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Showbiz Tonight
Trayvon Martin Celebrity Feuds; Lindsay Lohan Free at Last?; "American Pie" Shocker; Charlie Sheen`s Cringe-Worthy Year
Aired March 29, 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 - the Trayvon Martin celebrity feuds. Tonight, Oprah Winfrey`s powerful brand- new demands for justice in the shooting death of Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin.
You will hear Oprah`s outrage. Plus, Spike Lee`s remarkable apology for retweeting the wrong address of Trayvon`s shooter.
Tonight, the elderly couple forced to leave their home after Spike`s bad tweet is right here for headline-making SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. Do they forgive Spike?
Tonight, a SHOWBIZ Lindsay Lohan exclusive. Free at last? Lindsay released from probation today for the first time in years. But is this a case of celebrity justice?
Tonight, the outraged prosecutor who battled Lindsay over and over again sounds off in an exclusive SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
"American Pie" shocker. Chris Klein`s stunning revelations today about how his addiction to alcohol nearly killed him.
TV`s most provocative entertainment news show breaks news right now.
(MUSIC)
Hello, and thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with big news breaking tonight - Spike`s Trayvon turnaround.
Tonight, the great debate over Spike Lee`s remarkable apology for his tweet about the Trayvon Martin case that has turned a Florida couple`s life upside down.
And tonight, that couple is right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for a headline- making SHOWBIZ TONIGHT interview. Now, Spike Lee twittered what he believed was the address of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who, of course, shot and killed Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin.
But Spike was terribly wrong. The couple, Elaine and David McClain, spoke with me today from Orlando.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) Elaine and David, it`s great to have you here. I really do appreciate you being with me today.
ELAINE MCCLAIN, ORLANDO, FLORIDA RESIDENT: Thank you.
HAMMER: Look, I can`t imagine for a moment what your life has been like. You`ve had to move out of your home into a hotel, fearing you could become the target of people who would like nothing more than to go after George Zimmerman for what he did.
I want to read to you the apology that Spike Lee just tweeted. He wrote, "I deeply apologize to the McClain family for retweeting their address. It was a mistake. Please leave the McClains in peace. Justice in court." So I`ve got to ask you, do you accept his apology?
E. MCCLAIN: Well, of course, we accept it. I just don`t think he understands the fear for us and our families had for us and having to leave our home.
I just wonder how it would be for him if he was afraid to go home. I don`t think he ever thought about the ramifications of what he did.
HAMMER: Yes, and it`s hard to imagine what you guys have been through. But I was surprised that Spike Lee took so long to actually apologize.
I mean, if you look at the timeline here, the tweet listing your address first went out on Friday. Spike Lee retweeted it over the weekend. You`ve been out of your home since early this week and Spike just got around to apologizing last night.
Here we are on Thursday. Are you a little upset that his apology took so long?
E. MCCLAIN: I guess I feel sorry for him, because evidently, he doesn`t think ahead of what could happen to this without him really checking.
The social media has no counterbalance. They don`t check into anything, and there would have been - it could have been very easy for him to find out who lived there, not to put out something like this.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, I think - I agree with you. People underestimate the trouble that they can cause for other people with all kinds of social media.
One minute, you guys are living privately, just going about your lives in Florida. The next, you are front and center in what is the biggest news story going on right now, getting hate mail and living in a hotel.
Give me a sense of what all this has been like for you since the moment your address was tweeted.
E. MCCLAIN: Well, my blood pressure has taken a big hit, and not being able to go to work, not being able to go home. I`m a baker and I love to be at home. And just can`t do it and we`re living in a 15 x 15 room.
HAMMER: Is anybody making an offer to pick up your hotel bill? I mean, has Spike reached out to you about that?
E. MCCLAIN: No. No.
HAMMER: So this is all money out of pocket. When do you guys think you`ll be able to go home? Any sense of that?
E. MCCLAIN: I don`t know. I think the important thing is the people that saw this twitter on Friday and Saturday, are they looking and do they know that he`s now changed his mind on this? It`s just very scary.
HAMMER: So moving forward, I mean, he has really put you - Spike Lee has put you in this terrible position by getting your address out there. Have you thought about any legal action against him?
E. MCCLAIN: Well, there`s just so much going on and such a serious situation. Really, what we`re really trying to do is hopefully calm this situation and telling people to think before they do things, and again, just stop the hatred because it`s just out there. And Sanford is a really lovely town, and right now it`s just in upheaval.
HAMMER: That is just so unfortunate. And I have heard you`re working on having a personal conversation with Spike Lee. So if and when you speak with him, what would you say to him?
MCCLAIN: How would you like this to happen to your mother?
