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Showbiz Tonight
Cold Case: Natalee Holloway; Heather Locklear 911; Angelina Jolie`s Mysterious Meltdown; Special Edition: SHOWBIZ Reality Check
Aired January 14, 2012 - 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: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- big SHOWBIZ mysteries. Tonight, cold case, Natalee Holloway. Natalee was just declared legally dead six years after vanishing without a trace.
The man considered a key suspect sentenced today for the murder of another young woman. But will he tell what he knows once and for all? Or will we never know the truth?
Heather Locklear 911. A dramatic phone call to cops. The beautiful Hollywood legend rushed to the hospital. Have her drug and alcohol problems surfaced again?
Angelina`s mysterious meltdown. Angelina Jolie`s candid confession today about totally losing it, crying uncontrollably, and how Brad saved her.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANGELINA JOLIE, ACTRESS: I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower. I just felt very small and that I didn`t -- who was I to take this on?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, what sent Angelina over the edge. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the story behind Angelina`s meltdown confession.
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 -- SHOWBIZ mysteries, a remarkable number of them tonight, beginning with cold case Natalee Holloway.
It is the mystery that has spawned TV movies, books and of course endless speculation about why Natalee Holloway disappeared more than six years ago in Aruba, never to be seen or heard from again.
And after what happened today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, this may become a mystery story whose final chapter is never written.
Today, just one day after Holloway was officially declared dead, the man who was long suspected of having something to do with her disappearance, Joran Van Der Sloot, was sentenced to 28 years in prison for murdering another young woman.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We sentence to 28 years of incarceration. Considering the time he has been in prison since June 11th of 2010, will expire June 10th of 2038.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Joran Van Der Sloot standing there stone-faced, silent as the judge sentenced him today in Peru after confessing to killing a 21-year-old woman back in 2010. And he said he did it because he was furious that she discovered on his laptop that he was a suspect in the murder of Natalee Holloway.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT brings you the big burning questions including, is Van Der Sloot possibly taking secrets about Natalee Holloway to his jail cell? And if he is, could he one day use those secrets to his advantage?
Or was today`s sentencing the end of the road for the Natalee Holloway investigation?
With me in New York tonight, Sunny Hostin, a legal contributor with "In Session" on Tru TV. Also in New York, Jane Velez-Mitchell, who, of course, is the host of "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," every weeknights 7:00 p.m. Eastern here on HLN.
Jane, do you think Joran Van Der Sloot is, in fact, taking some secrets about Natalee Holloway to his jail cell with him?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, "ISSUES WITH JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL": Of course. How many conflicting stories did he tell about what happened to Natalee? "We dropped her at the hotel. We left her on the beach."
"I left her on the beach. She died of a seizure. I sold her into the sex trade. On and on and on. Which one is the real story? Or is it another story? We still don`t know.
HAMMER: And it`s amazing when you think of what a difficult week this has been for Natalee Holloway`s parents.
A judge in Alabama just signed the order declaring Natalee officially dead. You may be wondering how they`re feeling about that. Well, watch what Natalee`s dad told HLN.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DAVID HOLLOWAY, NATALEE HOLLOWAY`S FATHER: It`s been tough. We learned about Natalee`s situation 10 days into the investigation. The FBI told us that they were investigating this from a homicide investigation.
And you know, we`ve been dealing with her death for the last 6 1/2 years. And hopefully, this meeting today will kind of put some closure on it.
HAMMER: I mean, you have to feel for these guys. Natalee`s mother and father long believed that Joran Van Der Sloot did have something to do with their daughter`s disappearance.
So while he was sentenced today to 28 years prison for the murder of that young Peruvian woman, Sunny, I`d have to think that they believe that justice for Natalee has never been served and may never be served.
SUNNY HOSTIN, LEGAL CONTRIBUTOR, "IN SESSION" ON TRU TV: I would think so, especially considering the fact if he really had something to do with Natalee Holloway`s death, then he would have been prosecuted for that and he wouldn`t have been in Peru to kill again.
So it`s a tragedy on so many different levels. And I`ve spoken to is many victims` families, A.J. And they often say prison time does help a bit, of course, when there`s that bit of justice, but you never really get true closure because your loved one is gone.
HAMMER: Right.
HOSTIN: Imagine a case like this where, you know, your child is missing, probably dead, now declared dead, and you don`t know what happened. Terrible.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, we toss around the word "closure" all the time. We`ve talked about this before. It doesn`t really apply. It`s the word everybody grabs at.
HOSTIN: Right.
HAMMER: But there really can never be true closure. And something as you guys well know that has infuriated Natalee`s parents is how Joran Van Der Sloot has kind of strung them along through the years.
Watch what he told Peruvian police when he confessed to murdering that young woman after meeting her in a casino.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you been involved with other cases? Say the motive and the place.
JORAN VAN DER SLOOT, SUSPECT IN THE NATALEE HOLLOWAY DISAPPEARANCE: The only case I have been involved in is the case of Natalee Holloway, five years ago in Aruba, for different suspicions.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have something to add to this statement?
