all that weight, you had a lot of people telling her how great she looked. I`m thinking, people probably just trying to make her feel good about it. Maria, what do you think?
MARIA CANALS-BARRERA, ACTRESS: I just think it`s fascinating how we can really, you know, judge something on the outside and not have a clue as to what`s going on the inside. It`s pretty fascinating. I`m sure she did look beautiful, because she`s always beautiful. And I appreciate her being so open about, and vulnerable about what`s really going on. And maybe it will help take people take a little deeper impression of someone and not just look on the outside.
HAMMER: Yes, I think that, and I think it sets a great example for people who may be struggling themselves. And I want to point out in that very same interview she makes what I thought was a really surprising revolution about being a Hollywood beauty and a private conversation that she had with a good friend, Kim Kardashian. Once again out to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. What did Eva say about that, Nischelle?
TURNER: Very vulnerable. She said that she was talking to Kim about this the other day and said, quote, "You`re the most beautiful thing in the world." And then Kim said, "No, you are." And I said, "No, I used to be." And she said, "No, honey, I`m old news."
HAMMER: And I think it`s interesting that Eva and Kim stand around and talk about how beautiful they are. Maybe they were joking around, but Eva says she thinks she`s old news. Megan, I think she`s out of her mind if she thinks that.
CANALS-BARRERA: Do you really think she thinks that? First of all, I`m trying to picture the two of them with their shellacked nails poking each other, no, you`re prettier, no, you`re prettier. Maybe she`s feeling a little vulnerable, but I think we`re talking about her right now, so I don`t think she`s too concerned, really, about falling off the map.
HAMMER: Eva, of course, not the only big star who`s telling all. Tonight we have Demi Moore on the brand-new cover of "Harper`s Bazaar," also with a shocking confession. Nischelle, take it away.
TURNER: In a new interview, Demi Moore talked openly, telling "Harper`s Bazaar," "I used to think what scared me was the idea of being abandoned until someone said to me only children can be abandoned. So I started to rethink. I think what scares me is not having the courage to reach my full potential."
HAMMER: Listen to that candor there. That`s amazing. Maria, doesn`t that just make her more relatable to her fans?
CANALS-BARRERA: Oh, totally. I loved reading that article. I thought it was so transparent and vulnerable. She was -- I got to know her on a much deeper level from just one interview, because she was just so thorough about her inner most fears. And I have a choice. As a child, I have to look up to a parent, but now I`m an adult. And it`s empowering to be reminded that you don`t necessarily can feel abandoned, because you can choose not to abandon yourself.
HAMMER: Good on her for that.
Maria, I do want to get your take on Demi Lovato`s stunning new confessions about the downward spiral we all know about that led to her rehab late last year. Demi tells "17" magazine this. "I`m not going to lie. I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using drugs like a lot of teens to numb their pain." I admire Demi`s honesty with everybody else. Maria, I want you to stay right where you are. I got to get your take on her new revelations tonight. Please don`t go anywhere.
And we move on tonight to targeting Kim Kardashian. There`s a shocking new campaign to make Kim K. pay more taxes.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, why do so many people want the taxman to nail Kim K.?
Nick Cannon health shocker -- why was Nick rushed to the hospital during a holiday trip to Aspen, and why does his wife, Maria Carey, tweet this pic today? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT revealing all the brand-new details, next.
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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: OK, got to take a look at this picture of Mariah Carey with her husband, Nick Cannon, in a hospital bed in Aspen. Mariah just tweeted this today. It`s a complete role reversal, of course, from last year, that`s when Mariah was in the hospital, giving birth to their twins.
Here`s what`s going on. Mariah says that Nick is now recovering in the hospital from what she`s calling "minor kidney failure." Minor kidney failure -- I don`t think I`ve ever heard of any kind of a kidney failure being minor. But we are here to get to the bottom of this. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner with the real story behind Nick`s hospital shocker. Nischelle, what`s happening here?
TURNER: Look, A.J., I`m not a doctor, I don`t even play one on TV, but SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal that Nick was spending the holidays in Aspen with Mariah and their family when he got very sick with what Mariah said was kidney failure. Now, he was rushed to the hospital right away, and things were so serious that they admitted him immediately.
Just today, Mariah tweeted this picture, asking fans to pray for a quick recovery. Listen to what she tweeted about Nick. She said, "We`re trying to be as festive as possible under the circumstances, but please keep nick in your thoughts, because this is very painful. They tried to kick me out of the hospital, but I`m here, in the bed with Mr. C."