HAMMER: Yes, I think that will put things very squarely and clearly in perspective for him. David McClain and Elaine McClain, I do appreciate you taking the time with us, and I really hope life for you resumes to normal as quickly as possible. Thanks again.
E. MCCLAIN: God willing. You have a blessed day.
DAVID MCCLAIN, ORLANDO, FLORIDA RESIDENT: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It`s just unbelievable to me. So now, we know what the McClains think about Spike Lee`s apology. But the fiery debate over what Spike did is far from over.
With me in New York tonight, I`m thrilled to welcome activist and actress Janet Hubert. We all, of course, loved her as Aunt Viv on Will Smith`s classic TV show, "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air" and many other things. It`s always great to see you.
JANET HUBERT, ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST: You, too. Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: So what do you think of Spike Lee`s apology to this lovely couple who were just minding their own business?
HUBERT: I just frankly cannot believe he did what he did. I think it`s unforgivable because tweeting - it could have actually led to a mob scene for these poor people.
I think you`ve got to show some sense of responsibility when you decide to do things like this, decide to take justice into your own hands.
What was he thinking? Yes, we all want Zimmerman to hang from the highest rooftop, but are we really going to do that? Are we going to send people to his house to do that?
We`re all upset about what happened to Trayvon Martin. But this, to me, from Spike Lee was irresponsible - highly irresponsible.
HAMMER: Yes, the idea that he would put - even if the address was the correct address, what would have happened?
HUBERT: It`s not his place to do it.
HAMMER: And now, these poor people to whom he has apologized are living in a hotel afraid for their lives when they were just minding their own business.
HUBERT: Right. Well, apology accepted, but you`ve got to say to yourself, "Spike, what were you thinking? What were you thinking?"
HAMMER: I`ll say it again. I think he needs to step up, I think, you know, pay their hotel bill.
HUBERT: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Do something to at least make them more comfortable in an awful situation that he created.
HUBERT: He caused. He caused.
HAMMER: Well, we did hear about another celebrity apology today stemming from the Trayvon Martin tragedy. Geraldo Rivera has just apologized for blaming Trayvon Martin`s death on that hoodie he was wearing the night that he was shot.
Now, Russell Simmons, who calls himself a friend of Geraldo`s, not buying. Here`s what Russell just wrote on his Web site, GlobalGrind.com, "Geraldo, your apology is B.S. Your apology is nothing but a defense of a racist, backward thing you already said."
Now, Janet, do you agree with Russell Simmons that Geraldo`s apology was B.S.?
HUBERT: I don`t agree with it in totality because what Geraldo said nothing - the hoodie had nothing to do with him getting killed - nothing.
But I do agree with some of the mode of dress that our young people have decided to embrace, OK? But this has nothing to do with that. That`s a whole topic in itself.
That`s a whole discussion that the black community needs to have on a united front that the sagging, the pants down to the waist, the whole, you know - but hoodies have been around forever. Hoodies have nothing to do with his death.
HAMMER: Have you ever had an experience like that?
HUBERT: Are you kidding? I was walking in my so-called diverse neighborhood in New Jersey - I`m not going to say where because then I`m going to get flooded with people - at 6:00 a.m. with a hoodie walking my dog.
Two white women came towards me and they looked at me like I was going to kill them. I mean, no good morning. They looked at me with fear in their eyes.
It`s about fear. It`s about fearing people that you know nothing about. It`s also the responsibility, to me, of the media. The media perpetuates this image of young, black men.
Every time you see "Law & Order," every time you see a crime show, who are the criminals? It`s always young black men.
HAMMER: So what did you think of Russell Simmons` response?
HUBERT: I think Russell, to me - this is a little bit personal. You know, Mr. Simmons has made himself quite an empire on this whole fashion, on this whole hip-hop culture.
And to me a lot of the hip-hop culture has been a real demise of the black youth. I think to embrace something so negative that comes from the prisons of wearing your pants down to your knees. So I think he`s kind of talking out of both sides of his mouth, in my own opinion, you know, because he`s always out there with his hat on.
HAMMER: Yes.
HUBERT: Does that have to define who he is? He would show up in an event in a tuxedo with that hat on. Does that define who he is?
HAMMER: So here we are with so many celebrities speaking out about that. You know, nobody disagrees this is a tragic, tragic case. But now, we`re seeing celebrity after celebrity starting to put their foot in their mouths and say the wrong things.
HUBERT: Yes.
HAMMER: How do you think people should best respond to this case and send a positive, proper message?