VAN DER SLOOT: First of all, I would like the possibility to read everything and I would like to talk about the case of Natalee Holloway of five years ago and the possibility that the process goes quickly and easily.
The possibility exists that I can be extradited to Aruba. I have to wish to talk about the talk but not in this instant. This is a case that I have had for years and I would prefer to talk with the Aruban police. And if there is a possibility to close the case, I will be willing to solve the case.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. I mean, it`s just incredible to listen to that. You hear him trying to strike a deal with the Peruvian police to try and, you know, wiggle himself out for paying for killing Stephany.
It`s pretty disgusting. And let us not forget he killed her five years to the day that Natalee Holloway disappeared.
So Jane, presuming he does have secrets about Natalee Holloway and he`s taking them to his jail cell with him, can he possibly use that as another way to wiggle out of something down the line to his advantage?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, after he gets out of a Peruvian prison, whenever that may be, he will likely be extradited back to the United States to face charges of wire fraud and extortion because he allegedly tried to extort Natalee mother`s, Beth, for $250,000 and actually got $25,000 which is what he used to get to Peru.
So they can, possibly Joran`s attorneys use that as a bargaining chip, "Oh, well, give us leniency on the extortion and we`ll tell you." But who`s going to believe Joran? Because he`s such a pathological liar, unless he can come up to evidence which is probably washed out to sea by now.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, do you think, Sunny, this is the end of the road for the Natalee Holloway investigation? She`s been declared dead. He`s in jail for another murder.
HOSTIN: I hope not. I hope not. Again, because as a former prosecutor, you want to give that to the families of victims. You want to give them some sort of explanation as to what happened to their loved ones.
And I agree with Jane. I think it`s very possible that a prosecutor will cut him a break on the extortion case because he`s looking at 40 years in prison.
HAMMER: Right.
HOSTIN: If he can lead them to real answers, a body, something like that, I`d cut him a break just for Natalee Holloway`s family.
HAMMER: But we also well know 40 years is not going to mean 40 years in this case.
HOSTIN: No. I mean, in Peru, he got 28 years and that means, like, nine years.
HAMMER: Yes. Well, we certainly have another big mystery, SHOWBIZ mystery, that we must get to tonight. What in the world happened to Heather Locklear?
Tonight, Heather Locklear 911, a dramatic call to 911 to get the former "Melrose Place" star to the hospital. TMZ reports that the reason an ambulance took Heather to the hospital from her Los Angeles home was that because she took a dangerous mix of prescription drugs and alcohol.
TMZ also reporting it was Locklear`s sister who called 911 fearing Heather was in danger. But today, Heather`s parents told "People.com" Heather is OK. So we do have some conflicting information we need to sift through.
I want to show you the statement that Heather`s parents released to "People" today. Here`s what they said, plain and simple, "She is in no danger. She is going to be just fine."
Now, we know Heather has struggled with substance abuse in the past. Jane, you`ve always been very candid about being a recovering alcoholic and addict for a very long time now. Should we not be jumping to any conclusions about what`s going on here with Heather Locklear?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, we don`t know. We`re not in that hospital room. But the reports are, the claims that she has had some kind of problem with drugs and alcohol and she has a history of that.
So it`s not coming out of thin air, and I can tell you from personal experience, once an alcoholic or addict, you`re always -- you`re never cured. You`re only in recovery.
And you must not use any mood altering substances, period, unless absolutely necessary by a medical doctor, prescribed. So that`s very black and white.
If she is using any medication at all that`s putting her in the hospital that`s not absolutely medically necessary, then she needs to go to rehab.
HAMMER: And of course, we`re immediately all thinking today about the dramatic 911 call that was made back in 2008. Her doctor was very concerned that, at that time, she might have overdosed on prescription meds.
He called 911 and the operator described the situation as a suicide attempt. Heather said it was a false alarm. Sunny, so you think we should be concerned based on what we`re seeing? And again, obviously, we weren`t there so we don`t know the specifics.
HOSTIN: We weren`t there, but of course, I mean, she`s someone we`ve all admired.
HAMMER: I love Heather Locklear.
HOSTIN: We love Heather Locklear. And so, you know, she should know she has, I think, the public`s support. We want her to get better, if indeed she is sick.
But I think it does speak volumes that her sister called 911 and that her parents rushed to her bedside. That tells me that this was fairly serious.
HAMMER: Well, I am happy to hear that she`s doing OK according to her parents. Sunny, Jane, thank you as always.
Angelina Jolie`s meltdown mystery. She`s a mom of six, an Oscar winner and, of course, Brad Pitt`s partner. So some might say, you know what? She has it all. Or is it all too much? Well, tonight, you might be shocked by what sent Angelina over the edge.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower and Brad found me just crying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has the story behind Angelina`s meltdown confession. You`ve got to see this.
So is the clock running out on Tebow time? NFL golden boy, Tim Tebow, has a huge make-or-break game tomorrow, of course. Now, if he loses, will Tebow still be the toast of the town?