What a difference a year makes, because just a few months ago, like you said, Mariah was in the hospital giving birth to their twins. She tweeted then "This is us in the hospital -- role reversal. Last year it was me attached to the machines after having them babies. And Nick was there with me through it, and now we are here." Mariah did not say what his condition is right now, but, of course, A.J., we do wish him a very speedy recovery.
HAMMER: Is "dembabies" a word in the actual dictionary?
TURNER: That`s in Mariah`s dictionary.
HAMMER: I don`t know if it`s stress related, but Nick does have like 15 jobs and twins.
TURNER: You know what, exactly. And I think I heard an interview with him not too long ago where he said he sleeps maybe three or four hours a night. He really doesn`t sleep much, he`s always busy. So you never know if that could have something to do with it, it just may.
HAMMER: Nischelle, thanks so much.
TURNER: Got to move to the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Kardashian power -- how a single tweet from a Kardashian is actually saving one of the world`s most endangered species. I love this.
Plus, celebrity a-presidents?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: Are you still getting people urging you to run? And we`ve known each other a long time, so I`m going to be blunt with you. The only person I hear talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A very true statement. Donald Trump getting grilled ability running for president again. Here`s the deal, this is happening on the same day as the new cast of "Celebrity Apprentice" is revealed. Suspicious. Clay Aiken is a contestant this time around, and tonight he`s right here in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Taxing Kim Kardashian? Tonight the startling campaign to squeeze more tax dollars out of Kim K.
Khloe Kardashian saves one of the world`s most endangered species, and she did it with a single tweet. Tonight, we`ve got the remarkable backstory.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: Are you still getting people urging you to run? And I`m being -- we`ve known each other a long time, so I`m going to be blunt with you. The only person I hear talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The Donald for president? Donald Trump getting grilled about running for president again. But this time it`s on the very same day that he reveals the new cast for "Celebrity Apprentice." Clay Aiken is a contestant and he`s right here.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight.
Show me the money. Kim Kardashian`s curves may be bringing in big bucks these days, but there was absolute outrage today over how flat her tax bill is. Supporters of a brand-new tax increase on millionaires in California are using Kim in a brand-new ad to compare her tax rate to someone making a regular salary.
Now, get this. They say Kim made a whopping $12 million in 2010 but paid not much nor in taxes than the average person who made $47,000, about one percent more. No fair, they say. Here`s the guy who is leading the "they," Michael Bridges, the development director of Courage Campaign, which created the ad. Michael`s with us tonight from Hollywood for our SHOWBIZ "Newsmaker" interview. Great to have you here, Michael.
MICHAEL BRIDGES, DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, COURAGE CAMPAIGN: Hey, A.J.
HAMMER: So here`s the deal. You have certainly been keeping up with the Kardashians, I love that you`re doing this. Or at least you`ve been keeping up with what Kim has reportedly been making and paying. And you lay it all out in the ad. So let`s watch that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KARDASHIAN: Being on TV has change midlife because I get lots of free stuff.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, Michael, I`ve got to give you an A+ for marketing. And I know you guys are asking for Kim to actually endorse the video and support the proposal for a tax increase. Let me ask you, do you think that Kim would ever give you an endorsement for something like this?
BRIDGES: Well, you know, I have to say, we think it would be a great thing, because she`s a great person who could help restore the California dream and who could inspire millions of Californians to want to give back to their community.
This California`s millionaire`s tax of 2012 simply asks people who are making more than $1 million per year to pay three pennies per dollar on the extra -- on what they make over $1 million. So, for instance, this would raise $6 billion a year to fund vital services, like, oh, first responders and building roads and bridges and public education.
So if a person made, let`s say, $1 million and $1 next year, under this revenue Bill, they would owe Sacramento three additional pennies. And then they would be left with $1 million and 97 cents to try to make ends meet. We simply think that people --
HAMMER: Let me jump in. It sounds like you obviously have this well thought out and you`ve got a great plan. But I want to get back to the fact that, obviously, using Kim Kardashian as an example, a great plan in getting people`s attention here, there are a lot of other celebrities, obviously, that would be doing the same thing that Kim is doing, you know, making a lot of money, not paying enough taxes. Why in particular did you single out Kim Kardashian?
