Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Kim Burrell on Whitney Houston; Peter Cook Strikes Back on the "Today" Show; A Tiger Woods Tell-All; Alicia Silverstone`s Controversial Way of Feeding Her Baby
Aired March 28, 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 - a SHOWBIZ Whitney exclusive. Tonight, gospel great Kim Burrell speaks out for the very first time since Whitney Houston`s funeral. Did she know about Whitney`s cocaine use?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM BURRELL, GOSPEL SINGER: When I said Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kim Burrell reveals her emotional inside story a SHOWBIZ exclusive newsmaker interview.
Tiger tell-all. Tonight, the man behind Tiger Woods` golf swing writes a tell-all about Tiger. What did he know about Tiger`s mistress mayhem? What other secrets was Tiger hiding?
Tonight, Tiger`s former coach, Hank Haney, speaks out in another must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Chew on this. The controversial SHOWBIZ viral video of Alicia Silverstone spitting food into her baby`s mouth. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is this really healthy? Or is Alicia Silverstone a clueless Hollywood mom?
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello and thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive.
You are about to hear one of Whitney Houston`s closest friends and confidants speaking out for the very first time since we learned that cocaine played a role in Whitney`s death. What she just told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively may only reinforce that Whitney could have possibly been saved from her demons. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner did the exclusive interview and is with us tonight from Hollywood. Nischelle, this is so remarkable to me.
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: Yes, A.J., it really is. You know, I just spoke with famed gospel singer and pastor, Kim Burrell, who was Whitney`s dear friend and who spoke with Whitney every week for the past 13 years.
Now, she and Whitney traded voicemails the day she died, the last one just two hours before her death. Kim, who sang, "A Change is Gonna Come" at Whitney`s funeral has just recorded that song as part of the Whitney Houston commemorative project. The proceeds are going to the Love and Liberty Church in Houston, Texas that Burrell founded and Whitney helped fund.
Now, I want you to listen carefully as I talk to Kim about accepting the coroner`s finding that Whitney had indeed taken cocaine again and it contributed to her drowning in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel room.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BURRELL: I would own up to that, her friend trying to her not based on what it is I knew opposite of the truth. It was just my nature to do that with her.
But as I`ve said before, when I said Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t. In whatever her condition she was, I would always replay that to her, "Whitney, you`re fine."
TURNER (on camera): When Whitney stood up - and I remember the interview with Oprah where she said she was clean and sober.
BURRELL: Yes.
TURNER: Was it a relapse? Did she -
BURRELL: If she was clean and sober then, and then for them to find cocaine, it`s either relapse or she accidentally drank it or somebody put it in her system or something for them to find it. I wasn`t there. They say she ingested it or it was put in the (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I just know that my friend is not here.
TURNER: The coroner did say that they felt like the cocaine was freshly ingested and it was fresh in her system.
BURRELL: OK. Really? But there was no cocaine found reportedly in the hotel room, no traces of it. So I guess the question, where did it go? I guess so. It`s a wonder, right?
TURNER: Yes.
BURRELL: I got that after she died. That`s the only answer I can give you.
TURNER: Should the person that supplied that cocaine to her be criminally prosecuted and investigated?
BURRELL: I don`t know. Whatever the law says about that, whatever the family feels that they need to pursue concerning that. I wish I had more interest about all that took place, because if I could, I would take every bit of it back,
I would want to tell whoever it was, whether it was her or whoever could have supplied it or whether she found it under the bed or whether she got it from the front desk when she checked in, whatever it is that took her out, I wish I could retract it so she could be here.
TURNER: Do you feel like there were two Whitneys, like the Whitney that you spent time with, the God-fearing grounded Whitney and the Whitney that was a lot
(CROSS TALK)
BURRELL: No, no. Whitney wasn`t always the God-fearing, you know, lady. What are you saying? (UNINTELLIGIBLE) as close as we were. She didn`t like fake people. She knew I could be one-sided with her.
The main reason we became close was that I was honest with her and very down-to-earth and very straightforward and very down to the point sometimes. She would get upset. I don`t see it like that, sister. I would say, "Fine, you don`t have to." So who`s going to hang up, you or me? So you first. No, not me.
So it was just that kind of thing. It wasn`t always hallelujah. I don`t want the world to think that. Friendships are not one-sided. They`re not like that and I don`t want the world to have something and I`m not saying you`re insinuating that.
But that`s one interpretation I don`t want the world to get twisted. I was in this hallelujah thing with me and Whitney all the time. That was my main assignment, however, to remind her of the hallelujah with her.
It was not always that way. But for the most part, when we would get down and dirty in conversations about the personal things in life, we bumped heads but we found a way to come back together.
