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Showbiz Tonight
Life After Whitney; Eddie Murphy`s Revelations About Quitting as Oscar Host; Snooki Baby Outrage; Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift: Match Made in Heaven?
Aired March 01, 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: Tonight, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ breaks news about life after Whitney. Brand-new revelations tonight. What is Bobby Brown going through? SHOWBIZ gets real with his fellow New Edition band mate, Johnny Gill. Johnny here tonight for a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT breaks more news tonight about Eddie Murphy. Eddie`s startling revelations to us about whether he regrets quitting as Oscar host.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EDDIE MURPHY, ACTOR: I`m aware of all this clamoring that`s been going on, on that subject.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Eddie Murphy tonight in another must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Is this the dream team? The brand-new reports today that Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift are getting cozy. SHOWBIZ dares to ask, is it a match made in heaven?
Snooki baby outrage. The explosive debate tonight following the shocking reports that Snooki is pregnant and may try to cash in on her baby. Our SHOWBIZ flashpoint -- would that be just plain wrong?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news, right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Thank you for watching. And tonight, SHOWBIZ breaks news. It is almost hard to believe that it was just a few weeks ago when we got the terrible news that Whitney Houston had died.
And then came all the heartbreak that followed. Whitney`s daughter with her ex-husband, Bobby Brown, Bobbi Kristina, rushed to the hospital twice. And Bobby Brown getting on stage at one of his concerts with his legendary R & B group New Edition and paying tribute to Whitney.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BOBBY BROWN, SINGER: I would love to say, I love you, Whitney.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Bobby`s fellow New Edition band members were right there to support him and also felt the loss, of course. Johnny Gill has been with New Edition for more than 30 years. Johnny is currently touring with New Edition.
He also has a great new solo project out, the first Johnny gill album in 16 years. It`s called "Still Winning." My, my, my, Johnny is in Hollywood tonight with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner for this SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Nischelle?
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: Hey, A.J., thanks so much. And Johnny, thank you so much for coming and sitting with us today and talking to us. It`s been a crazy few weeks, huh?
JOHNNY GILL, MEMBER, THE NEW EDITION BAND: It has, indeed. It has, indeed.
TURNER: Yes, first off, I want to ask you, how is Bobby and how is Bobbi Kristina right now?
GILL: Bob -- you know, he`s hanging in there. He`s tough, you know. I`ve often said that the Brown family, period, they don`t give up, you know?
And Bobby`s been through a lot. He`s been through a lot and I`ve watched how, you know, the stones that were being thrown at him, the rocks that were being thrown at him.
But yet, at the same time, he`s walking through it with his head up and going through the storm. But we`re here. We love him and we`re here to support him and continue to support him, you know? So --
TURNER: Well, let`s talk about some of those stones and some of those rocks that you were talking about, because, yes, there has been a lot of criticism that`s been thrown Bobby Brown`s way, whether right or wrong, during the process of when Whitney died and forward.
And one of the things that was said was, you know, Bobby and the group New Edition decided, you all, to go ahead with the concert the night that Whitney passed. Let`s take a look at that real quick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
B. BROWN: First and foremost, I want to tell you I love you all for being here. Second, I would love to say, I love you, Whitney!
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
The hardest thing for me to do today was come on stage.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: That was Bobby there, talking during the concert. But some people criticized you guys for making the decision to go forward with the concert that night. Why did you, and in particular, Bobby, decide, "OK, we`re going to go ahead and perform"?
GILL: Well, people are always going to have opinions. And you know, you can`t please everybody. And unless you`re walking in someone`s shoes and going through that point -- going through that moment and through that kind of situation, you know, it`s easy to stand on the outside looking in and voice your opinion.
But the reality is that we -- we love Bob. We support Bobby, and we have to stand back and allow him to see what he wanted to do, how he feels.
And we were more than welcome -- more than willing to cancel the show if that`s what he wanted to do. But like Bobby said to us, you know, this is -- "Whitney would kick my butt if I was to quit," you know?
And he knows Whitney better than anybody. And he says, "She would want me to go on and go forward." And this has nothing to do with what everyone`s opinions is about. It`s about how he feels -- how he felt and why he needed to move forward to do what he did. And we`re here and were here to support him and still will be supporting him.
TURNER: But it had to have been a hard time for you all as well, because --
GILL: Devastated. We were all devastated, and still.
TURNER: You were close to Whitney, too?
GILL: Very. This is our sister. And you know, it`s just all the madness that has been going on. And you know, it really disturbs me, because, you know, I hear everyone talks about, "My heart goes out to Bobbi Kris."
I hear everyone talking about, you know, "Poor Bobbi Kris." And they don`t realize that when you`re throwing stones at Bobby Brown, you`re throwing stones at Bobbi Kris. That`s her father. Like it, love it, or hate it.
And he loves his babies. He loves all of his kids. He`s a family man, and through all of his ups and downs, Bobby never wavered about his babies. He loves his kids. And, you know --
TURNER: And understandably --
GILL: It`s unfair.