Oprah overjoyed. The first class of Oprah Winfrey`s girls` school graduates, but what are her regrets?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, TV PERSONALITY AND PHILANTHROPIST: Doubly disappointing to me, not just because I had gone through it myself as a child, but because I had done everything in my power to try and protect the girls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes to South Africa for an intimate new SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: "The Artist" wins best picture at Critic`s Choice Awards. Michelle Williams tells SHOWBIZ that she never reads her reviews.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE WILLIAMS, ACTRESS: Somebody once told me, somebody I respect very much, an actress once told me that she never reads her reviews, and so I try to follow suit. It`s very tempting. It`s very hard not to.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower, and Brad found me just crying.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Why in the world did Angelina Jolie just confess to the world that she had a meltdown? And how did Brad Pitt come to her rescue? It`s another SHOWBIZ mystery tonight.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. And I have got to tell you, this is just remarkable to me. Angelina Jolie, you know, the normally cool-as-ice Hollywood superstar now admitting she recently had a full-on emotional meltdown.
Angelina says it happened while she was directing her very first movie that just came out, called "In The Land of Blood and Honey." It`s an epic film about the war in Bosnia, not exactly starting small for a first-time director.
Well, let`s start out by going to Hollywood right now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner is going to give us the skinny on exactly what happened and the surprising turn of events. Nischelle?
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, A.J. You know, it`s really rare to see Angelina get so personal. It actually shows a whole new side to her. Now, she made this revelation during a live video Web chat.
She says before she was to show her film for the very first time, she literally freaked out in the shower and Brad Pitt saw it all and had to comfort her. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOLIE: The week before we really showed it to people and people in Bosnia saw it -- before that, I had a complete emotional breakdown in the shower, and Brad found me just crying and saying -- and I really did feel this way. I just didn`t -- I suddenly felt the responsibility and I just felt very small and that I didn`t -- who was I to take this on?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. She`s human. How about that? Nischelle, you know, that aside, I have to tell you, I`m so surprised that she was so revealing about this. What about you?
NISCHELLE: Yes. Yes, absolutely. You know, you just said it, A.J. She`s human. Because what we usually see from her is very composed and put together, generally on the red carpet, always gracious, but kind of just aloof.
And to know that she literally, like the rest of us, had a super freak-out moment, makes me like her even more. It really does.
HAMMER: Yes. I`ve spent some time with her and she`s always so composed. So I think it makes her just more relatable to all of us because we`ve all had those moments for one reason or another.
And I can tell you, in the end, obviously, Angelina didn`t have anything to worry about. You know, her movie is nominated for a Golden Globe for best foreign language film.
Brad is a nominee, himself. He`s up for best actor in a drama for "Money Ball." Now, big story this season is Pitt is going up against his pal, George Clooney. George is nominated for "The Descendants." Such a great movie.
And last night, they faced off at the Critics Choice Awards. It was Clooney the winner for best actor there. And I just have to show you what happened.
Watch very carefully now as George is making his way over to the stage. He goes over to see Brad Pitt and, yes, a full-on embrace, plants a wet one right on him. You`ve got to love that.
All right, Nischelle, I mean, obviously a gracious winner there. It`s pretty great. Now, listen, did it surprise you at all to see a little bromance going on there?
TURNER: You know, I loved it. It was a great moment. And you know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there on the red carpet, A.J., before the show. And George said, you know, he`s a big Brad Pitt fan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: He`s my buddy. I`m really -- we were on the plane the other night flying back. And I`m always happy to see him. I don`t get to see him enough, so it`s fun to see him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I am hoping that at the Golden Globes on Sunday, Nischelle, this bromance is still going on between Brad and George there, because it will just be something to see. Maybe it will be a fuller, wetter kiss. I`m sure some people are hoping for that.
OK. Make sure you join us on Monday, because we`ll be talking about that if happens for sure, 10:00 a.m. Eastern here on HLN. We`re going to have a special live Golden Globes edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. You do not want to miss that.
Now, Nischelle, what are you most looking forward to seeing during our Globes coverage? Because a lot of activities going on. You`ve got the movie stars. You`ve got the TV stars.
TURNER: Other than you, A.J. -- I`m looking forward to seeing you, of course, but I`m going to have a very girl moment here, because I want to see who`s coming with who.
You know, I want to see if Ryan Gosling brings Eva Mendes, and I want to see if Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana step out on the red carpet together. Other than that, of course, I want to see who`s wearing what.
HAMMER: All right. Fair enough. Let me get to another face-off very quickly. Other than the Clooney-Pitt face-off, you know, the big match-up this week, of course, the NFL golden boys.
You`ve got Tim Tebow`s Denver Broncos going up against Tom Brady`s New England Patriots for a Saturday night playoff game. Nischelle, I know you`ve spent some time with Tebow. Win or lose tomorrow, will he still be the guy all of America is talking about?
TURNER: Short answer, yes. Absolutely, because people not only look at him now as a football player. They look at him as a celebrity. There are people who really kind of look at him as a way of life.
HAMMER: Yes.
TURNER: So win or lose, whatever happens, it`s still going to be Tebow- mania.
HAMMER: A lot on the line all over the globe this weekend. Nischelle Turner, I`ll see you on Sunday.