TURNER: Well, now, when we first started talking about the toxicology report, and I said there was cocaine in her system. You said, aren`t we past that?
BURRELL: Oh, no, no, no. I was saying, how many times have we heard Whitney`s name associated with drugs? It`s my point. You know, to me, it`s being presented like, "Can you believe cocaine was in her system?"
I mean, the world saw her come out of rehab from being accused of that. She did interviews about that. She admitted.
Anybody can look at Oprah and the interviews she had with Oprah, the last one she had and not be shocked that some kind of drug was in her system. She admitted to that. So it`s just unfortunate that it was in her when she died.
TURNER: What you`re saying, as her friend, none of that matters to you.
BURRELL: No. No. I was friends with Whitney. No, I want my friend back. And I know she wants to be here. She wants to see her daughter grow up.
TURNER: Do you still have that picture in your mind with your friend`s casket?
BURRELL: I won`t (UNINTELLIGIBLE). I went through that for about five days straight, because all those artists haves to say this, my hat`s off to every one of them from Mariah Carey to Chaka to Mary J. Blige to my left, Queen Latifah to my right, Oprah - we saw people who were there.
When they lifted that casket, you could feel the pain, the unsaid, the hurt. And all of us shared that moment together. Nobody was bigger a star than Whitney at that moment. Everybody laid whatever gift they had down and said, "We hurt."
You know, I had a baby`s head on my shoulder here, my hand on the back of Kevin Costner and I said within myself, "Let`s get through this." I`m crying, going, "Be strong. Hold on. We`re going to be OK."
TURNER: I can`t imagine what that was like when it was opened.
BURRELL: It was painful, painful. They allowed me to go and be with her by myself that morning before the actual funeral.
I was just standing there and the first thing that came to me, I`m sitting there talking to Whitney and I said, "What is going on? What is really going on? I know you don`t want to be in here. I know you don`t want to be in here, honey. You know, what`s really going on?"
I didn`t really have a painful reaction or a reality check until I walked into that church and it was all decorated. And that`s when it hit me. I don`t care how beautiful this scene is right now with all these gorgeous flowers.
TURNER: At the end of the day, that`s Nippy.
BURRELL: Yes.
TURNER: What do you want people to remember about your friend?
BURRELL: That she was loving, that she was beautiful inside out, the woman who had experienced 25 years of great success, who was kind of over it and was ready to see the new generation fly and soar.
Doing "Sparkle" for her was just something to contribute to the continuation of her life as it had been already. And I used to always encourage her and say, "Let me tell you something -"
Once she second-guessed, I mean, Kevin Costner said it best. She was always saying, "Am I good enough?" She was always excited about "Sparkle."
And she was calling me from Detroit, "Oh, it was a good day." And she was bragging on the young lady.
TURNER: Jordin Sparks.
BURRELL: Jordin, so much. And I was just happy to see her happy doing something that was going to continue in the vein that she loved so much. And I always want people to always remember, she gave more with her life than they need to try to discover in her death. That`s all.
TURNER: You`re a good friend, Kim Burrell.
BURRELL: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TURNER: You know, I can`t tell you how much I was moved and how much I learned about Whitney while I was speaking with Kim Burrell.
A.J., Kim`s stunning revelations didn`t end there. In part two of my exclusive interview with Kim for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, she tells me the real deal between Bobby and Whitney`s relationship before death. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera) Do you think they still loved each other?
BURRELL: Oh, sure, who doesn`t love each other after 17 years and a child?
TURNER: Do you think they were still in love with each other?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: You know, Nischelle, she was so candid with you. I`m really eager to find out exactly how she answered that.
TURNER: Well, it`s fascinating, A.J. And tomorrow, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Kim also opens up about Bobby Brown`s arrest this week for DUI.
We`re also going to talk about Bobbi Kristina`s life without her mom and about that alleged boyfriend that she`s got right now.
HAMMER: Wow. Just a stunning, stunning interview. Nischelle Turner, thank you so much.
As we move on tonight, Peter Cook, firing back at his famous ex, Christie Brinkley. Christie Brinkley broke down in tears in the television interview over her custody feud with Cook. Well, on the "Today" show this morning, Cook called it a bunch of bull.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a moment when she cried.
PETER COOK, CHRISTIE BRINKLEY`S EX-HUSBAND: Crocodile tears.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you say that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. So tonight, I really want to know, will these two ever stop bickering in public. What`s it going to take?
Tiger tell-all. Tonight, Tiger Woods` former coach revealing his secrets about Tiger. Did he really know nothing about Tiger`s cheating ways? Hank Haney is here and he tells all in a headline-making 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: Magic Johnson group buys Los Angeles Dodgers for $2 billion!