HUBERT: I think people need to understand who the true stars are of this case and those are Trayvon Martin`s parents. If it were not for the tenacity and dedication - and I don`t even know how they`re doing it because my heart breaks for them to be able to stand in front of a camera and do what they`re doing right now?
They lost their son. This is not about anything or anybody except those two people. Those two people are the stars of this. Whether, you know, that`s a good thing or not, but it`s got to be tough for them right now.
HAMMER: I can`t even imagine.
HUBERT: I can`t imagine how they`re doing it.
HAMMER: Janet, I so appreciate you coming here to speak with us tonight.
HUBERT: Thank you.
HAMMER: Janet Hubert, thank you.
HUBERT: Thank you.
HAMMER: We move to Oprah`s outrage. Oprah is speaking out about the Trayvon shooting. A lot of people are listening. Why she`s demanding Trayvon`s killer be brought to justice and questioned for the teen`s senseless death.
Winning. Tonight, Charlie Sheen is back. I have to say that when I talk Charlie Sheen. And he`s reflecting on a wacky year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MATT LAUER, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: It bugs you to look at it?
CHARLIE SHEEN, ACTOR: It was all cringeable. Yes. It went - I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tiger blood. Adonis DNA. You remember. Well, tonight Charlie is opening up to Matt Lauer about his cringe-worthy year. Here`s our SHOWBIZ flashpoint - has Charlie really turned his life around?
And free at last, I`m happy to report. Lindsay Lohan released from probation today for the first time in years. Is this celebrity justice?
Tonight, the prosecutor who battled Lindsay over and over again is right here in an exclusive 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: Ashton Kutcher and Jon Cryer offered two-year deals to return to "Two and a Half Men." Aerosmith talks to SHOWBIZ about how Steven Tyler`s "Idol" fame will affect their tour!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Expose us to a whole new genre of people, of kids, and the spectrum of the appeal now because "Idol" is much bigger.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. The star outrage in the Trayvon Martin killing continues in Hollywood and beyond tonight.
Erica and Tina Campbell make up the Grammy-winning gospel duo, Mary Mary. These ladies are also mothers who are truly having the same emotional reaction as so many parents across the country.
When I sat down with them, they told me about their outrage as well as lessons that the world can learn from Trayvon`s senseless death.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) Obviously, the Trayvon Martin story is huge right now and Hollywood has really been reacting. What are your thoughts on what you have seen so far and what you may think should or needs to be done.
TINA CAMPBELL, SINGER, MARY, MARY: I hurt at what we`ve seen.
ERICA CAMPBELL, SINGER, MARY, MARY: Devastated. Devastated. We know that boy was shot, and he had Skittles and a soda and a hoodie. And that means he was supposed to get shot?
T. CAMPBELL: And he said, I`m being followed. You have the 911 person saying, "Stand down. We`re sending you off to authorities," and you take the authority in your own hands? Not OK. Not acceptable.
HAMMER: So the whole thing has just been outrageous. And obviously, we`ve been seeing so many members of the Hollywood community reacting to this from Spike Lee to Clay Aiken, of all people.
T. CAMPBELL: Right.
HAMMER: Is there anything more you would like to see happening to further let Trayvon`s family know that the world is paying attention to this.
T. CAMPBELL: I`d like for them to know that people are praying for them. People are praying for them.
E. CAMPBELL: We want justice for their son.
T. CAMPBELL: Absolutely, and it`s just time for us to be educating our children, not that they weren`t. I`m sure that they did, but educate your child on something like this happens, turn around, "Hey, there. Is there anything going on? Can I help you?"
E. CAMPBELL: Yes.
T. CAMPBELL: You know, because sometimes just communicating can dispel whatever myths of stereotypes that are being placed upon you. It is just unfortunate that this happened.
HAMMER: It is unfortunate and it is shocking to me, here we are in 2012 and something like this would take place, which I really would have hoped by now this would have been a part of our history.
You`re both moms. Is what happened to Trayvon something that you are worried about every day?
T. CAMPBELL: Something we experience.
E. CAMPBELL: Yes.
T. CAMPBELL: It`s something we experience with our husbands. You`re being pulled over because you have a t-shirt and you`re on the way to your job and that`s what you chose to wear.
You`re not any criminal or any stereotype that can be placed on you because you`re a black man in a t-shirt. It was your choice of wardrobe, so we understand that.
E. CAMPBELL: Yes. Cowards understand that. People who work out wear hoodies. Not only criminals wear hoodies, and it was raining. What was wrong with him having a hoodie on?
Why did that mean that you had to attack him, follow him? You weren`t even the neighborhood watch guy. You just kind of gave yourself that position.
HAMMER: So here we are with this going on now. I mean, does that allow us to have any hope that in, five years, 10 years from now, we`re not going to be sitting here having this same conversation?