TURNER: Understandably, but the one thing -- I think the biggest criticism that people had of him during this process was him leaving the funeral.
And you said he loves his kids, which we all are sure that he does. Some people would say he should have been there, though, as a father and stayed there at the funeral.
GILL: Well, people are going to say whatever they want to say. But let`s just be real about this. You know, whoever was behind it, that you put this stuff out there in the air, about whether Bobby`s invited, whether he`s not, you put the energy out there. You`ve already put that out there.
And you get to a church, and Bobby`s the only one in the church that has to be moved around two or three times, you know. And they`re talking about - - I`ve seen all the reports about him having an entourage.
He had his kids and his family. And remember this, 16 years that he spent with her, she`s helped to feed those kids and helped raise those kids and been a part of their family.
And he had every right to -- and they had every right to say goodbye.
TURNER: So you think Whitney would not have liked that?
GILL: She would have never approved. Right before Bobby`s mother -- when Bobby`s mother passed away, Whitney stood up and said, "Let me make sure it`s clear for you all to understand, once a Brown, always a Brown. And don`t try to ever forget it." She would have never approved of that.
TURNER: You said Whitney said that at his mother`s funeral.
GILL: She said that at Bobby`s mother`s funeral when Bobby`s mother passed not too long ago. And I just think she would have definitely never approved it. I just think that it`s unfair.
And for those that call themselves the godly people, you know that whether you like Bobby, whether you hate him, however you feel, this was not the time, this was not the moment about personal stuff.
This was about everybody coming together to heal, you know? Bobby has healed. Look at what Bobby`s been doing for the last two to three years, working -- but I tell you what, I don`t see no reports about how well Bobby`s been doing.
But I see all this negative stuff about him. But Bobby`s been doing well and Bobby continues to grow and there`s always room for improvement. But he is continuing to stay strong and moving in the right direction.
He`s got people around him that love him. He made a choice, a conscious effort to allow the people that are around him to set boundaries and to hold him accountable for whatever it is that he`s doing.
And I`m not saying he`s perfect, so don`t get that twisted and try to turn it upside down.
TURNER: Right.
GILL: I`m just saying that he`s in a -- he might not be what you all want him to be, but thank God he`s not what he used to be.
TURNER: You know what? One of the things that you have said to me, too, is that Bobby considers staying with you all, staying with the group and touring as therapy.
You guys will continue to tour, you know, later in the month, and you`ll keep them together. But first, you know, you`re trying to do your thing, too, and keep everybody together.
You do have this new project and I don`t want to let you get away without talking about "Still Winning," because it is a very, very good album. Bobby has performed with you. I know I saw him on stage when you were promoting the record.
GILL: And we`ve been doing that -- yes. Yes, it`s been 16 years, and we`re back with a new CD. And I`ll tell you, this CD, I hate to be -- like I`m trying to sell this to anyone, but it`s the truth.
And anyone that has it will tell you it`s like you put it on from the beginning to the end. It`s just timeless music. I make great music. That`s what I do, and that`s what I set out to do and I think we accomplished that.
TURNER: The second single dropped yesterday.
GILL: Yes.
TURNER: "It Would Be You," my favorite song on the album.
GILL: Yes, yes, yes.
TURNER: Good stuff. Grown folk`s music.
GILL: Grown folk`s music. A.J., we`ll send it back to you.
HAMMER: What a smooth voice. Great seeing Johnny Gill. And Johnny`s new album is called "Still Winning." It is out right now. And yes, his tour with New Edition resumes later this month. Thank you both, Johnny and Nischelle.
Well, we move on right now to one of Johnny`s best friends, Eddie Murphy. Tonight, Eddie`s Oscar confessions.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: The Oscars, because it`s such a, you know, it`s the --
TURNER: It`s a prestigious night.
MURPHY: It`s so prestigious, there`s a little stiffness with all, to kind of be -- it`s kind of hard to be cool when you have all this stiff (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you hear what else Eddie is saying. He is right here tonight with his stunning revelations about whether or not he regrets walking away from hosting the Oscars. It is yet another headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview you do not want to miss.
Plus, Snooki baby outrage.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NICOLE "SNOOKI" POLIZZI, REALITY TV STAR, "JERSEY SHORE": This morning, I feel like freaking ass. Like, I`m still drunk, but it`s the drunk where you want to throw up and you feel disgusting. I`d rather just drink it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The brand-new uproar over the shocking reports that Snooki is pregnant and wants to cash in on her baby. Our SHOWBIZ flashpoint tonight, is that just plain wrong?
Also, is Taylor Swift Tebowing? This is all the buzz today, Taylor and Tim Tebow, possibly Hollywood`s new dream team? Is it a match made in heaven? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
Here`s the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Brad Pitt joins cast of the play "8," also starring George Clooney and Martin Sheen. Justin Bieber gets $100,000 car on his 18th birthday!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You work really, really hard and I always yell at you, "Don`t get anything flashy, you know. We`re not about that. Be humble. Be humble."