BRIDGES: Well, because she`s very popular. Someone on our staff thought this would be a great way to reach out to people all across California. I think she has 12 million followers on her Twitter feed. You know, she`s a voice and she`s a person that we could -- that could help us to reach out to folks who need to inspire a whole generation of people to give back to California.
HAMMER: Any concern at all because she has so many fans that there could be a backlash against what you guys are trying to accomplish because you did single her out?
BRIDGES: I can`t imagine -- the point is, people who are making more than $1 million per year can afford to pay a little bit more in taxes and not really even miss the three pennies per dollar. And it will help fund - -
HAMMER: Imagine if she had to pay tax on that $18 million wedding. I have to end it there, Michael bridges. Best of luck to you and appreciate you being here.
BRIDGES: Thanks for having us. Bye.
HAMMER: Well, while people are trying to get people like Kim Kardashian to help the economy with her tax dollars, her sister, Khloe, I think is doing a terrific thing. She`s rescuing tigers, not just single handedly, but with one finger. Talk about Kardashian power. Listen to this. Khloe sent a tweet on New Year`s Day asking her more than $5.5 million followers to text the word "tigers" to a number that would translate into a $10 donation to the world wildlife fund to help save wild tigers. Wow, did people listen.
SHOWBIZ breaks more Tuesday right now with Lee Poston. He`s the director of media at the World Wildlife Fund. He`s here for a SHOWBIZ newsmakers interview. I appreciate you being here. I`m a huge fan of your organization.
LEE POSTON, WORLD WILDLIFE FUND: Thank you, and thanks for having us.
HAMMER: I want to take a look at specifically what Khloe tweeted. She wrote this, "By texting "tigers" to 20222, your $10 donation will help WWF save the tiger in its vast range from India to China to the Russian Far East." When Khloe tweets, people clearly listen and you guys got a huge response, didn`t you.
POSTON: We did, a terrific response. At the last count, we`ve seen a spike of around 800 texts. And each one is $10, so you know, that`s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $8,000.
HAMMER: That is amazing to me, and, obviously, going to a terrific cause, as I said. I`m thrilled that she did this. Could you ever have imagined such a huge response from what she did?
POSTON: No. No. It`s great. Celebrities have such a power to reach millions of people around the world and to spread the word about critical issues, like tigers, which there are as few as 3,200 left in the wild. It`s very crucial to get the word out on this big issue.
HAMMER: I`ve seen on your websites, other celebrities, Leo DiCaprio pitching in to your organization. But the Kardashian`s, their name, it is just huge to have her on board.
POSTON: It`s huge to have any celebrity on board. We`re thrilled to be able to spread the word, because, clearly, by talking is not as effective as being able to reach millions of people with a single tweet or a single text. And so this is really powerful and Leo DiCaprio has certainly done such a great amount to help us spread the word about tiger conservation.
HAMMER: And what specifically happens with all the money that is raised by Khloe`s tweet?
POSTON: The kinds of effort that this will support includes outfitting anti-poaching patrols in places like India or places like Nepal or protecting vital habitat for tigers or looking into the illegal wildlife trade. Tigers are traded for their parts as well. And so this is a huge help. And it`s really appreciated.
HAMMER: Now, Khloe did also mention in one of her tweets, she`s planning on adopting a leopard and her mom, Kris, is planning on doing the same thing. I want you to clear things up for people who might be scared of seeing leopards and tigers running around in the Hollywood hills. That`s not what that means, right?
POSTON: You can go to worldwildlife.org and you can symbolically adopt one of our species.
HAMMER: My mother did that for my niece as a Hanukkah gift it`s terrific. Lee, I appreciate you being here. Khloe, I appreciate what you did for Lee`s organization, and keep up the good work. Thank you.
POSTON: Thanks so much.
HAMMER: Moving on. Does Donald want to be president again?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: Are you still getting people urging you to run? And I`m being -- we`ve known each other a long time, so I`m going to be blunt with you. The only person I hear talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, me too. Donald Trump getting grilled about whether or not he`s jumping back into the presidential race on the very same day he happens to be revealing his cast for the new season of "Celebrity Apprentice." Donald, are you really using the White House to pump up ratings for your reality show? Come on.
We`ve got somebody who may be breaking news about that tonight, Clay Aiken, a contestant on "Celebrity Apprentice." Clay right here in an all- new SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And coming up, David Beckham strips to his underwear. Do I really have to say anything else?