T. CAMPBELL: I tell you what, I am grateful there is attention being drawn to this. And I`m grateful with all the town hall meetings and all of the marches and all the rallies that are going on, that there are parents that are beginning to educate their children on the things that happen.
You have to be concerned about this. If you are a black young male, you have to be informed of the things that can be perpetuated against you strictly on your color and your wardrobe and how you can possibly navigate those scenarios.
Because who is to say if anything he had done could have yielded the same results? And so again, it`s very unfortunate, but I`m glad the conversation and the communication is starting.
HAMMER: Yes.
T. CAMPBELL: So that`s the good that came come from this.
HAMMER: Yes, I agree with you. The conversation is so important, because as we all know, change cannot happen without a dialogue.
T. CAMPBELL: Yes, that`s right.
HAMMER: But boy, I look forward to the day when there doesn`t have to be a dialogue.
T. CAMPBELL: You and I both.
HAMMER: Great having you guys here.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
There`s so much outrage. Tonight, we have Oprah`s outrage. Oprah is speaking out in a brand-new interview about Trayvon`s senseless killing.
Tonight, you`ve got to hear Oprah`s demands that Trayvon`s killer be brought to justice and questioned for the teen`s senseless death.
Well, he`s back. Are you ready? Charlie Sheen back and reflecting on one winning year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: Yes. It was all cringeable. Yes, because I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tiger blood, Adonis DNA? You remember all that, right? Well, tonight, Charlie is opening up to Matt Lauer about his cringe-worthy year. Here`s our SHOWBIZ flashpoint, has Charlie really turned his life around? 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: Katie Couric to fill in as co-host on "Good Morning America" for one week. Snooki tweets new photo with her engagement ring and her new fiance.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: Do you think they still love each other?
KIM BURRELL, GOSPEL SINGER AND WHITNEY HOUSTON`S FRIEND: 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?
BURRELL: Yes. Absolutely. I know he loves her to this day and she loved him.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: A SHOWBIZ exclusive with one of Whitney Houston`s closest friends. Tonight, Gospel great, Kim Burrell reveals how deep the love was between Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown.
But what does she know about Bobby`s relationship with their daughter, Bobbi Kristina? Tonight, a SHOWBIZ exclusive with Whitney Houston`s dear friend, gospel great Kim Burrell.
Whitney Houston once revealed to Oprah that one of the reasons that her marriage to Bobby brown ended was to protect their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, from their difficult relationship.
But now that Whitney is gone, should Bobby Brown be able to spend time with Bobbi Kris? Kim Burrell talked about that with SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. Nischelle joining me tonight from Hollywood.
Nischelle, what exactly did Kim share with you about that?
TURNER: Well, a lot, A.J. But you know, she was really so close to Whitney`s family. And she just revealed to me that she actually respects Bobby Brown and she says she always has. So I had to ask her if she thinks Bobby should be able to see his daughter and if they`re even in touch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BURRELL: At this particular time, I`m not able to say whether that is or not. But I can only say with his blood running through her veins, they`ve got to be in touch in some way.
TURNER: The talk now that maybe he should not be allowed to be with Bobbi Kristina and - for the time being.
BURRELL: She`s 19, and at the end of the day, whatever her choice is, is what we all going to have to get with. If she were five, I`d probably have more to say about that.
But she`s 18, going to be 19 this year. And what her choices are, they`re her choices. For all we know, you know, there are thousands of opinions as they`re having. But mine is that I trust whatever choice she`s going to make. She`s a smart kid. She`s a smart kid.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
TURNER: And Bobbi Kristina is an adult, indeed, and Bobby Brown is her father. I think we`re all hoping that things will work out for the both of them, A.J.
HAMMER: We certainly are. All right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner, thank you so much for that.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup - here`s what we`ve got coming at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We have Charlie Sheen looking back on his cringe-worthy year with Matt Lauer. Was he really winning?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: It was all cringeable. Yes, it went - I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was.
LAUER: How cringeable.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Charlie`s big return. Brand-new commercials. A brand-new TV show. Our SHOWBIZ flashpoint, has Charlie really turned his life around?
"American Pie" shocker. You`ve got to hear this. Chris Klein`s incredible confession about how alcoholism nearly took his life. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Bluegrass legend, Earl Scruggs, dies at age 88. Charles Barkley dresses in drag for Weight Watchers.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT - Oprah`s outrage. Tonight, Hollywood`s biggest moral voice is calling for justice for Trayvon. Oprah`s brand-new demand that Trayvon Martin`s shooter be arrested.