And I kind of broke my own rule and we decided to get you a car that would make you stand out a little bit on the road. It`s a Fisker Karma.
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
ELLEN DEGENERES, HOST, "THE ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW": They got you a car!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: What the hell was that?
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You and this tree are now connected.
MURPHY: Hello?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you talk, all the leaves fall off the tree.
MURPHY: I want my baby back, baby back. I want my baby back ribs
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: What happens when the tree loses all its leaves?
MURPHY: I can die?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s Eddie Murphy in his hilarious new movie, "A Thousand Words." It opens in theaters on March 9. It`s all about a man who only has one thousand words left to speak before he dies, so you know, he`s got to choose every single word quite carefully.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, Eddie`s words and the enormous difference between men and women when it comes to yapping away.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner just went one on one with Eddie as he was promoting his new film "A Thousand Words." Nischelle`s is with me tonight from Hollywood. So, Nischelle, did you have a few words with Eddie?
TURNER: I tried to choose them carefully, A.J., but, yes. You know, his new movie about words got me thinking about just how many useless words we all use every day and about something that half the population has always suspected, well, the other half has just always denied -- do women talk more than men?
Well, Eddie had plenty to tell me about that great debate. You`ve got to watch Eddie talking and talking and talking to me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) There was also a study out that said that women -- we use like seven times the amount of words that men do.
MURPHY: They actually had to do a study to see that women talked more? They had to actually do a physical study? Like, there was an actual -- someone was wondering, I wonder who talks more, women or guys.
TURNER: Someone was counting the words of women and men in a day.
MURPHY: No, you guys don`t talk a lot, like a guy could, like, be in a car, when his buddies drive somewhere, you know, and not say anything. You know, can you imagine going somewhere with your girlfriends and not saying anything?
TURNER: No.
MURPHY: Yes, see.
TURNER: No.
MURPHY: From the moment you get in, you go, right?
TURNER: Dude, I can`t go --
MURPHY: A guy --
TURNER: From here to that door without saying anything.
MURPHY: I get in the car, and one of my boys, "Yes, what`s up? He won`t say nothing until you get to the spot (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
TURNER: You`re good.
MURPHY: You keep it very short. Every now and then, you might say something, look at that (EXPLETIVE DELETED) over there.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, thanks so much, Nischelle. And it looks like the debate continues. Who better to weigh in on whether women really do talk more than men than one of the country`s most famous matchmakers?
I`m talking about Lori Zaslow, star of Bravo`s hit reality show, "Love Broker." And really, your life is so much about men and women and how they communicate.
So is it a fact? Is it true, as far as you know, that women just do talk a whole lot more than men? LORI ZASLOW, MATCHMAKER, "LOVE BROKER": I think it`s absolutely the truth. Women love to talk. That`s how we communicate, probably one of the only ways where men might think a little bit before they speak.
HAMMER: But do we need to talk more? Do we need to sort of step up our game?
ZASLOW: I think you do. I think men need to speak as much as they listen.
HAMMER: I`m working on it.
ZASLOW: You`re pretty good.
HAMMER: I`m getting right in here. So let me you ask this real quickly. I don`t know if Eddie Murphy is looking, but he is single right now. What`s the biggest single piece of advice you would give the great Eddie Murphy as he looks for love, if he is, in fact, doing so?
ZASLOW: If he`s looking for love, I would say he needs as good of an audience as he does someone who is as funny as him, because he is my all time favorite, favorite actor and comedian.
He should call Project Soul Mate. We have lots of great women, if he`s looking, in fact.
HAMMER: That would be a good -- yes, that would be a good move for him. Now, if a man and a woman had a thousand words left to speak before they died, as is the premise of the Eddie Murphy movie, who`s going to run out of words first, in your mind, from your experience as, you know, somebody who deals with the communication issue of men and women all the time?
ZASLOW: Of course, the woman. She would run out of them like, in a second, she could say a thousand words, probably.
HAMMER: OK. All right. Well, I`m going --
ZASLOW: See, you`ve already run out -- you`ve already out of words.
HAMMER: I`m going to choose my words. I`m under a lot of pressure now. I don`t know. Eddie Murphy is also breaking big news tonight about the Oscars.
Now, we all know that Eddie quit as the original host of this year`s show after the executive producer was forced to resign after making a homophobic remark. Well, Eddie has just made a big confession to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: I thought Billy Crystal did a wonderful job on the Oscars and I wished I would have gotten a chance to do it. And I hope I get a chance to do it one day.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You have got to see this. It`s Eddie`s remarkable revelations about what he says he would do with that chance if he got it. Lori Zaslow, stay right where you are.
So Eddie Murphy opening up to us about hosting the Oscars, but is the show way out of touch? Well, we`re going to ask that in another must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview with this guy -- amazing megastar and Oscar nominated actor, Don Cheadle is here.
Don is going to tell me if he thinks that the Oscars do, in fact, need a facelift. It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Lawsuit with former manager delays Britney Spears` wedding. "Essence" magazine publishes special Whitney Houston issue.