As we move on, we have to talk about Oprah`s pride and joy and pain on the eve of the first graduation of Oprah Winfrey`s girls` school. There`s one thing that still haunts Oprah about their experience.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: Doubly disappointing to me, not just because I had gone through it myself as a child, but because I had done everything in my power to try and protect the girls.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes right to South Africa for a brand-new intimate SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And later on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, coming up at the bottom of the hour, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check," "Housewives" secrets.
Camille Grammer of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" and Ramona Singer, "The Real Housewives of New York City," both right here.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exposes the fascinating details about which wives have turned their reality fame into a real fortune. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
And this is the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Taylor Swift, Nicki Minaj, Bruno Mars among performers at the Grammys. Charlize Theron tells SHOWBIZ how it feels to be honored for her work.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHARLIZE THERON, ACTRESS: It`s always nice, man. It`s all -- yes, you can`t be jaded about that stuff. It`s always nice when people respond to it, especially a film like this that was just a little bit out of the box.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: That is Oprah Winfrey right there beaming with pride at the opening of her namesake leadership academy for girls in South Africa. That was back in 2007.
Well, today, Oprah is just on cloud nine again as the first class of outstanding young women prepare to graduate. Imagine that. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT visits South Africa for a very special newsmaker interview with the self-proclaimed very proud mama, Oprah Winfrey.
And Oprah should be proud. Seventy-two of the 75 original girls are heading off to college. Many are going to school right here in America to become doctors and lawyers and economists.
Oprah always believed the sky was the limit for these bright young women who came from some really tough backgrounds including losing parents to AIDS.
But unlike Oprah, sometimes the people around the students didn`t have that same faith in them. So to change that, Oprah tells CNN`s Robyn Curnow in South Africa that there was one word that was banned at the school.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: In the beginning, I think we had teachers who were like, oh, the girls, they came disadvantaged. So we have eliminated that word "disadvantaged," because "disadvantaged" allows other people to look at you like you have some kind of disease, and they lower their expectations for what you can be.
I say nobody has a disadvantage brain. Nobody`s here with a disadvantaged mind. Nobody has a disadvantaged spirit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That makes so much sense. Well, this graduation is also a triumph for Oprah after a sex scandal rocked the school. Remember that back in 2010. It was a dorm matron who was acquitted of abusing girls at the time.
Oprah was disappointed in that verdict, but there was something that disturbed her even more deeply.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: Doubly disappointing to me, not just because I had gone through it myself as a child, but because I had done everything in my power to try and protect the girls.
I mean, the barbed wires, the electrified fences, don`t even -- even when I`m jogging along the fences, I try to keep my distance because they are electrified fences.
Not having been on campus after a certain time of the evening, after dark, having guards on every dormitory. I mean, I did everything that I could possibly think of to try and protect the girls, and it never occurred to me that something like that would happen.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, it`s a good moment. It`s a great moment, because graduation is this weekend. In fact, it`s the first of its kind in South Africa. Graduation ceremonies are not customary there.
And now, here`s the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what`s coming up on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT at the bottom of the hour.
SHOWBIZ reality check, "Housewives" secrets. The real housewives might not have 9:00 to 5:00 gigs but, man, they`re making some big money. "Real Housewives of New York City" co-star, Ramona Singer, has done really well for herself partially because of the show. She shares her secrets tonight.
Plus, Camille Grammer of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" talks about her explosive relationship with Taylor Armstrong. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Lil Wayne to publish memoir about his time in prison. Olivia Munn poses nude in new PETA ad.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ reality check. Housewives secrets. Camille Grammer of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Ramona Singer of "The Real Housewives of New York City," right here.
And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the real fortune behind the real housewives, a reported $500 million.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOLLY MADISON, REALITY TV STAR: I`m happy with where I`m at right now, but the most important message I want to get out there is I made the change for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Holly`s weight war. Reality star and Hugh Hefner`s ex-girlfriend, Holly Madison, got slammed by critics for gaining a few pounds. Now, she is fighting back.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what, the kid needs somebody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare you. How dare you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs help. She needs you to be here. She needs people to take notes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby. Abby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: We go inside the "Dance Mom`s" drama. The young dancers, the outspoken stage moms, and a terrorizing teacher.
A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check," starts right now.
(MUSIC)
Welcome to this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check." I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, housewives secrets revealed. The "Real Housewives" franchise is full of caviar and controversy, of course. Isn`t that why we can`t stop watching?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, please, Ramona. What was I supposed to say? I`m here? I`m sorry? I`m sorry? What did you want me to do? I came in there. Did you think I came to fight?
(CROSS TALK)
RAMONA SINGER, REALITY TV STAR, "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK": There was an elephant in the room and you didn`t recognize it. You pretend like there was nothing wrong.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Until you say to me I`m sorry and if I can do it over again, I wouldn`t, we can never be friends.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Well, fighting aside, it`s the cha-ching of big bucks that really keeps these reality stars coming back for me. I`m talking a reported $500 million jackpot.