Lindsay free at last? Today, for the first time in years, Lindsay Lohan is no longer on probation. So is this a case of justice served, or did Lindsay get off easy? Well, I go one on one with Lindsay`s former prosecutor in an exclusive SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Charlie`s cringeable year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: It was all cringeable. Yes. I went - because I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That`s Charlie Sheen`s shocking meltdown admission this morning on the "Today" show. He has two brand-new commercials and a new TV show on the way. Our SHOWBIZ flashpoint, has Charlie really turned his life around?
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 - Oprah`s outrage.
Tonight, Oprah Winfrey is joining the deafening cry for justice in the shooting death of the Florida teenager, Trayvon Martin.
In a brand-new interview with "Extra" that was just revealed today, Oprah made it perfectly clear how she feels about the fact that no one has been arrested.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It is a tragedy and it is a shame.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There`s also big news breaking tonight about the justice system and Lindsay Lohan. Lindsay Lohan was back in court today, and I`m here to say for the first time in years, Lindsay Lohan is no longer on probation. Free at last. She is free at last.
So is this a case of justice served? Has Lindsay really turned things around?
With me tonight from Hollywood for an exclusive SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview is Danette Meyers. Danette, you recognize, is the prosecutor that handled most of Lindsay Lohan`s DUI, drug and theft cases through the years. It`s terrific to have you here, Danette. Thanks for being with us.
DANETTE MEYERS, PROSECUTOR: And thank you so much for having me.
HAMMER: My pleasure. So we`re going to talk about Lindsay`s very big day, which I know means a lot to you, in just a moment.
But first, I really want to take a look with you what Oprah Winfrey just told "Extra" about the Trayvon Martin case and her frustration that no one has been arrested. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WINFREY: It is a tragedy and it is a shame that we`re sitting here 33 days later and there hasn`t been an arrest or questioning of actually what happened.
It`s a tragedy and it is a shame and we all know it. And what is really, I think - I saw some people on Twitter saying, well, nothing has changed.
The same thing is going on. Yes, lots have changed. You know why? Because black people, white people, brown people, yellow people, all over this country and all over the world are saying the same thing. It`s a tragedy and it`s a shame and justice needs to be served.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Who would you like to sit down with? Who is at the top of the list?
WINFREY: At top of the list right now would be Zimmerman - Mr. Zimmerman.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And Oprah, of course, referring to George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watchman who shot Trayvon Martin to death.
So Danette, I think you have a much different perspective to bring to us tonight than all the celebrities who have been speaking out.
You were a longtime deputy district attorney. Are you as outraged as Oprah about how this case has been handled? Do you think it`s been mishandled?
MEYERS: Well, I think that it definitely has been mishandled in the sense that there really isn`t any crime scene evidence.
And it`s going to be very difficult for prosecutors, if they do charge Mr. Zimmerman, to really handle a case where your evidence is so compromised. And in this particular case, it appears, based on the reports that I`ve seen on television, that it has been compromised.
I can understand why the public is outraged because there is a perception of unfairness as opposed to a perception of fairness.
And when you`re dealing in the criminal justice system, there always needs to be a perception of fairness. So I can see why she`s outraged.
However, on the other hand, I see why the state`s attorneys are waiting. They are going through the evidence. They are going to make sure that if they charge Mr. Zimmerman that they`re going to charge him with the proper charge, and if they do charge him, that they can prove beyond a reasonable doubt his guilt.
So I understand why they`re taking their time. They`re being deliberate. They want to get it right. At the end, we all want to get it right.
So you know, I can understand Oprah`s feelings. I think Oprah`s feelings are pretty much the feelings of the general public based upon the news reports we have received from Florida.
HAMMER: But can I take it from what you`re saying about how the investigation is going and what has or hasn`t been done so far that it is not necessarily inevitable in your mind that charges will be pressed against George Zimmerman for shooting and killing Trayvon?
MEYERS: Correct. They may or may not. I don`t know the evidence the state`s attorneys have. And hopefully, they will have a conclusion and a determination within the next couple weeks.
And they may charge him. Again, they may not charge him based upon the evidence that they have. And we only get a limited amount of evidence from what the news media has told us. The state`s attorneys may have more. They may have enough to charge him.
HAMMER: Well, Danette, there was more big justice news breaking today that you do know a whole lot about. Lindsay Lohan, appearing before a judge in a Los Angeles court today.
And the judge at long last ended Lindsay`s four long years of probation that stem from her two drunk-driving convictions, all of which began back in 2007.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KAREEN WYNTER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT: May 26, 2007 - Lindsay`s arrested for drunken driving after losing control of her car and striking a curb in Beverly Hills.