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHRISTIE BRINKLEY, SUPERMODEL: I just want peace and every time I have any joy or any kind of success in anything, he has to try to destroy it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It was really something to see - Christie Brinkley breaking down on the "Today" show over her bitter divorce battle. It grabbed headlines.
And of course, today, here ex is firing back calling her a liar. But should they both take their family feud behind closed doors?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, it`s a new round in the Brinkley battle.
It`s been four years since Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook divorced, and they`re still fighting. This latest legal battle is spilling out of the courtroom and on o TV, and I`m here to tell you there is no end in sight.
First, Brinkley files court papers accusing Cook of missing child support payments. Check. Then Cook files a counter-complaint. Check. A few weeks ago, Cook does an interview with ABC. Check.
Yesterday, Brinkley breaks down in that tearful interview with Matt Lauer on the "Today" show. Check. And then Cook goes on the defense with his own "Today" show and says he is not buying Brinkley`s tears. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: There was a moment when she cried.
COOK: Crocodile tears.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why do you say that?
COOK: Because she`s not being bullied or harassed by me. Ever since the separation, she has been on a campaign to smear me.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. When will these two stop airing their dirty laundry for their kids and all the world to see? Joining me now in New York, Evangeline Gomez, a family law attorney.
So you`re a divorce lawyer. You have certainly seen plenty of angry couples in the past. How does what`s going on between Brinkley and Cook rank among what you have seen? Is it one of the worst?
EVANGELINE GOMEZ, FAMILY LAW ATTORNEY: It is the worst in comparison to Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards and Alec Baldwin and Kim Basinger. This is the one that takes the cake. When is this going to end?
HAMMER: Yes, that`s a big question that everybody`s asking, particularly for the kids because, really, when you think about it, the worst part is they have these two children together who are 16 and 13 years old.
And at least they`re talking about it. Here`s what Cook said about how all this could be affecting their kids. Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOK: It`s terrible for my children. But the damage was done when she fought to open that court in 2008. This is in Google eternity. This isn`t going at the bottom of a bird cage. This is here forever.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Google eternity. I think that that`s actually the smartest thing Peter Cook has said since this whole thing started unrolling and unraveling. But it doesn`t stop him.
So eventually, can a judge actually get involved and - I don`t know - impose some kind of a restriction, saying, "Guys, stop going on TV. Stop talking about it, if not for yourselves and your dignity, for the sake of the kids"?
GOMEZ: It would definitely be in the best interests of the children for a judge to issue an order stating, "Listen, Peter. Listen, Christie. You`re not going to continue to hash out your personal issues in the media. It`s done. It`s over. You`re not talking about it anymore."
If you recall, A.J., they did have a confidentiality agreement in their divorce settlement agreement.
HAMMER: Right.
GOMEZ: Now, the issue with the confidentiality agreement is that they are allowed to discuss post-divorce issues. They cannot divulge the details of the divorce settlement agreement.
HAMMER: So that`s the only thing that that applies to?
GOMEZ: Yes.
HAMMER: Interesting.
GOMEZ: Yes, that`s the only thing that that applies to.
HAMMER: OK. Well, you know, both of them are continuing to speak out despite the confidentiality agreement. And so I`m understanding you to say as long as they`re speaking out about certain things and not other things, that`s OK.
Let me play what Peter said about Christie`s claims today. Roll that one, Charles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
COOK: Virtually, everything - the entire content of her interview is a lie where she claims that I am harassing and bullying her on a daily basis. I need you to know that we haven`t had a conversation in 4 1/2 years and we haven`t E-mailed each other directly in two years.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So in order for them to be in violation of the confidentiality agreement, they would actually have to disclose what was in the divorce settlement itself. And could that open up the door to some other legal battle?
GOMEZ: Exactly. For example, if let`s say, there was an alimony settlement, the amount of the alimony settlement, the amount of child support that was agreed to by the parties. If that detail was divulged -
HAMMER: That`s breech.
GOMEZ: Then there would be a violation of the confidentiality agreement.
HAMMER: I got it. So just basically getting on - if I understand you correctly, just because they`re bitching about each other on television - there`s really no other nice way to say it - that`s not a violation of their confidentiality agreement.
But if they do disclose some of that confidential information could that open the door to another legal battle?
GOMEZ: Yes, it definitely could. And this is the confidential information that was part of the divorce proceedings. That`s what the confidentiality agreement pertains to.