And tonight, we`re getting the mind-boggling secrets from the housewives themselves on all that money and all of those battles that are making them richer and more famous with every episode.
Tonight, we are talking to Beverly Hills housewife, Camille Grammer, who is cutting to the chase about her war of words with co-star, Taylor Armstrong.
Right now, with me in New York, "Real Housewives of New York City" star, Ramona Singer, who certainly knows a thing or two about cashing in. Ramona, it`s great to have you here. It`s so nice to meet you.
And it`s just remarkable how much money, as you well know, is being made off the whole "Housewives" franchise, all of the shows.
The stars of the shows reportedly earn at least $100,000 or a six-figure salary just for being on the show. But the deal is, you can`t put a price tag on all of the exposure that is worth so much to someone like you who`s already such a successful businesswoman.
When you got involved with this thing, could you ever have imagined that "The Real Housewives of New York City" would become the jackpot it has?
SINGER: That`s a very good question. When we started filming the first season, I said to Jen O`Connell who runs our production company, "We`re going to average one million viewers. Trust me." She looked at me like I was crazy. And guess what, A.J., we average one million viewers.
HAMMER: Yes. And everybody keeps coming back for more. And each season, it gets bigger and bigger and bigger.
SINGER: And better. Each season, it gets better.
HAMMER: And here`s the thing that I find particularly mind-boggling, Ramona, is I understand, if I have this correct, when they first approached you, you said no.
I can`t imagine this show without you, quite frankly, or the success it has had without you. You know, you`re quite compelling on it. What was your hesitation for getting involved?
SINGER: Well, the funny thing is they had first seen me on someone else`s audition reel. And they said, "Forget this girl who`s auditioning. We want her. Find her."
Eight months later, by coincidence, they did find me. I auditioned for the fun of it. Just for fun. And I wanted to have that little DVD, that two- minute clip. And I saw it and I was captivated.
HAMMER: Yes. But you didn`t want to do it for a -- was there a reason you were hesitant?
SINGER: What do I really want to do the show for? You know, I have a great career. I`m extremely successful. I was already a millionaire on my own without my husband. Great daughter. Great friends.
I didn`t want to do it. And then, the production person saw me at polo. And for every negative she gave me -- or every negative I gave her, she gave me a positive.
And then I finally said, "Listen, I have this new Web site, "TrueFaithJewelry.com" with my husband. If you`re willing to showcase how we`re developing this, we`ll do it."
HAMMER: Yes. See, that`s the thing, and that`s what we`re talking about here, the idea that you saw an opportunity to perhaps take some new exposure and turn it into some new cash for you guys.
I mean, look at all the things that you`ve been able to capitalize on. You have your jewelry line. You have your skin care line.
SINGER: Just into jewelry. No skin care. Ramona --
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: You launched your own wine label --
SINGER: Ramona pinot grigio. Red`s coming out.
HAMMER: Come on. Come on.
SINGER: The show`s been good to me.
HAMMER: So yes, how much credit do you give the show for adding to your financial windfall since you started?
SINGER: You know, I`ve always been very entrepreneurial. And I know, even if I wasn`t on the show, I`d be having other businesses. And it gets my creative juices going and they are a documentary.
This is a documentary of our lives and I am an entrepreneur, and they`re showcasing that, plus all my wild side.
HAMMER: And I suppose the question in your mind is how long will the gravy train roll along? Because we know for the next season of "Real Housewives of New York City," four of your co-stars, established women on the show, not coming back.
SINGER: Right.
HAMMER: Do you worry? I mean, obviously, you`re very successful in your own right.
SINGER: Right.
HAMMER: But do you worry about the day that they say, "We`re done"?
SINGER: Well, first of all, I know next season will be the best season ever. There`s a reason why Bravo is such a billion-dollar enterprise and why the "Housewives" franchise has gone international.
And you know, I miss the girls, but I`m having a great time filming. We still have our fights and altercations.
HAMMER: So you`re not worried?
SINGER: Well, you know, right now, I`m here and I`m having fun.
HAMMER: You`re here, enjoying.
SINGER: Sometimes you can`t project too far.
HAMMER: Good thinking. Ramona Singer, great to have you here, and continued success.
SINGER: Great to be here. Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: And we move now from the east to the west. It has certainly been one of the most dramatic seasons ever of reality TV with the housewives exposing secrets and confronting some painful truths.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CAMILLE GRAMMER, REALITY TV STAR, "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS": Because we don`t say that he broke your jaw or that he beat you up and he hit you. We don`t say that, but now we said it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. We`re going to get to the inside story of that big blowup in just a moment straight from the woman at the center of it all, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" co-star, Camille Grammer, who reveals all in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
But first, I asked Camille if she would be back for season three.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
GRAMMER: It was an emotional season. The last two years have been difficult for me. You know, it`s tough to make that decision. I mean, I`d have to think about it before I go back, but I haven`t heard anything.
HAMMER (on camera): OK. So it`s not as simple as you get the phone call - - "OK, I`m in"?
GRAMMER: No, it`s never that simple.
HAMMER: You`ve been thinking about it.