On July 24, 2007, she`s arrested again after a woman calls police saying she was trying to run her down with a car. Lohan is charged with drunken driving, cocaine possession and driving with a suspended license. Her sentence? One day in jail, 10 days community service and three years probation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And as we know, Lindsay wound up serving just 84 minutes of jail time. Now, Danette, I don`t know if this is like a special day or like a holiday today with what`s been going and her getting off that probation.
But as someone who repeatedly prosecuted her, do you think that with Lindsay, it was really kind of a case of celebrity justice from the very beginning? Because so many people from the outside looking in did think that.
MEYERS: No, not from the very beginning. Actually, I was the prosecutor who actually filed the charges, and Ms. Lohan received the same sentence that any other person who had been charged with those crimes in California at the time would have received.
So initially, no. I do not believe it was a sentence of celebrity justice. It was a sentence that anyone in Los Angeles at the time who had committed those crimes would have received.
HAMMER: Well, it is just astounding, I`m sure, for you as well when you look at what Lindsay has gone through in the past five years. I got out the little SHOWBIZ TONIGHT calculator to crunch the numbers here.
250 days in five drug rehab facilities, 19 times in court, four judges who sent her to jail six times. Lindsay does remain on informal probation for two more years from her shoplifting conviction.
Do you think, Danette, and I`m frustrated whenever I ask this because I`ve been asking this for years now, but I always want to believe there`s hope. Do you think that she will stay out of trouble this time?
MEYERS: I sure hope that she will stay out of trouble this time. I really, really do. And I`m hopeful that she understands the severity of what she has done and how what she has done affected other people`s lives.
And hopefully, she will understand that when you get into a car and you drink and you drive that that`s dangerous. You can injure the general public.
And I think she`s probably gotten that message right now and I`m very hopeful that she will continue with her life and continue to stay out of the criminal justice system.
HAMMER: Yes, we are hopeful as well. We would love to be here saying only positive things about her. I have to know, though, how frustrated you get through the years as a prosecutor and working on Lindsay`s cases.
And I understand what you`re saying, that justice was served as it would have been for anybody back in the beginning. But is there a part of you that`s frustrated that a judge couldn`t just, you know, lock her up and throw away the key, so to speak, to really teach her a lesson, that it took her apparently so long to learn?
MEYERS: Well, I think the problem is, is that many of the judges throughout the tenancy of this case did sentence Ms. Lohan to jail time.
The judge has absolutely no authority and no power to keep Lindsay Lohan or any other defendant in the criminal justice system in county jail or state prison.
And so I think both prosecutors and judges are frustrated by the fact that the state - the county jails are overcrowded. And as a result of that, non-violent offenders don`t actually serve half of their sentences.
They rarely serve 10 percent or 200 percent of their sentences. So it is very frustrating, because I really believe that some time in jail does catch an individual`s attention.
And it allows an individual to sit back, have some self-reflection and decide, do I want to continue in my life of crime, or do I want to continue and do something about the problems that I`m having so that I can be a productive person in society?
Hopefully, Lindsay has gotten to that point, and I think she has.
HAMMER: She certainly has had time -
MEYERS: I should also mention to you -
HAMMER: Go ahead.
MEYERS: I should also mention to you that the one thing that probably bothered me most about this case was when the judge, at the end of the preliminary hearing, reduced this matter to a misdemeanor.
It was my belief always that this case should have stayed - and I`m talking about the theft case - should have been a felony throughout, and at the conclusion of her probationary term, if she had completed probation satisfactorily, earned a misdemeanor in this case.
And that was the one frustrating thing that I had because I believe that anyone similarly situated probably would not have had that reduction. And that`s why our office went ahead and filed a felony in this particular case.
HAMMER: So perhaps a little celebrity justice in the end. Well, Danette, certainly a unique perspective on this whole thing and I appreciate you taking your time to share it with us tonight. Danette Meyers, thank you so much.
MEYERS: Thank you.
HAMMER: As we move on tonight, you know, Charlie Sheen, another celebrity who is no stranger to struggle. And on the "Today" show this morning, Charlie was speaking out for the very first time since his bizarre meltdown last year.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: It was all cringeable. Yes, it went - because I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: He has a new TV show on the way. He`s got two brand-new commercials. SHOWBIZ dares to ask, has Charlie finally moved on from his cringeable year?
Plus, Rihanna finally setting the record straight on all these rumors floating around that she`s dating Ashton Kutcher. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Bobby Brown faces up to six months in jail for DUI charges. Will Ferrell announces "Anchorman" sequel in the works.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL FERRELL, COMEDIAN: I actually have an announcement. I want to announce this to everyone here. As of 0900 Mountain Time, Paramount Pictures and myself, Ronald Joseph Aaron Burgundy have come to terms on a sequel to "Anchorman."