HAMMER: Got it. Evangeline, thanks so much. Tonight, a SHOWBIZ Whitney exclusive. One of the last people to speak with Whitney Houston reveals to us what she knew about Whitney`s cocaine use.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: I said Whitney was fine. That was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whitney`s good friend Kim Burrell, speaking out for the first time since Whitney`s funeral. So could Whitney have been saved? Legendary gospel duo Mary Mary is right here. Erica and Tina Campbell are sharing their thoughts with me. It`s another must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And chew on this. Alicia Silverstone caught on tape, pre-chewing her baby`s food and feeding him with her mouth. OK. Is this healthy or is it down right clueless? 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: "Hunger Games" soundtrack debuts at number one on the Billboard 200.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, Oprah speaks out for the very first time about the tragic shooting of Trayvon Martin. Plus, why was a Hollywood movie trailer pulled off the airwaves in the wake of the tragedy?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner joining me now from Hollywood. Nischelle, so many people obviously looking for answers in the tragic shooting of this 17-year-old, including Oprah Winfrey. How is this affecting her?
TURNER: Well, A.J., you know Oprah never minces words. And it was no different this morning on "The Steve Harvey Radio Show." Oprah called in and when Steve asked her about Trayvon Martin, she didn`t hold back.
(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)
OPRAH WINFREY, MEDIA MOGUL: I am infuriated. I mean, just last night, I was thinking, what a shame, not just a tragedy, but a tragedy for him and his family, Trayvon, but a shame and a tragedy for a justice system in a country called America, in 2012, where that man has not been arrested and questioned.
STEVE HARVEY, HOST, "THE STEVE HARVEY MORNING SHOW": Right.
WINFREY: It just is, and we all know that it is. I mean, and as every day - I mean I think this is the 29th or 30th day - it`s unbelievable to me that that man has not been arrested.
HARVEY: Unbelievable.
(END AUDIO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. You can really hear the fury in her voice there.
TURNER: Yes.
HAMMER: And Oprah really capturing the way so much of this country feels about the Trayvon Martin shooting. Of course, she`s just one of the many celebrities who`s taking part in what has become this massive movement of support of Trayvon`s memory and his family.
Also Nischelle, a big Hollywood film is now feeling the impact of Trayvon`s story today?
TURNER: Yes. Call this a case of bad timing, A.J. Twentieth Century Fox is pulling the trailer for a comedy film called "Neighborhood Watch."
This stars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn and Jonah Hill. It has been pulled from Florida theaters in the wake of Trayvon`s death. The film is about alien invaders, and it`s not scheduled to be out for months, but the studio says it is sensitive to the Trayvon Martin case.
Now, as we know, A.J., the young teen was gunned down by a neighborhood watch captain. And I think, in light of everything that`s going on with this, this is probably the right call, don`t you?
HAMMER: I definitely do. And in the trailer, you actually see one of the actors as one of the characters pretending to shoot someone, kind of like that with this.
TURNER: Yes.
HAMMER: Great move. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner - thank you so much, Nischelle.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup - here`s what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
It`s a Tiger tell-all. Tonight, the man who`s been by Tiger Woods` side on the golf course spills his secrets. I`ve got to know, did he really know nothing about Tiger`s mistress mayhem.
Tiger`s former coach, Hank Haney, right here. It`s a must-see headline- making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
And chew on this. Alicia Silverstone pre-chewing food for her baby? Is this healthy or is it simply clueless? 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: "Hunger Games" star Josh Hutcherson to receive Cinemacon`s breakthrough performer award. Claudia Schiffer recreates her famous Guess campaign for 30th anniversary.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Tiger tell-all. The ultimate Tiger Woods insider gives me his eyewitness account of Tiger`s epic fall from grace.
Tonight, Tiger`s former coach, Hank Haney. answers the burning questions in a headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Plus, another SHOWBIZ newsmaker.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: When I said that Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A Whitney Houston exclusive. The gospel legend and Whitney confidant, Kim Burrell. We go one-on-one and ask her just what she knew about Whitney`s drug abuse.
And fellow gospel superstars, Erica and Tina Campbell of Mary Mary also right here for a SHOWBIZ exclusive interview.
Also, the Alicia Silverstone viral video that is grossing out the Internet. The great debate, is there any reason for Alicia to spit food into her baby`s mouth?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight, the Tiger tell-all.
Tiger Woods` former swing coach, Hank Haney, has just released an explosive new book revealing what he knew about Tiger`s fall from grace. He is right here tonight.
Haney coached Tiger for six years and he was one of the very few people who was allowed behind the curtain of Tiger`s secret world before the sex scandal that destroyed Tiger`s marriage and almost killed his career.
And he was there in the weeks and months after Tiger`s life`s imploded. In his new book, "The Big Mess," Haney reveals the cracks that he saw in Tiger`s seemingly perfect life.
Hank Haney joining me for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. It`s good to have you here, Hank.