HAMMER: Time now for the SHOWBIZ buzz list. Here`s what the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff is buzzing all about.
Well, it`s that time. Got to dust off that mirror ball trophy. The new cast of "Dancing with the Stars" was just revealed. It includes legendary Gladys Knight, soap opera veteran, Jack Wagner. And "Dancing" makes its return on March 19th.
Hollywood in the palm of your hand. The new "Hollywood Reporter" app will keep you in the loop of all things SHOWBIZ. Very cool.
East meets Biebs. We`re jamming to the Fareast movement song featuring Justin Bieber. It`s called "Live My Life."
"King Peggy" -- we are ready the amazing true story about how an American secretary became an African king overnight. It is in bookstores everywhere.
And even if you`ve already seen it, Martin Scorsese`s Oscar-winning epic, "Hugo," can now be yours. It is out on Blu-Ray and DVD right now. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Machines never come with any extra parts, you know? They always come with the exact amount they need. So I figured, if the entire world was one big machine, I couldn`t be an extra part.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, Zac`s condom confession. Did you see guys this? It`s footage that was posted on "GossipDavid.com" of Zac Efron accidentally dropping a condom at an orange carpet premiere for his new kids film, "The Lorax."
He was pretty embarrassed by this. And today, Zac gets grilled about that comment in a brand-new interview. I cannot even imagine how embarrassed Zac Efron must have been when that condom came flying out of his pocket in front of all of those cameras.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner, joining me now from Hollywood. Nischelle, I`m guessing that Zac had a lot of explaining to do today.
TURNER: Oh, lord, A.J. When a cringe-worthy moment, right? Now, there may be nothing wrong with Zac actually having a condom in his pocket. But like you said, it flew out in front of an entire press line and at a premiere for a Dr. Seuss movie, for goodness sake.
Now, Zac has not talked about the condom drop since it happened. And I mean, who could blame him, right? But he wasn`t about to get away so easily when he faced off with Matt Lauer on the "Today" show this morning. Look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: Do you want to take me through what happened?
ZAC EFRON, ACTOR; I don`t want to take you through it, but --
LAUER: Do you want to just give me a hint as to what happened? You dropped something on the red carpet.
EFRON: I did. I did. And I never really had a pocket-checking policy prior to going on to the red carpet before. But now, we fully instated one prior to going on to the red carpet.
LAUER: You dropped a condom --
EFRON: Yes.
LAUER: On the red carpet. I think kids --
EFRON: it was really hard for you to say.
LAUER: It wasn`t, actually. It gives you credit. I mean, you know, better to be safe than sorry, right?
EFRON: That`s a great message to add to the many messages in the film.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: Nice save, Zac. Nice save.
HAMMER: Yes. Hey, look, it happens to the best of them. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. Thanks, Nischelle.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup -- here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Eddie Murphy`s big Oscar revelation to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: The Oscars, because it`s such a, you know, it`s the --
TURNER: It`s a prestigious night.
MURPHY: It`s so prestigious, there`s a little stiffness with all, to kind of be -- it`s kind of hard to be cool when you have all this stiff (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Eddie`s startling revelations to us about whether or not he would host the Oscars if he was asked again.
Plus, is this the dream team? The brand-new reports that Tim Tebow and Taylor Swift are dating. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is it a match made in heaven? 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: Betty White to be roasted at annual friars club event. Jerry Bruckheimer to produce a "Top Gun 2" sequel.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: The Oscars, because it`s such a, you know, it`s the --
TURNER: It`s a prestigious night.
MURPHY: It`s so prestigious, there`s a little stiffness with all, to kind of be -- it`s kind of hard to be cool when you have all this stiff (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- Eddie Murphy`s Oscar regret. Tonight, Eddie Murphy breaks big news to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about why he quit as Oscar`s host and whether or not he regrets it. Should the Oscars invite him back?
Taylor and Tebow, sitting in a tree, but could it really be? Taylor Swift and football star Tim Tebow spotted together. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask, is this a match made in heaven?
Plus, Snooki, a mom?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLIZZI: This morning I feel like a freaking ass, like, I`m still drunk, but it`s, you know, the drunk where you want to throw up and you feel disgusting. I`d rather just drink it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, gym, tan, baby? Brand-new reports that "Jersey Shore" star Snooki is pregnant. The great debate tonight -- would Snooki be a good mom?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, SHOWBIZ breaks news, big news about Eddie Murphy. And he is telling it to us in a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Now, Eddie shocked everybody when he quit as Oscar host this year after the show`s executive producer was forced to resign after making a homophobic remark.
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner just spoke with Eddie who dropped a bombshell or two about his stunning decision to walk away from the Oscars and whether he`d be willing to come back.
I want to know. Nischelle joins me tonight from Hollywood. Nischelle?
TURNER: Well, A.J., as you know, the Oscars is much like the Super Bowl of the entertainment world. Everybody`s watching. And you know, there was so much buzz and excitement when we found out that Eddie Murphy would be hosting the show this year.