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(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: It was all cringeable. Yes. It went - because I didn`t recognize parts of who that guy was. I mean, the verbiage and him looking like a real insane wordsmith was fine, but it was a trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Oh, yes. And you took us all along for the ride there, Charlie. Tonight, startling new revelations from Charlie Sheen speaking out to NBC`s "Today" show. Can you believe it`s now been a year since his cringe-worthy public meltdown?
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Sheen`s about-face.
Yes. So it`s been about a year - I checked the calendar before I went on - since Charlie Sheen`s very public, machete-wielding meltdown. And wow, what a year it`s been.
He was canned from "Two and a Half Men," of course. His one-man show just flopped and, well, his so-called goddesses have split. They`ve taken flight.
Now, Charlie is opening up about his new life, insisting he is a changed man. But are his headline-making antics truly a thing of the past?
With me in New York, Carrie Keagan, host of VH1`s morning show, "Big Morning Buzz Live." And from Hollywood - great to see Jillian Rose Reed, who is now starring on MTV`s "My Super Psycho Sweet 16 Part 3." You can also see her on MTV`s new hit comedy series, "Awkward." Great having you both here.
Let us look again at what I thought was just such a telling moment today on the "Today" show, Matt Lauer asking Charlie Sheen if he really understands why fans and onlookers alike were just frightened for his life. Roll that.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LAUER: It bugs you to look at it?
SHEEN: It`s was all cringeable. Yes, it went - because I didn`t recognize who that guy was. I mean, the verbiage and him looking like a real insane wordsmith was fine, but it was a trip.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, a trip, I think, is a huge understatement. Maybe for Charlie, whatever ride he was on, that`s fine.
But do you think, Carrie, watching Charlie there on the "Today" show, that he really has gotten the wakeup call that he needed to get his life completely back on track? I certainly hope so. But do you feel it?
CARRIE KEAGAN, HOST, "BIG MORNING BUZZ LIVE": I don`t know necessarily that he has or that hasn`t. But I think he`s fascinating to watch, and this whole year has been ups and downs.
But now that he is - sort of looks like he`s trying to heal himself and become sober and make a new life for himself and be happy for once, I think people - it`s nice to kind of join in on his troubles.
HAMMER: Yes.
KEAGAN: And you can kind of just relate to him a little bit more. He`s honest about everything, and the man is very intelligent.
HAMMER: He`s very intelligent. He`s very talented. We were there for the bad times. A lot of people were kind of rooting him down that spiral while people were cheering him on at the same time.
But I think he seems humbled to me in a way, but he really seemed to be spiraling out of control right before our very eyes when all of this was going on last year.
Lauer also asked Charlie what a lot of us were wondering, quite frankly, why didn`t Charlie`s friends stop him? Watch what he said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SHEEN: Not a lot of people close by saying, "Hey, dude, you might want to take a step back and let`s just watch this. Are you sure about this?"
LAUER: You didn`t have that kind of safety net -
SHEEN: No.
LAUER: At the time you needed it?
SHEEN: Yes, but I would say, what do you mean, it`s brilliant, you know.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The whole thing - it was this meteoric, disastrous ride that he was on. And you can`t help but think about all that was lost for Charlie because of his behavior.
Remember now, he was the highest paid actor on TV. So Jillian, here he is now about to star in this new TV show. I think a lot of people are just happy that he`s back on track with his career. But do you think that he can actually bring back all those fans that made "Two and a Half Men" the number one show on TV?
JILLIAN ROSE REED, ACTRESS: You know, you can`t really ever say, but I would hope for him that he can. I think a lot of people were, you know, still supporting him even through all of the bad situations that he was in.
I think people wanted to see him get better, so hopefully those fans are still there and they want to see him do well and they will support his new show. And I think they will. I think everybody will want to tune in and see if he really can keep his act together.
HAMMER: Yes. I think he`ll even have some potential new fans tuning in as well just to see if he will really be able to pull this off. I bet he does. I kind of would place my money on him tonight.
And Charlie went on to say, by the way, that he`s still working through the fact that Ashton Kutcher has replaced him on "Two and a Half Men." He was never really comfortable about that.
But tonight, Ashton making his own headlines. There have been all these new reports floating around lately that he`s dating Rihanna. Well, at a news conference today, or yesterday, rather, a reporter actually asked Rihanna about their relationship and if it existed.
Rihanna wasn`t too pleased that the question was asked. She said, "Well, how disappointing was that question. I`m happy and I`m single, if that`s what you`re really asking."