HANK HANEY, TIGER WOODS` SWING COACH: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: You really give some terrific insight into Tiger`s personality as only an insider could. And you really seem to spell out that you in some way Tiger`s downfall coming long before it ever happened.
I want to read a portion of the book that caught my eye about that. You write, "Whether working with me on his game or during downtime, Tiger always had a wall up, behind which I had long imagined there was some kind of personal turmoil."
"His scandal brought home the uneasy sense of pressure building that I`d always had around Tiger. On some deep level, I had been expecting something to break."
And wow, break it did. But did you ever imagine it would be because he was a serial cheater and because he had porn stars has mistresses? I can`t imagine that you saw that coming.
HANEY: No, definitely not. I didn`t know anything. I mean, Steve Williams, Tiger`s caddy, didn`t know anything. I spent 110 days with Tiger. I talked to him on the phone 100 days a year. I stayed at his house, you know, and I didn`t know anything.
The first I knew of an inkling that there might be a problem was Mark Steinberg called me two weeks before, you know, the eventual -
HAMMER: And that`s Tiger`s agent.
HANEY: Tiger`s agent called me and said, "There`s going to be story coming out in `The National Enquirer` and it`s about Tiger and this girl, but it`s not true. And everything`s going to be all right. So if you get questioned on it, just make sure you don`t say anything."
And you know, that was the end of the conversation. And then, of course, you know, two weeks later, Tiger hit the fire hydrant and everything came out. And we realized it was true and there was much more to it.
HAMMER: Well, take me back to that phone call with Tiger`s agent, Mark Steinberg. What was going through your head when he told you that? Was that kind of run of the mill, these things happen, these stories do come out and he was just giving you a heads up? Or did you think maybe there was something to this?
HANEY: Well, that was the first time anything like that had happened in the six years I had been with Tiger. So it caught me as a big surprise.
But you know, I took him at his word when he said that, you know, it wasn`t true and everything was going to be all right. But obviously, it wasn`t.
HAMMER: But here`s the thing that I struggle with and I think so many people struggle with. You have said that you didn`t know that Tiger was living any kind of a double life. That`s so hard for us to imagine -
HANEY: Yes.
HAMMER: Because you worked so close to the guy. How could you not know when it seems like his entire inner circle did know? What`s the reality there?
HANEY: Well, I mean, he had a cell phone that was blowing up all the time with messages and text messages, but you know, I`m not a nosey person. I never saw them. It was a flip phone. You wouldn`t see if you were just sitting there.
I never knew. I never knew anything. I was with Tiger and we went to Las Vegas a few times together and never saw him with any women, never saw him acting inappropriately with anyone.
We would go to dinner. We would go gambling. And you know, obviously, I didn`t know what he was doing at night, you know. But I never knew anything. It`s just hard for people to believe.
Now, when I look back, there were times when I`m thinking, where is he? Or where did he just go?
HAMMER: But at the time, you never could have imagined he was leading some kind of a double life?
HANEY: No.
HAMMER: You didn`t think, oh, it`s odd that he disappears. You figured that he`s just - he`s doing his own thing and that`s all?
HANEY: No, I never had any inkling.
HAMMER: Wow. It`s amazing. I mean, it probably has you question sort of what the relationship really was like. But you were also there providing a service for him at that time.
HANEY: Exactly. I mean, I was his coach. I was his swing coach. You know, that was my job.
HAMMER: I want to look back at Tiger Woods` press conference, the one he gave in February of 2010. This is after he spent some time in rehab for his reported sex addiction. Let`s roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TIGER WOODS, PROFESSIONAL GOLFER: I want to say to each of you, simply and directly, I am deeply sorry for my irresponsible and selfish behavior I engaged in.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Hank, I`ve got to ask you what was going on in your mind as you watched that press conference, as you watched him speaking, because we`re all sitting here. We don`t know the guy.
We only know what we have seen, and he seemed really robotic. And quite frankly, I remember feeling that he sounded insincere.
HANEY: Well, I mean, obviously, that`s not an easy thing to do, having to get up there and apologize like that. I think, you know, each person would probably take it differently.
But you know, I was feeling for him a little bit. I knew he was in a tough situation. It`s a hard thing to do. And I felt like, you know, he was sincere in his apology, to be honest with you.
HAMMER: You did?
HANEY: Yes.
HAMMER: You just said he described his therapy to you and he talked about it being horrible. He said, "It was the worst experience I have ever been through, the hardest thing I have ever done." Why do you think he felt that way?
HANEY: Because he looked inside a psyche that before had never been questioned. You know, it`s one of the things that I talk about in my book, "The Big Mess".
It`s - you know, he always had this supreme confidence, and all of a sudden now, he`s going into this therapy where they`re looking inside, you know, his psyche that before had never been questioned. And I think that would be hard for most people to do.