But in a stunning turn of events, he bowed out. He left producers scrambling for his replacement. Well, Eddie is out now promoting his new movie, "A Thousand Words," opening in theaters March 9th.
And I asked him to finally set the record straight about his bold Oscar move and if he now regrets it. Watch what he told me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MURPHY: You know, the whole thing with the Oscars, and I thought Billy Crystal did a wonderful job on the Oscars, and I wished I would have gotten a chance to do it and I hope I get a chance to do it one day, you know? That`s all I can say about it.
TURNER: So do you regret, then, dropping out?
MURPHY: No, you know, I don`t really have regrets. What happened was, initially, I was doing a movie with Bret Ratner and he was going to produce the show.
And he came, and we were having such a great time working together. He was like, "Hey, you know, I`m going to do the Oscars. I`m going to do it this way and that way," and he had all these great ideas.
He was approaching it like a director. He was like, "Hey, host the show." I was like, OK, I haven`t hosted a show before. That would be cool.
And when they let him go as the producer, I was kind of like, that`s who I was coming along with in the first place. But if they were to ask me again, I would be open to doing that, because it`s something I haven`t done and it`s really prestigious to be able to do that and a bunch of great comics have done it.
TURNER: Would you push the envelope a little more, because still they say, it`s a little still, a little stagnant, we want something fresh and new. Would we have seen like Eddie -- edgy Eddie?
MURPHY: I don`t know, because I don`t that`s what the evening is about.
TURNER: No.
MURPHY: I don`t think the evening is about having the host being extra edgy or something or extra, you know -- having the show be all about them.
I think you have to do what Billy does. You have to go in and be silent. And you have to be funny. You have to be smart, and you have to keep the show moving, and, you know, he did that. He`s a master at doing that.
You have to do that. The show has to have -- those other award shows pop, for whatever reason. The music shows pop. So the Oscars, because it`s such a, you know, it`s the --
TURNER: It`s a prestigious night.
MURPHY: The Oscars are so prestigious, there`s a little stiffness with all this. IT kind of hard to be cool when you have all this stiff (EXPLETIVE DELETED) happening. So the Oscars just has to loosen up in its just overall approach.
It`s not the host. It`s the show. It has to be like these other award shows where they pop. And you know, you`ve got a great opportunity. You know, you`ve got 10 songs that are up for the song of the year.
TURNER: I could see you doing that.
MURPHY: You`ve got musical performances. You`ve got to have all different types of stuff that you can do, you know?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: Wow. So many ideas. Can you imagine, A.J., what that show would have been like with Eddie Murphy at the helm? I am going to just cross my fingers and hold out hope for next career. I`m holding out.
HAMMER: Me, too. You know, I was disappointed it didn`t work out for him to host it this year, but maybe -- maybe now that the word`s out from Eddie, he will be asked back. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner, great interview. Thanks so much, Nischelle.
Well, tonight, we`ve got a superstar Oscar-nominated actor right here, right now. And there`s still a lot of buzz about what happened this year, including a lot of people thinking that George Clooney got dissed when his move, "The Descendents," was not voted best picture and he didn`t win best actor.
Let me bring in George`s good buddy and frequent co-star, Don Cheadle, for our SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Great to see you, Don, right here in the flesh.
DON CHEADLE, ACTOR: How are you doing?
HAMMER: Hey, and congratulations on the new Showtime hit, "House of Lies."
CHEADLE: Thank you.
HAMMER: Man, what a funny, funny show.
CHEADLE: Thank you.
HAMMER: I`m so excited. We`ll talk about that in a second. But you heard Eddie Murphy talking about the Oscars that, you know what? The Academy Awards -- they need to step it up to be able to compete with really the other modern day award shows.
CHEADLE: Yes.
HAMMER: Do you think that`s right and they`re a little out of touch right now with what is important or what people are really interested in, with the kinds of movies they highlight?
CHEADLE: Yes. I mean, I don`t know why they don`t hand out mood-enhancing drugs on the red carpet, and then you would be ensured an entertaining show, at least.
HAMMER: They sell those outside before you get to the theater, I guess.
CHEADLE: I think they should be a part of the interview. You have the interview. You finish. They give you a pill. You walk to the next interview. By the time you`re inside, it`s a party.
HAMMER: Everybody`s pretty lubed up by the time they get to the Golden Globes, so I`ve always wondered why the Oscars didn`t take a hint.
CHEADLE: You feel a little different. Narcotics -- it`s a little different.
HAMMER: It`s a very refined show, however.
CHEADLE: Yes.
HAMMER: Listen, you didn`t go to the Oscars this year, I know. Actually, I heard you saying you were on with Kelly and they said they would charge you $500 to attend. I was a little shocked by that.
CHEADLE: It may be more now. I don`t know.
HAMMER: But you did get in on some Oscars fun. You took one for the team on a post-Oscars spoof on "Jimmy Kimmel Live." Even the outtakes were hilarious. Let`s take a look at that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: Really, the movie is a celebration of life. It`s a celebration of laughter. It`s a celebration of actors who -- well, frankly, they don`t get celebrated enough.