GRAMMER: Last year I said I definitely wouldn`t come back and I came back, so --
HAMMER: I mean, because when you look back at what we`ve seen unfold -- and really, there`s never been anything like it on television ever, such highs, such lows. And we just law a little bit of one of the most uncomfortable moments, I thought, from this season, when you essentially outed Taylor Armstrong and Russell Armstrong for the problems they were having in their marriage.
And that put a huge strain on your relationship with Taylor as we know. Let`s watch some more of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I`m sorry.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight`s been far more difficult than I imagined. I do not think that people understand the gravity of the situation that I`m dealing with.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In my life there are people I trust and there are people I don`t trust. People I trust, I don`t want to be betrayed.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Camille, the look on your face says a thousand words. So I see that and some of the other tensions that arose and have been arising in the course of the season. It makes me imagine it`s impossible that you guys are actually even friends at all anymore. What is your relationship like with her?
GRAMMER: You know, we`re on good terms. We speak to one another. We saw each other at the reunion show. It was a little tense at first, because, you know, you`re not sure.
HAMMER: Do you stay in touch with her outside of when you have to run into each other for work?
GRAMMER: You know, I have texted her throughout the time after, you know, this horrific incident happened. And just to check in on her and make sure she was OK.
HAMMER: She responds?
GRAMMER: Yes, she has been responsive. At first she wasn`t, but then, yes, after the unfortunate thing happened with her ex-husband, her late ex- husband, yes.
HAMMER: And at one point, Russell was so upset with the fact that you said what you said that he actually threatened to sue you. And that really put everybody on edge.
The other housewives even turned Taylor and Russell away from a party just to protect you. Let`s watch a bit of that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s wrong?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I guess, I don`t know if you know, but I guess, like, the E-mail you sent Camille, I guess now her lawyers are saying, or whatever, that she can`t be around you guys and it`s like this whole mess.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s OK. It`s OK. Don`t feel bad. Listen, listen, it is what it is.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. And as we know, obviously, Russell would later commit suicide for reasons unrelated to that. But knowing that, I see the look of strain on your face just watching that.
GRAMMER: Yes, it`s so uncomfortable to watch.
HAMMER: So what goes through your mind knowing now what happened?
GRAMMER: In terms of what, specifically?
HAMMER: When you take a look at a scene like that?
GRAMMER: It`s very difficult for me to watch that because it`s upsetting and it`s almost like it`s unsettling and it`s creepy. And I feel bad for Kyle that she had to ask them to leave, because I would never ask anybody to leave a party.
And I was in the back of the party having a good time, so I didn`t even know they had arrived. So I didn`t know any of this was going on.
HAMMER: Let`s have a happy moment here. Do we have video we can put up here, Charles, from Camille and I together last year? It was just a year ago. There we are, red carpet, the Oscars. What a great night that was.
GRAMMER: That was so much fun.
HAMMER: Are you looking forward to watching the Oscars this year?
GRAMMER: Yes, I am.
HAMMER: In particular?
GRAMMER: Well, it`s great to see, you know, George Clooney up against Brad Pitt.
HAMMER: I know. That`s sounds good.
GRAMMER: That`s going to be exciting, huh?
HAMMER: Who`s going to take that, before I let you go?
GRAMMER: Oh, I don`t know. Probably George.
HAMMER: All right. There you go. You said it.
GRAMMER: I said it.
HAMMER: Camille Grammer, great to see you. Let us know what happens with season three.
GRAMMER: OK.
HAMMER: It`s always a pleasure.
GRAMMER: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Of course, everybody loves George Clooney. But one thing in Hollywood that everybody hates, an unflattering photo. However, Holly Madison is showing hers off after her dramatic weight loss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MADISON: I`m happy with where I am now, but the most important message I want to get out there is I made the change for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, reality star and Hugh Hefner`s ex exposing all about how she slimmed down after getting seriously slammed just for putting on a few extra pounds.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Figure it out, because you know what? The kid needs somebody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s what --
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare you. How dare you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs help. She needs you to be here and needs people to take notes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby. Abby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This woman is unbelievable. A drill sergeant dance instructor. You also have a bunch of opinionated mothers.
So how do all those tiny dancers handle all of that yelling? I need to find out. Two of the mothers of "Dance Moms" are going to tell me coming up. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ reality check."
The steaming, the screaming, the blowout fights -- it is just another day of confronting for "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be her friend.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been her friend. I have never hurt her. I have never hurt her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Do you recognize this star? She went from girl next door to playboy centerfold. It, of course, is Holly Madison.
Now, some out-of-their-mind critics have actually been slamming the ex- playmate for gaining weight. But now, I`m here to tell you she is fighting back. How did she go from this to this?
Tonight, Holly is here. She is flaunting her amazing new look. So, take that, critics. Holly tells me her slim-down secrets in just a moment.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. We are going to get to Holly Madison`s dramatic weight loss in just a moment.
You will want to hear all about that. But first, tonight, the twisted truth. Kim Kardashian`s ex, Kris Humphries, is now sparking brand-new buzz tonight after he sent out a cryptic tweet.