HAMMER: Did you think he was a changed person coming out of that? Because of course, there`s a lot of speculation at the time. I remember we were covering it right here.
Look, when people get into trouble, they go off to rehab. Sometimes it`s genuine, sometimes it`s not. But whether or not it`s genuine, you hope they come out of it with some benefit. Was that the case for him, do you think?
HANEY: Yes. Yes. I think there was definitely some change in Tiger. I mean, I saw it and I think that he was committed to try and be a better person.
HAMMER: To be fair, you knew it was going to come, that you would be criticized for writing a book like this. A lot of people say, you know, there is this code between the teacher and the student and you busted that code, Hank.
What do you say to people who say you quite blatantly violated the code and you just put all this stuff out there?
HANEY: Well, I mean, I`m not the first coach who`s ever written a book. You know, Joe Torre wrote a book.
HAMMER: But in your case?
HANEY: Jackson Romey(ph) - there`s many coaches that have written books. And I`m one of a long line of coaches that have written books.
In my mind, what I was doing was writing about golf history. What I was doing was writing about my experience as a coach and my experience of observing what I consider to be the greatest player in the history of the game.
And you know, it all got down to the end, I just thought to myself, you know what? These aren`t just his memories. These are my memories, too.
HAMMER: You were right there.
HANEY: He doesn`t have an exclusive on my memories. He doesn`t have a patent on them. They are my memories, too. I want to share them.
HAMMER: Unless there was some kind of a confidentiality agreement that violated which I`m guessing you didn`t because you wouldn`t be sitting here if you did.
HANEY: Right.
HAMMER: It is a fascinating read. Hank, I appreciate you being here with us.
HANEY: Thank you.
HAMMER: Make sure you check out Hank`s book. It is called "The Big Mess," and it is in bookstores right now.
Moving on to another must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview tonight, it is a Whitney Houston exclusive you`ve got to see with gospel legend and longtime Houston friend, Kim Burrell.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: When I said Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, Kim Burrell, speaking out right here for the first time about Whitney`s real state in the days leading up to her death.
Plus, fellow gospel superstars, Erica and Tina Campbell are here. They are the Grammy Award-winning sister duo, Mary Mary. I am so excited to have them for a SHOWBIZ exclusive interview.
And the SHOWBIZ viral video that has everybody saying - why in the world is "Clueless" star, Alicia Silverstone, chewing up food and spitting it into her baby`s mouth? Yes. 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: Lindsay Lohan, Whoopi Goldberg to guest star on "Glee." Gavin DeGraw tells SHOWBIZ he was sad to see Martina Navratilova booted from "Dancing."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GAVIN DEGRAW, PROFESSIONAL DANCER: That is an absolute honor to be in a situation like this with someone like Martina Navratilova. I just never saw it in my mind ever at any point in my life. She`s been a hero of mine since I was little kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: When I said Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight, startling exclusive revelations from Whitney Houston`s longtime close friend, gospel great, Kim Burrell, speaking out exclusively to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for the very first time since we learned why Houston died.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive, memories of Whitney.
Now, Kim Burrell exchanged the last voicemails with Whitney including on the day that Whitney accidentally drowned in her Beverly Hills hotel bathtub, cocaine in her system.
The gospel singer just spoke exclusively to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And with me tonight in New York, two of gospel music`s biggest superstars - I`m so pleased they`re here - Erica and Tina Campbell of Grammy Award-winning sister duo, Mary Mary.
They have just released this new single "Go Get It." It happens to be the theme for the new reality show, which is actually called "Mary Mary." The show makes its Thursdays on We TV.
Erica and Tina joining me for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. It`s really great having you guys here.
ERICA CAMPBELL, SINGER, MARY MARY: Thank you. It`s good to be here.
TINA CAMPBELL, SINGER, MARY MARY: Thank you. It`s good to be here.
HAMMER: Congratulations on the CD. Congratulations on the show. I want to get to all that in just a moment. But first, you know, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively spoke with your friend, Kim Burrell.
Of course, she is a gospel great herself and she just spoke with Nischelle Turner from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Nischelle had previously asked Kim if she knew that Whitney was using cocaine again. And Kim told her at that time Whitney was fine. So now, Nischelle asked, was Kim just a friend who was trying to protect Whitney? Watch what she told us.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: I would own up to that, her friend trying to protect her and not based on what I knew opposite of the truth. That`s just my nature to do that with her.
But as I have said before, when I said Whitney was fine, that was always my words to her, too, when I knew she wasn`t. In whatever her condition was, I would always replay that to her, "Whitney, you`re fine."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s surprising to me to see Kim there saying she knew Whitney had a problem, but she also knew that she would be OK. Did you think at all that more could have been done to help save Whitney Houston?