CHEADLE: I read the script, I was knocked out. And when I saw that Matt Damon wasn`t going to be a part of it, I jumped right on.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s perfect, man. That`s a good look for you, too. Did you get to keep the swan costume?
CHEADLE: I brought that with me.
HAMMER: Oh, that was your own. It came from you.
CHEADLE: That`s my own.
HAMMER: Couture, I assume?
CHEADLE: Yes, of course. Gucci.
HAMMER: We`ve always enjoyed see you team up with your buddy, George, and of course, Brad Pitt in "The Oceans" movies. And what amazing roles we`ve seen you in throughout the years.
Just to run down a few, of course, "Devil in a Blue Dress," "Crash," which won for best picture which was such a great thing. "Hotel Rwanda" -- got your best actor Oscar nod for that -- "Iron Man 2," "Brooklyn`s Finest."
I know you`re a busy guy. But can you break a little news for me. Are you ready to break out the cockney accent once again to do another "Oceans" film? What`s the status of that.
CHEADLE: I think that was put to bed, and if you watch the films, in the last one, I actually have a diction book that I`m trying to actually get rid of the accent.
And by the end of it, you know, when I`m playing the -- I can`t even think of his name, the daredevil that I played, you know, no accent at all. You know, actually, a crazy accent, but not British accent.
HAMMER: OK. That said, OK, with no accent, but are you ready to do another one of the "Oceans" films? Because we haven`t got confirmation that it`s happening and I need it from you.
CHEADLE: It is not happening. And I think if we do bring it back, you know, we should do it in reverse. We should do "Oceans 9" next, and then eight, seven, and just knock off a character as we go down until there`s just two left. And it should be a battle to the death.
HAMMER: Yes, subtraction.
CHEADLE: Yes.
HAMMER: But are you saying definitively there`s really not going to be another "Oceans" movie?
CHEADLE: I mean, I don`t control the "Oceans" franchise.
HAMMER: Oh, you don`t --
CHEADLE: That`s coming. I may control it soon, but yes, there`s nothing on the books so far.
HAMMER: I expect nothing less than total world domination from you, Don. So now, you`re starring in "House of Lies," which is so, so funny -- the new series on Showtime.
I`m so pleased you`ve already picked up for another season. You lead a team of consultants who basically go in to save troubled companies.
And we just spoke with your co-star, Kristen Bell, all about signing on for the show. And she said, it was a no-brainer, and that was for one primary reason. I want you to watch this with me.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KRISTEN BELL, ACTRESS: And he said, "Would you be interested? I have a pilot. It`s a great role, and Don Cheadle is attached."
And before he had finished the world "Cheadle," I said, yes. Because just, what other decision is there? I mean, he is one of the best actors of the last 20 years, you know?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I mean, there you have it, right there.
CHEADLE: Every time she says that, I have to give her like $150. It`s contractual.
HAMMER: But what would you say to her? Because I`ve heard that before from other actors that, you know, you`re loudly applauded everywhere. What would you say to Kristen?
CHEADLE: After I gave her the cash, I`d say, "Thanks for saying it." I mean, look, it`s great to be revered by anybody, and to be thought of, you know, that way by someone that you work with every day.
And it`s mutual. We have a great time on the show and it`s very attributable to her contributions and what she brings. And her and all the other cast members make it just an incredible experience. So I`m having a lot of fun and I`m very glad I said yes, too.
HAMMER: Well, we can tell you`re having a lot of fun, because the show`s an awful lot of fun to watch. I`m so happy it`s picked up for next season.
CHEADLE: Me, too.
HAMMER: Don Cheadle, great to see you man. Thanks for coming. I appreciate it. You can catch "House of Lies" Sunday nights on Showtime.
Turning now to something much different -- gym, tan, baby? Tonight, what would it be like to have Snooki as a mom?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
POLIZZI: This morning, I feel like freaking ass. Like, I`m still drunk, but it`s, you know, the drunk where you to throw up and you feel disgusting. I want to just drink it off.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Mommy? Mommy? Snooki`s not saying a thing about these brand-new reports that she`s pregnant, but this buzz cannot be stopped. So the great debate tonight is this, would Snooki be a good mom?
And is it love for Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow? The two have been spotted together. I`m thinking they could be the perfect match -- attractive, down to earth, even though they`re so famous. I got to ask, would Tim and Taylor be a match made in heaven? 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: Sarah Palin`s daughter, Bristol, gets docu-series called "Life`s a Tripp" on Lifetime Network. Lindsay Lohan says she doesn`t focus on naysayers who doubt she`s getting her life on track.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LINDSAY LOHAN, ACTRESS: If I harped on that and only focused on the negative and the people that doubted me, then I might be back, right back where they think I`ll be. But that`s not what I want for me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
POLIZZI: Being pregnant should be like, you know, a real thing and a happy thing, and I`m not. I definitely do want kids, but I`m not pregnant.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Gym, tan, baby? "Jersey Shore" star Snooki denied that she was pregnant. That was back in February. But you know, these brand-new reports have just fired up the great debate once again.