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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: Are you still getting people urging you to run? And I`m being -- we`ve known each other a long time, so I`m going to be blunt with you. The only person I hear talking about a Donald Trump run for the presidency right now is Donald Trump.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s a great point, Matt. Donald Trump, his own best campaign manager. That`s Donald on the "Today Show" being asked about his presidential ambition just as he reveals the brand-new contestants of "Celebrity Apprentice." Two of those contestants, right here, right now. I want to know, would they endorse Donald Trump for president?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Trump for president? I think I`ve said that before. It sounds very familiar. But I kid you not. The Donald is talking about the presidency again. And wouldn`t you know, he`s doing it just as he`s revealing the new cast of his show, "Celebrity Apprentice." And 18 new stars are facing off with Trump in the boardroom, including former "American Idol" favorite Clay Aiken, and the woman who roasted Donald Trump to a crisp at his comedy central roast, the lovely Lisa Lampanelli.
It`s great to see both of you. Having spoken to you individually and knowing what each of you do, it`s almost like the surreal world that you guys are even in the same room. It`s bizarro world. You guys were right there, and congratulations, by the way, on being a part of "Celebrity Apprentice." you were right there on the "Today Show" with Trump this morning. And the group was asked a question, what was the most surprising competitor, who was the most surprising competitor compared to what people know about them, and Clay, everybody said you. Why do you think that is?
CLAY AIKEN, SINGER: I have no idea what else they thought -- because I was stupider than they thought I was. I didn`t know what they could possibly say me. I don`t know if anyone knows anything about me outside of being a singer. So I`m actually able to speak complete sentences and walk upright. And when the standard, the bar is set so low, it`s easy to go up.
HAMMER: And quite frankly, having seen you walk in and out of our set, yes, he can stand up straight.
Now, Lisa, I`ve got to tell you, when I heard you were doing the show, I was pleased, but surprised, because, of course, you did roast Donald Trump, and boy, did you let him have it. Can we relive a little of that moment, please? Charles, would you do the honors?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LISA LAMPANELLI, COMEDIAN: You`ve always gotten beautiful women. You`ve ruined more models` lives than bulimia. You`ve disappointed more women than "Sex and the City 2".
(LAUGHTER)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
LAMPENELLI: Yes, I stand by those statements.
HAMMER: That`s the stuff we didn`t have to censor. That`s about all we could get on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Here`s the thing, Lisa. I was thinking, how in the world did this happen. On the other hand, I was thinking maybe Donald had that much more respect for you because --
LAMPENELLI: That`s what I think happened. We got a call saying he really wanted me on the show. That takes a lot of self-esteem to like to be roasted. And I was like, this is a no-brainer. I`m totally doing this.
And Clay, I know what they mean when they say surprising, because we`re comics, we`re actors, we`re musicians. They don`t think we`re that smart. This is a chance to show the world that you`re surprisingly intelligent and you can run a business. And we can.
HAMMER: You went to Harvard, after all.
LAMPENELLI: After all. I mean, my goodness!
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Here`s the thing, of course when Donald Trump shows up anywhere, there`s going to be a presidential conversation, and particularly coming off of Iowa and the big election heat that`s going on right now. Donald`s always got something to say. Matt grilled about him on the "Today Show," trying to get an answer once and for all. Is he in, is he out? Here`s what happened.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: Will you say at the moment that it is unlikely that you will run?
DONALD TRUMP, REALITY SHOW STAR: I would rather endorse somebody and have that somebody beat Barack Obama, because he has been a terrible president. Well, right now, because of "Apprentice," which is why we`re here this morning, I`m not allowed to run because of equal time provisions, and I`m not allowed to run until the show terminates. The final episode is in May.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right, it`s in May. So, listen, he has certainly said that before. Clay, as you probably know, former "American Idol" Kelly Clarkson endorsed Ron Paul. And Ron Paul even gave a little shout-out to Kelly, acknowledging that her endorsement of him helped her album sales. If Trump ran, could you see yourself doing that? Maybe endorse Trump, maybe album sales go through the roof.
AIKEN: Well, I don`t have an album out, and nobody wants my endorsement. And I think -- have you seen this man`s apartment? Have you -- we`ve been in his apartment. Why would he want to live in that White House shack compared to his apartment?
LAMPENELLI: It`s a hovel compared to where this guy lives. Forget it, Donald, stay home.
HAMMER: Lisa Lampanelli, even if Donald run, I know you have to sign some kind of contract saying I will always say loving things about Donald Trump.
AIKEN: I don`t think we did. We`re allowed to be honest.