It seemed to reference his headline-making breakup with Kim. He sent the tweet out just as Kim`s confession about their marriage breakdown aired on her reality show.
Let me read what Kris wrote. This really struck me, "I can`t wait for the truth to come out! People will be surprised or maybe they won`t." And then, he signed it "#FCC."
With me right now, in New York, reality star and spokesperson for NV diet pill, Holly Madison. Holly joining me for a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Great to see you. You truly look terrific.
HOLLY MADISON, REALITY TV STAR: Thank you.
HAMMER: And we want to talk about everything in terms of how you got to where you are now in just a moment. But first, I do want to start with this big story that is breaking tonight.
Kris Humphries hinting, you know what? There is so much more to the story of his marriage breakdown than we thought.
He tweeted just around the time that Kim was telling her mom, "Hey, you know what? The marriage isn`t working." And that was in a new episode of "Kourtney and Kim Take New York." Watch how that played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN: There is something in my relationship that I just feel like isn`t right. I don`t know. I am just like learning a lot of things about him that I didn`t really know before. And I don`t know -- married life just isn`t what I thought it would be with him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, imagine being Kris Humphries and sitting at home, seeing that on TV, because moments after that aired, that`s when he sent out that tweet.
What would be going through your mind? You are suddenly seeing on TV what was really happening while the marriage was imploding without him actually knowing it?
MADISON: Yes. It is definitely scary sometimes being on reality TV, especially when it is new to you. You don`t know what to expect.
And always, I felt the most interesting things to watch were the things your co-stars were doing that you weren`t present for.
HAMMER: Right.
MADISON: So of course, this is what he is seeing. And it`s got to be crazy, you know, for both of them.
HAMMER: I can`t even imagine. Obviously, you`ve heard some things about yourself on your own reality show that you weren`t aware were being said.
This is huge for Kris, and I do feel sorry for him. I have to say after seeing how all this ended up, I do appreciate the fact that, up until this point, you know, he has kept this really low profile. I think that`s been smart.
That leads to our SHOWBIZ Flashpoint -- should Kris spill the beans about what really happened when he and Kim split? Holly, he was obviously really hinting at it, that there is a greater truth. Do you think he should come forward soon or at some point anyway?
MADISON: You`ve got to love the cryptic tweet, right?
HAMMER: Yes.
MADISON: I don`t think it is classy for either party to kind of dish on the other afterwards. I mean, you know, maybe it is positive. Maybe he is excited for the truth to come out. Maybe it is a little less dramatic than everybody thinks.
HAMMER: All right. Well, we`re going to have to wait and see.
MADISON: Yes.
HAMMER: We have no idea if we`ll hear any more. But he did suggest that there is some truth out there. From revealing breakup secrets now to just being revealing -- Katie Holmes, getting nearly naked for a new ad campaign.
And let me show you these stunning pictures. Put them up, Charles. There we go. Kind of surprising to me to see her like this. You know, a lot of people think of her as Tom Cruise`s wife, Suri`s mom, even the kid, you know, Joey, from "Dawson`s Creek." That`s how I think of her.
And now, there is this sexier side. I`m guessing, Holly, that maybe this is exactly what Katie needs to do so people don`t see her as just Tom Cruise`s wife, but as her own woman.
MADISON: Yes, I think it is very smart. I don`t think the pictures are showing anything inappropriate. She looks amazing. And for so many years, people kind of think of her as scientology mom. So I think it is very smart to get this edgier, beautiful look out there.
HAMMER: Well, listen. You`ve made your own sexy transition for sure, not that you haven`t always been sexy and beautiful to me --
MADISON: Thank you.
HAMMER: And many people. But you know, these stunning pictures -- if we could put this up side by side right here. All right. Come on, that`s a fairly stark difference there as I`m sure you would agree. Just what is the story behind this amazing body transformation?
MADISON: Well, when I started getting everything together, I started the diet supplement, NV, which really helped me a lot and changed my diet and workout patterns.
And I was really happy. I lost a jean size in two weeks, which was really encouraging. It really motivated me to keep going. And now, I am really committed to maintenance.
So I am happy with where I am right now. But the most important message I want to get out there is I made the change for me. There were other people telling me, you know, in my workplace, you could stand to tone up.
And even though I had kind of been thinking the same thing myself, I took time, like six months, before I even really started NV and started dieting and made sure I was making the right decision for me and making sure that I was keeping the body type I wanted. I wanted to lose weight. I didn`t want to lose my curves.
HAMMER: I am so happy to hear that you did it for yourself and not because there was any pressure being put on you to go ahead and change. Holly, it`s great to see you.
MADISON: Thank you.
HAMMER: Thank you so much. Again, Holly looks terrific. Come on, it`s worthy of applause.
So have reality shows like Holly Madison`s "Holly World" replaced soap operas? You know, the legendary soap, "One Life to Live" is now gone for good after more than 40 years and 11,000 episodes. One more soap biting the dust.
So SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask if the reality shows like "The Kardashians" and "Jersey Shore" are the new soaps and did they kill off the old one? I sat down with "One Life to Live`s" Gina Tognoni and Sean Ringgold. You`ve got to see what they told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GINA TOGNONI, ACTRESS: You know, I am seeing what`s happening. The business did shift obviously. I was on "Guiding Light" for five years, and it was one of the most extraordinary times I have ever had in daytime.
Being on "One Life to Live" has been extraordinary in its own way. And to experience this shift, you know, to have a scripted show and a chance to live out a story from beginning, middle and end and directors and putting it together, that`s one of a kind.
HAMMER: Yes.
TOGNONI: When you see reality shows, they are scripted situations in a way. I mean, I know it is supposed to look like it is happening for the first time. But I think there are things that are somewhat rehearsed, you know, and so --
HAMMER: You think?
TOGNONI: You think? So you know, I mean, I get why people are attracted to it. I think an appetite has kind of presented itself.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. It definitely costs more to put on a soap than it does a reality show. I`ve got to think reality is going to be king for quite some time.
One seriously abrasive dance instructor, a bunch of little girls, and a whole mess of drama. We`re talking about Lifetime`s hit reality show, "Dance Moms." We`ve got a SHOWBIZ reality check on this wild world of high-wattage drama. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check."
Keeping up with a bulldog? Remember Kim`s racy Super Bowl ad for Skechers? Kim`s out. A French bulldog is in. Skechers telling "USA Today" it has nothing to do with Kim`s high profile divorce saying, "Kim got us more attention than we`ve ever dreamed. Now, we have to establish Skechers as more than a lifestyle company." The new dog ad will air during this year`s Super Bowl.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now, on our SHOWBIZ reality check, dance drama. So what do you get when you mix a notoriously demanding dance instructor with notoriously outspoken stage moms? Of course, you get a whole lot of drama and a hit reality show.
"Dance Moms" follows girls who are attending a dance studio and their doting mothers. Let`s look at the sport of competitive dancing and it`s not always pretty.
I sat down with two stars of "Dance Moms," 10-year-old Chloe and Chloe`s mom, Christi.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) Obviously, there`s a bit of controversy around the way the dance instructor, Abby, talks to these kids, if "talks" is even the right word.
CHRISTI, REALITY STAR, "DANCE MOMS":
HAMMER: Let`s take a look at a little bit of how this plays out on the show. Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Figure it out, because you know what? The kid needs somebody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare you. How dare you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs help. She needs help. She needs you to be here. She needs people to take notes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby. Abby.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, I get it`s reality TV.
CHRISTI: Right.
HAMMER: I have a feeling this is how she is and she`s not putting it on for the cameras.
CHRISTI: I think she`s worse in real life.
HAMMER: Well, so how do you feel? You`re watching your daughter, your daughter`s friends and the people dancing with her getting yelled at like that. Don`t you kind of think it crosses a line?
CHRISTI: Yes, it does. It`s very hard, and I say all the time that that`s where we`re trying to walk a fine line. Like, you know, when is enough, enough? And one of the reasons that I stay at the studio is because, you know, Chloe`s grown up with these kids. She`s been with them since she was two.
And she didn`t have any siblings until recently. And those are her sisters. And really, the moms are like sisters to me and so it`s a dynamic that if we leave because of the way Abby behaves, then it hurts the both of us.
So I just try to stand up for what I think is right and unfortunately go head to head with Abby.
HAMMER: I guess it`s a double edged sword. But I`ve got to tell you, Chloe, I`m watching Abby and I`m scared. I feel like I want to cry. How does it make you feel? Not great?
CHLOE, REALITY TV STAR, "DANCE MOMS": Not great.
HAMMER: But do you feel like you`re a better dancer because of the way she act acts?
CHLOE: Yes, because she gives me corrections and if I apply them, then I would become a better dancer.
HAMMER: So in the end, I guess what you`re hoping to get out of it is that Chloe does go on to have greatness in dance, or at least, you know, does the best she can with it as a result. But really, it seems like a big price to pay.
CHRISTI: I know. I know. You know, it`s funny because this is what`s been going on for years. It`s just now we have a national audience. I mean, it`s not anything different than has happened since she was a little girl. But now, it`s a little harder because the world`s watching --
HAMMER: Right.
CHRISTI: And judging.
HAMMER: Right. And obviously, OK, that`s the tough part. But I know there`s a lot -- you wouldn`t do it if it wasn`t fun in the end and you didn`t enjoy it. What`s the best part about doing it?
CHLOE: You know, I just love being many my friends and doing what I love to do which is obviously dancing. And it`s just a great feeling to eventually get up on stage and all your hard work pays off.
HAMMER: Have you signed autographs? Would you sign one for me? My name is A.J. It`s easy to spell. A-J. Would you?
CHLOE: Sure.
HAMMER: Great having you guys here.
CHRISTI: Thank you so much.
HAMMER: Best of luck with this.
CHLOE: Thank you.
HAMMER: And I think you`re going to teach that Abby a thing or two while she teaches you how to dance.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
You can check out the second season of "Dance Moms" Tuesday nights on Lifetime.
And that is it for this special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check." I`m A.J. Hammer. Thank you for watching.
END