Could "Jersey Shore`s" Snooki be pregnant? And if she is, would she be a good mom?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, oh, baby, Snooki?
Yes. "Jersey Shore`s" favorite lovable meatball, Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi, kept quiet today. She hasn`t said one word about all these reports flying around that she`s pregnant, but the baby buzz will not stop.
So must we accept her reality that Snooki is about to be a mom? Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Even if the idea of watching "Jersey Shore" makes you ill --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I really have to throw up.
MOOS: There`s no playing hooky from Snooki.
POLIZZI: Oh, my god!
MOOS: Can`t escape her or the rumors of her pregnancy that have been reproducing like rabbits.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Uh-oh. Looks like Snooki has a meatball in the oven.
MOOS: Now, page six of the "New York Post" says that it`s confirmed and several Web site also say she`s three or four months pregnant, this despite previous denial --
POLIZZI: I definitely do want kids, but I`m not pregnant.
MOOS: After denial.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So you`re saying no?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re saying no to this, obviously.
POLIZZI: No.
MOOS: She acted offended, saying people must think she looks fat.
POLIZZI: It`s like an insult, kind of. It sucks, because, you know, being pregnant should be like, you know, a real thing and a happy thing, and I`m not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Don`t women always lie when they`re pregnant?
KELLY RIPA, HOST, "LIVE WITH KELLY": Well, the first trimester, you certainly do --
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, you want to get through it.
RIPA: Because you don`t -- you want to get through it. You don`t want to jinx anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Right.
RIPA: So you don`t say anything.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So isn`t Snooki entitled to the same thing everybody else is?
MOOS (on camera): Now, normally, people are all goo-goo gaga over birth announcements. But instead of people talking about a bundle of Jersey joy, already, the kid`s being called Jersey spore.
(voice-over) Comments online are merciless. Didn`t Gov. Christie declare her uterus a disaster area? According to page six, the father is her boyfriend, Jionni Lavalle, seen on the show too wasted to return Snooki`s affections.
POLIZZI: Hi, you`re supposed to kiss me. You`re just a sucky boyfriend tonight.
MOOS: Well, no baby that night. On "Live with Kelly," the hostess analyzed Snooki`s recent behavior on the show. And they played a game, trying to bust balloons squished between partners.
RIPA: She refused to play with us.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Because she didn`t want to bust the balloon.
MOOS: And if Snooki snookered interviews by lying, well, interviewers tried to snooker her back. Wendy Williams used beer to trap her in Super Bowl toasts.
WENDY WILLIAMS, HOST, "THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW": So you`re not pregnant. That was a pregnancy setup.
Moos: But Snooki makes no bones about it. She wants babies.
POLIZZI: Some guido babies.
RIPA: If your babies come out not tan, what will happen?
POLIZZI: I`ll spray them.
MOOS: From the delivery room direct to the tanning salon. Who are you calling a spore? Huh?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Does the whole idea make your head hurt as well? That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So just the idea of the "Jersey Shore" party girl turning in her tequila bottle for baby bottle has us all wondering to find, what kind of mom would Snooki make?
With me in New York tonight, Lori Zaslow. She`s a matchmaker whose new show, "Love Broker," premieres next Monday on Bravo. So Lori, you`ve been married for 12 years --
ZASLOW: It will be 12.
HAMMER: You have two children.
ZASLOW: I do.
HAMMER: You know how wildly and massively life changes when you have even one child, let alone two. So this brings us to our SHOWBIZ flashpoint tonight, would Snooki make a good mom?
ZASLOW: I think Snooki has all the potential to be a great mom. She comes from a loving family. She has a loving boyfriend, but is she willing to make some changes in her life?
I mean, her mom potential is amazing, because she has so much love. But the fact is, it`s a lot of work and a full-time job. So with the potential of a new show and a lot of things going on, she may have to redirect her energy internally, literally, to think about what she wants with her child.
HAMMER: Yes. I think you make a great point. If she can devote as much love as she appears to have for partying to a child, wow --
ZASLOW: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Think of all the possibilities. I`m thinking mother of the year.
ZASLOW: There you go.
HAMMER: It could quite frankly happen. And obviously, everybody`s having fun, given Snooki`s reputation, including Jimmy Kimmel, who has not stopped short of joking about her possible mothering skills. Let`s take a look at what Jimmy did.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JIMMY KIMMEL, HOST, "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE": She was spotted over the weekend, reading this book. Can we zoom in there? "What to Drink While You`re Expecting."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: No. It`s perfect. You know, when you think about it, it`s sort of hard to picture Snooki actually changing diapers or hosting play dates, you know, putting together bottles and all of that stuff. Carpooling with Snooki. But I suppose stranger things have happened.
ZASLOW: Yes, I think she maybe would come up with like a non-alcoholic line or something for pregnant moms or turn it into a huge business.
I mean, if she could redirect the energy she has for partying and going out there and doing her own thing, maybe she could have a huge business around being a mom.