T. CAMPBELL: You know, I don`t know if we can say that and speak to that. I think it`s wonderful to have friends like Kim speaking well of you and not speaking to whatever your struggle may be, because sometimes that does not help encourage you to be better.
E. CAMPBELL: Yes.
T. CAMPBELL: So if someone is speaking to what they know can be, I think that`s better.
E. CAMPBELL: Yes. Yes.
HAMMER: It`s frustrating, though, right? I mean it`s frustrating when there were people who may have known.
T. CAMPBELL: Right. Yes.
HAMMER: And I can`t fault anybody in hindsight. I really firmly believe that. And I like to keep things positive, but I think ever since we learned to the news of exactly what happened, we`re all struggling with the fact that, oh, gosh, more could have been done.
E. CAMPBELL: I think the statement Kim was trying to convey is speaking to what you want to be. Sometimes your reality is what it is and it sucks and it`s not great.
But you want to be something greater or something better so you tell yourself, "I`m going to overcome. I won`t be this way forever. I am OK. I will be OK." And I think that`s always a good thing to do.
T. CAMPBELL: Exactly.
HAMMER: And regardless of what happened, we knew that she did have a good friend in Kim Burrell. And it seems like Kim and the Winans family and you guys are all one big gospel family. You all have each other`s back. How did Whitney`s death affect you personally?
T. CAMPBELL: I was brokenhearted. I mean, she is the voice. Her music has meant so much to my life. It meant so much to my love. I can listen to Whitney and fall back in love with my husband again.
I can listen to Whitney and learn how to sing, how to have poise, how to stand on the stage and be great. So I know her to be amazing, to be great, and to be impactful in my life.
E. CAMPBELL: We have studied her.
T. CAMPBELL: Yes, absolutely.
HAMMER: I heard you say she is the standard. In gospel, she is the standard. She is the voice.
T. CAMPBELL: Not just in gospel, period.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s a remarkable thing and no surprise that she had a big impact on you guys and your family business, which, by the way, has been very good to you.
May I just run down some of the accolades? My producers (UNINTELLIGIBLE) here. Three Grammy Awards. Two American Music Awards. Over 5 million records sold. Not an easy thing to do in this day and age.
You just dropped the single "Go Get It" which is the theme for your all-new reality show, "Mary Mary" about to debut on We TV. And I know it`s going to show faith, family and chaos.
But I`ve got to ask you, because I have spoken to so many reality stars. Sometimes it has gone very well, sometimes it has gone very, very wrong. Were you nervous at all about bringing the cameras in? Because once you open up that door of privacy, you can`t get it back.
T. CAMPBELL: Absolutely concerned about it.
E. CAMPBELL: Yes.
T. CAMPBELL: Initially, we were like, no way. No reality show. No cameras following me all the time. But when we realized we have inspiration in our lives, that it goes much further than our song, we decided we would bring the cameras in and tell you how this inspiration plays out in our lives, as partners in business, as singers, as mothers, as wives.
You know, how does this play out? And that`s what we`re showing you sometimes on that show. Sometimes, it`s chaotic. Sometimes, it`s lovely.
E. CAMPBELL: A lot of people think because we are gospel singers, everything`s always great. Everything`s always peachy.
T. CAMPBELL: Right.
E. CAMPBELL: But the reason we can sing songs like "Go Get It" or "Can`t Give Up Now" or "I Survive" or, you know, all those kinds of songs that speak to overcoming is because we have been through some stuff. Life is not always great.
HAMMER: But I don`t suspect we`re going to see a lot of hair-pulling and vodka bottles flying around the room.
T. CAMPBELL: No, sir.
E. CAMPBELL: You will see not see vodka bottles. You will see a healthy family. Not a perfect family, just a healthy family.
HAMMER: That includes your children. You`re both mothers. And Tina, you have just announced - pregnant. You`re expecting another.
T. CAMPBELL: Yes.
(CROSS TALK)
T. CAMPBELL: Don`t say that, I am not having nine children. This is the end.
HAMMER: Well, congratulations to you.
T. CAMPBELL: Thank you.
HAMMER: But I must ask you, because you both are experienced mothers, I`ve got to get your take on this story that is breaking tonight.
Take a look at this. It is new video of mom Alicia Silverstone feeding her young son like a bird. Now, some people are crying foul because they`re saying, "What was she thinking" not only by doing it, but by showing it to the world.
Alicia said, hey, there`s nothing wrong with it. I want to know what you think, but hold your thought. I`m going to give you a chance to answer that in just a moment.