HAMMER: Because everybody says "Mr. Trump."
LAMPENELLI: I did it out of respect. When you`re in this boardroom with him, you honestly feel this aura of respect. I drank the Kool-Aid, I like him.
AIKEN: I`ve said the reason I`m happy that I did this show is that I got to know him as a person that I didn`t know before. He`s very approachable -- he probably doesn`t want people to know he`s a nice guy. But he`s very approachable, a very nice, respectful, and gracious person. And I didn`t necessarily think that before. But now that I know him, I feel differently.
HAMMER: Let me get your take on that. It`s something that`s often joked about, but there`s a certain truth to the fact that he has, shall we just politely say, a massive ego. How do you get passed that, because I think that probably rubs you the wrong way?
LAMPENELLI: Because we`re all type A. We think we`re the most important person in the world. And we know who`s really important in there -- him and me.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: Some of the other people on the crew, Deborah Gibson is on there, Lou Ferrigno, Victoria Gotti. By the way, Victoria dropped some hints that it got ugly between her and Teresa. Is there truth to that?
AIKEN: There`s truth to ugliness all around.
LAMPENELLI: It`s not limited to one Italian woman or another.
AIKEN: They`re all Italian women together, Debby, Lisa, Victoria, Teresa.
HAMMER: Do me a favor. Can you hold hands? I never thought I would see that moment in my life.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: It`s great to see you both. I hope you both win. I know it`s not possible. You can catch the season -- the new season of "Celebrity Apprentice" making its premiere February 12th on NBC.
Got to move on now to Demi Lovato`s astonishing new drug confession. The 19-year-old Disney star lets loose about her troubled past. Plus Demi reveals why she fights with Miley Cyrus and likes it.
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.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now, Demi`s bombshell drug confession -- 19-year-old Disney star Demi Lovato has just revealed that in addition to getting treatment for bulimia and cutting late last year, a drug problem also led to her trip to rehab.
She gave a blunt new interview to "17" magazine. Demi lays it all out in an interview. She says, "I`m not going to lie, I was self-medicating. I was doing things like drinking and using drugs, like a lot of teens do, to numb their pain."
With me right now from Los Angeles, someone who knows all about the pressure that demi and other young stars are under, Maria Canals-Barrera. So Maria, Demi is real life best friends with your TV daughter Selena Gomez. Are you just shocked to hear Demi`s new revelations that she was actually fighting this desperate struggle with drugs along with her eating disorder?
CANALS-BARRERA: Yes. It`s almost too much to take in because I love her dearly. I consider her a friend. As you know, I played her mother on "Camp Rock" in the "Camp Rock" franchise. I, of course, had no idea what she was going through, and I my heart goes out thinking back that she was suffering during that time.
What I really found interesting in her interview is she talked about the importance of feeling her feelings now. I thought that was very profound because we have to get out. We have to feel our feelings, or else they`re going to come out somehow. And sometimes when we`re taught that you`re not allowed to feel that or you`re not allowed to express that. It`s something actually my husband opened my eyes to in our own parenting with our kids. He really knew instinctually to let them feel their feelings and they get past it. and I thought, wow, that is so fascinating. And when she mentioned that in the article, it really struck me. I think we turn to all kinds of things, being fallible human beings, be it the things that Demi turned to or other things that people can turn to.
HAMMER: What a great example. Maria Canales-Herrera, thank you so much. Make sure you check out Disney Channel`s "Wizards of Waverly Place." The series finale is this Friday night. Thanks again.
Moving on now, David Beckham strips. Do I have your attention? Nothing but his tattoos and his skivvies. Why? The answer is next. David and his assets are two minutes away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: David Beckham strips for you. Yes, the soccer phenom is taking it almost all off in a new ad campaign to show off his new underwear line. I know. You`re enjoying the pictures. These Boxers and tees all part of his new collection at H&M. And David says he`s been working on these undies for a year and he`s very positive about this collection. And as for these pictures in the ad campaign, well, I`m sure his fans are feeling pretty positive about seeing David in next to nothing. And it`s been made to clear to me that that fan base includes every female member of our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff. And by the way, I`d just like to say at this point, you`re welcome.
That`s it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively Sunday to Friday at 11:00 p.m. eastern and pacific, and that`s of course right here on HLN. Stay right here for Dr. Drew coming up next. Tonight, the former polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs is serving a life sentence for sexual assault, but is still running a church from behind bars. The new insider details starting right now.
END