Well, Carrie, I really have to sort of dissect that to say it`s not quite a denial. But think about the two of them together. Would it really be so bad if the two were really dating? I`m trying to work on that one a little bit.
KEAGAN: No. And you know what? The thing that sucks about this whole scenario is that if you`re famous, you can`t do the walk of shame. It`s impossible.
Everyone`s going to see you and then you`re busted. Then you can`t keep anything private.
HAMMER: Yes.
KEAGAN: So you know, they had a one-night stand maybe. But everyone knows now and she has to answer questions about it. It`s not fair.
HAMMER: We don`t know if that happened for sure.
KEAGAN: Maybe.
HAMMER: All right. Carrie Keagan, Jillian Rose Reed, thank you both so much. Make sure you check out Carrie on VH1`s big morning show, "Big Morning Buzz Live." Jillian is on MTV`s terrific "My Super Psycho Sweet 16 Part 3" and MTV`s new hit comedy series, "Awkward."
Moving on now to the shocking addiction confession from "American Pie`s" Chris Klein. This is going to blow you away. I`m talking drunk- driving, blackout nights, time in jail. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the startling brand-new confessions from an "American Pie" star. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN news and views.
It is time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
TEXT: Chloe Moretz to play title role in remake of Stephen King`s "Carrie." SHOWBIZ first look: Matt Bomer plays Darren Criss` big brother on "Glee."
(MUSIC)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, the shocking alcohol confession of "American Pie`s" Chris Klein. He gave a brand-new interview to "People" magazine. And in the interview, Chris is revealing that his former addiction to alcohol nearly killed him.
He talked about spending years as a blackout drunk, even serving time in jail after driving plastered. I`ve got to tell you it is one of the most candid confessions I have ever read.
Right here in New York, "People" magazine reporter, Carlos Greer. I need to say now that Chris is sober. He is happy. He`s back on the big screen in the new "American Pie" movie, "American Reunion."
Everybody is all excited about that. But he went through years of turmoil before he was able to turn his life around? Carlos, what exactly did he tell you about those dark days? It was not a good time in his life.
CARLOS GEER, REPORTER, "PEOPLE" MAGAZINE: A.J., it was a really, really dark period. And Chris is extremely candid and brutally honest.
He talked about his troubles with alcohol and he basically said he didn`t even know what alcoholism was. And in 2007 after the success of "Election" and after success of "American Pie," he felt lonely.
He felt extremely embarrassed that he wasn`t topping the box office with movies anymore, and it got to the point where he wasn`t even getting roles. And he basically just started drinking.
HAMMER: Such a common story among celebrities who become famous so quickly. And he`s not the only "American Pie" star. You had Tara Reid, Sean William Scott, Natasha Lyonne, all with their own battles. Maybe the fame from "American Pie" really did contribute to all of their issues.
GREER: There definitely was an "American Pie" curse, it seems. But what`s great about this is that they`re all back for the "American Reunion" movie, and they see to have their lives back on track and they`re excited about it and they`re sort of coming into their own again.
HAMMER: Well, it`s really good to hear that and good to hear that, you know, Chris in particular happened to be back at work and he`s sober and doing well.
All right. Carlos Greer, thank you so much. Really interesting read. You can read the entire interview with Chris Klein in the brand-new issue of "People" magazine. It`s on newsstands now.
A brand-new Kardashian photo shocker. Wait until you see this - it`s Kourtney Kardashian posing pregnant in a bikini for a new Kardashian swimsuit line.
Yes, she`s pregnant. It`s for a bikini. It`s the brand-new ad causing the uproar. Coming up.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: All right. You`ve got to check this out. Charles, just go ahead and put up the photo. Kourtney Kardashian`s brand-new pregnant bikini photo. Yes, there she is with her sisters, Kim and Khloe, all sporting bikinis.
This is a new ad for their swimsuit collection at Sears. And yes, I know it doesn`t really look like it, but I can tell you Kourtney is truly pregnant in this picture.
The Kardashians are launching a new lingerie line. And in true Kardashian style, of course, they`re already tweeting about it. In fact, Khloe just tweeted, "OMG, how fab is this new ad for Kardashian Kollection lingerie? Nothing makes me feel sexier. Plus, it`s all so comfy. Killing two birds with one stone. LOL."
Yes. I`m thinking Khloe`s LOL`ing all the way to the bank today.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on HLN.
Stay right here for "DR. DREW" coming up next. Tonight, Dr. Drew breaks down brand-new police video of George Zimmerman, the man who killed Trayvon Martin. "DR. DREW" starts right now.
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