But first, is Madonna Tebowing? Is that possible? She`s always had a special spot in her heart for New York. She keeps a home here.
Now that Tim Tebow is a Jet and the biggest new sports star in the city, she has agreed to show him around the Big Apple. Madonna made the offer when she spent a day tweeting to promote her new album, "MDNA."
Now, Ryan Seacrest sent her this tweet about the celebrity quarterback, Ryan tweeting, "Since Tim Tebow is moving to New York now, will you show him around?"
Well, Madonna tweets back to Ryan this cheeky response, "I would love to show Tim Tebow around town. We have so much in common. He`s like a virgin and so am I."
Ha ha ha. Of course, Madonna referring to Tim Tebow`s famous vow to save himself until he gets married and, of course, one of the biggest hits of her career. So it looks like the uber-religious Tim Tebow and the uber- worldly Madonna have actually found some common ground. Can`t wait to see them taking that stroll around New York, if it actually ever happens.
Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: "The Avengers" to close Tribeca Film Festival on April 28. Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber talk about joining forces for "Punk`d."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ASHTON KUTCHER, ACTOR: When we sat down and talked about it, he was telling me some of the pranks he was pulling on the people in his crew. And I was really impressed with some of the stuff he was pulling off. And I was like yes, let`s give it a go.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: OK, did you see this? It is the viral video of Alicia Silverstone feeding her son, baby-bird style. I can tell you it is officially grossing out the entire Internet, the whole thing.
Alicia posted that clip of her chewing up her food and spitting it into her little boy, Bear Blue`s mouth right there on her Web site.
And she`s not the first celebrity mom to take, shall we say, an avant-garde approach to child rearing. "Blossom`s" Miyam Bialik doesn`t believe in diapers. January Jones takes capsules made of her placenta.
Not judging, but to a lot of people, we`re talking about some seriously, seriously funky stuff.
I want to bring in the Grammy-winning gospel duo, Mary Mary. They`re back with me. Erica and Tina Campbell are both moms with young kids. I`ve got to get their take on this video.
And look, I love to see a mom connecting with her child, but there is definitely a big yuck factor here, to a lot of people. Put that video up again, Charles. Let`s just gross people out some more if you`re grossed out by this.
I`m thinking maybe this is something you do in private with your family. Maybe you don`t post it on the Internet for the world to see. Erica, do you agree?
E. CAMPBELL: Yes, I agree. My son is young and, you know, he doesn`t always chew things as well. I have done it before, but I don`t I would post it. So I don`t think it`s so horrible.
HAMMER: Specifically the chewing and putting it into his mouth from your mouth?
E. CAMPBELL: Absolutely.
T. CAMPBELL: Absolutely.
E. CAMPBELL: They take it from my mouths and put it in his.
T. CAMPBELL: And they go after your food. They are going at their mouths and going after your mouth. They don`t want their baby food. They want what you`re eating, so I understand that. But it probably should have been kept private.
HAMMER: Well, yes. And let me ask you, as someone who is about to be a mother of her fifth child, when your baby is born, you wouldn`t rule out doing this? There are blenders out there. I could find you blender on the Amazon.
T. CAMPBELL: When they`re screaming and hollering and grabbing for your food, I`m going to chew it up and I`m going to give it to them, but no one`s going to see it.
HAMMER: All right. I did not know that this happens.
T. CAMPBELL: It happens all the time. Daddies generally don`t do it.
HAMMER: Don`t do it. I really think so. Alicia, not surprisingly, has responded to the uproar about feeding her baby boy like a baby bird.
She posted this on her Web site, "The Kind Life." She wrote, "It`s his favorite and mine. He literally crawls across the room to attack my mouth if I`m eating."
T. CAMPBELL: Yes, that is true.
HAMMER: She`s not backing down no matter how grossed out anybody can be. And I imagine, as moms, you get this kind of protectiveness.
T. CAMPBELL: Yes, you do. I wish somebody would tell me, if you`re not in my house, if you`re not paying for anything, if you`re not waking up in the middle of the night, get out of here. This is my child.
(CROSS TALK)
HAMMER: You now know as reality stars, you`re going to see this.
E. CAMPBELL: I know.
HAMMER: You put stuff out there. People are going to give their opinion on it whether you like it or not.
E. CAMPBELL: I`m a tough cookie.
HAMMER: Erica and Tina, it`s so great to have you here.
E. CAMPBELL: Thank you.
T. CAMPBELL: Thank you.
HAMMER: Best of luck with your new show. The new album, by the way, is called "Go Get It." Yes, everybody should go get it.
And be sure to check out Erika and Tina on their brand-new reality show, "Mary Mary." It premiers tomorrow on We TV.
And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively at weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. And that, of course, is right here on HLN.
END