HAMMER: And it`s not like she`d be the first person to have ever stopped binge drinking, if that is, in fact, what she does do, or partying as hard as she appears to do, and have a baby. I mean, it has happened before.
ZASLOW: I think it happens a lot of times. And because those people aren`t in the public eye, it`s OK. I mean, it happens all the time.
Plenty of people make the change to be a mom. Is she going to do it? I bet you, if she`s pregnant, she will.
HAMMER: I think it`s just so wild to ponder. And literally, it does make my head tingle a little bit. You mentioned the idea of her potentially, you know, cashing in on it and doing something with that, because there were reports that Snooki actually would like to cash in on having a baby, some kind of a deal with baby clothing, perhaps, you know.
And truthfully, she wouldn`t have be the fist person to capitalize off of having a child. So our next SHOWBIZ flashpoint, would it be so wrong for Snooki to cash in on having a baby?
ZASLOW: No, I think it would be smarter for her to cash in on that than a show that`s being filmed 24/7 about all the things she`s doing that she eventually wouldn`t want her daughter to see.
I mean, we`re in a time where it`s an anarchy for what you can see about what people do. And I personally wouldn`t want my children to think badly of me.
HAMMER: Sure. I think that horse has left the stable, though, as far as what her kids are going to see. Come on.
I want to move on now to a possible new couple in town. We must talk about this. A lot of buzz tonight about a romance brewing between country sweetheart, Taylor Swift, and the wholesome QB, Tim Tebow.
Lori, would it be a match made in heaven? I want to hear your answer when we come back.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" -- more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: MTV`s "The Real World" to take place in St. Thomas for 27th season. Kris Jenner in upcoming "America`s Next Top Model," "Toddlers and Tiaras" themed photo.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It could be a match made in heaven -- Taylor Swift and Tim Tebow. There is big buzz tonight that they could be a couple.
They were spotted chatting at a pre-Oscar bash and then reportedly having dinner together. I want to bring back in matchmaker, Lori Zaslow, star of the new show, "Love Broker." You can see it on Bravo.
All right. So you are one of the country`s busiest matchmakers. You have set up many, many couples. You`ve been very successful at it. You obviously know what works.
So in terms of this couple, what do you think? Taylor Swift, Tim Tebow, match made in heaven?
ZASLOW: I think it is a match with a lot of potential. He seems very grounded. He`s the youngest of five children. He`s very into religion and he seems chivalrous.
And she needs a guy close to her age that is going to respect her and love her, someone she`s not going to have to write a song about, at least a sad song.
HAMMER: Yes, hopefully.
ZASLOW: And he`s known for his Tebowing, getting on one knee, so you know, it definitely could have potential.
HAMMER: And I think, and I always say this, usually, when you put two stars together, it can cause some friction. But very often, what is helpful is that one star can relate to what the other goes through, particularly when you get so much notoriety.
Taylor, one of the most popular stars in the world. Tim Tebow, obviously, a household name by now.
ZASLOW: And they`re both in the spotlight, but different spotlights, so there`s no competition and they can relate to one another, so I think that`s amazing.
HAMMER: Look at who she`s been linked to before. I mean, John Mayer, Joe Jonas, Jake Gyllenhaal --
ZASLOW: They`re too old for her.
HAMMER: What`s that? Too old?
ZASLOW: For her. For her.
HAMMER: Do you think though that Tim Tebow is a better match than all of those guys?
ZASLOW: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Why`s that?
ZASLOW: He`s motivated. He`s grounded. He`s comes from a great family. He`s from the south. He`s chivalrous. I mean, he is what -- she needs him.
HAMMER: OK, so it sounds very, very healthy. All right.
ZASLOW: It`s promising. Very promising.
HAMMER: You know, the John Mayer thing, I never really quite understood that, if that actually, in fact, ever happened, because, of course, she never flat-out confirmed it, but there we go. A match made in heaven.
All right. Lori Zaslow, thank you so much. And you can catch Lori on her new show, "Love Broker." It premieres this Monday on Bravo. Don`t miss it.
ZASLOW: Thank you.
HAMMER: Tonight, Miley`s war on Twitter. Miley Cyrus, sick and tired of tweets threatening her life. Who could blame her? Tonight, will Miley actually quit Twitter if the threats don`t stop?
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Miley`s mad at Twitter. Miley Cyrus is understandably hopping mad after getting a slew of death threats in the past few weeks, including threats based on what she wore to the Oscar parties this past weekend.
This is unbelievable to me. Well, Miley just tweeted that she`s absolutely had it. Instead of blaming the people who were threatening her, she`s actually pointing the finger squarely at Twitter.
Here`s what she tweeted, "I won`t tolerate someone telling me to die. I think Twitter needs to take some responsibility and make it a safe environment."
I mean, can you imagine how scary it must be for Miley Cyrus right now? We`re going to have to see if Twitter does decide to take any action at all.
Well, that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, right here on HLN.
Stay right here for "DR. DREW," next. Tonight, Dr. Drew goes inside the human tragedies of the Midwest tornado. That starts right now on HLN.
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