Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
At the Octomom`s House; Behind Jennifer`s Pain; Beyonce`s Baby Drama; Star Wars On Sex Ads; Trump on Obama`s Joke; Dress To Impress; "Khloe & Lamar" Kaput
Aired April 30, 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, HLN HOST: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And tonight, SHOWBIZ on location inside the Octomom`s home. With 14 kids, all the chaos, Nadya Suleman`s incredible confessions to us. Why she`d be willing to do porn now.
Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is inside Octomom`s wild world.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER (voice-over): Plus, big news breaking tonight. Star war on sex ads. Alicia Keys, REM. Music`s biggest stars unite to shut down alleged child sex exploitation ads online and on newsstands.
Tonight, singer and activist Daniel Bedingfield on the sex-ploitation crisis in a stunning SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Last year this time, in fact on this very weekend, we finally bring justice to one of the world`s most notorious individuals.
HAMMER: Trashing Trump? President Obama lunges a zinger at Donald Trump at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. Today we are with Donald on location.
(On camera): Are you or were you the world`s most notorious man?
(Voice-over): This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. Thanks for watching as SHOWBIZ takes you on locations, and inside the house of Octomom, Nadya Suleman. We are breaking news big tonight because the Octomom is telling us that yes, she would do a porn movie to help support her 14 kids. And that`s not all. Wait until you hear what she told us about possibly losing her house.
Could the Octomom actually become homeless? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner spent a lot of time with Nadya Suleman inside her home and on location in La Habra, California.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT (on camera): How you doing? I`m Nischelle. Nice to meet you, Nadya.
NADYA SULEMAN, MOM OF 14 KIDS: Come in.
TURNER: This week it`s been story after story after story about -- basically are your -- how are your kids living? So for you to invite us in, I think it`s your opportunity to show us exactly how you guys are living.
SULEMAN: Stop fighting. Stop fighting, stop fighting, stop fighting. You`re in time out. You crossed a boundary. We`re not allowed there. Sit down. Look at the stairs. Leave your brother alone. OK, you`re -- you`re pushing him. Stop. Be nice.
I`m going to do everything I can possibly do to take care of them to the best of my ability. If that - if someone isn`t happy with my choices, that`s their problem, not my problem. And I can`t allow myself to be drained. I can`t let my energy or power be given to them because I need everything for who? You know? I need for them.
Caleb -- OK, hide. Twin fighting. Now we`re all together in one room. Let`s all go outside. Ready? Potty time didn`t mean coming into (INAUDIBLE)`s room time. I`m going to get you pants. Two pants. And yes, good job, ready, march.
TURNER: I`m going to ask about this because it`s like --
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: Right.
SULEMAN: And the one who did it is going to be excited painting it. He did the front already.
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: So this is your oldest son?
SULEMAN: He`s channeling -- channeling in -- channeling out his frustrations.
TURNER: Did you -- I mean did you say it was OK? Did you think it was OK?
SULEMAN: No, it`s not OK. It`s not OK.
TURNER: Now I can`t deny, Nadya, that I do see holes in the wall --
SULEMAN: God, that has been hollow since we moved here. Proof is in the pudding. Proof is in the action, is in the long term. What is going to -- how are they? How healthy are they? Is she a good, fit mom? If -- there is proof here. They`re healthy, they`re not disabled. I`ll never please everybody --
TURNER: And you`re saying that a couple of holes --
SULEMAN: And you will never please everybody. It`s all priorities.
TURNER: -- here and there. It doesn`t mean that your kids aren`t well taken care of.
SULEMAN: Of course not. It`s priority. My priority is that I`m present with them. I said that from day one.
TURNER: How much assistance do you get?
SULEMAN: Only food stamps.
TURNER: And that is how much a month?
SULEMAN: $2,000.
TURNER: Two thousand a month.
SULEMAN: Half of what it costs.
TURNER: Because you know the owner of the house --
SULEMAN: I don`t want to talk about that -- can`t talk about --
TURNER: You can`t talk about it.
SULEMAN: No. I won`t talk about it.
TURNER: Because he`s come out making some accusations against you, saying that the house is going to be auctioned on Monday.
SULEMAN: OK. The house is in foreclosure for a few months, several months. So I was unable to -- how many people can identify with that? Without judging, just listen, many people are losing their home. Many. So I`m not the only one. And again, I`m a single mom of 14. No one understands it. They want to hate -- they want to hate on me and they wanted me or us to fail because they don`t understand how we`ve been able to do -- I`ve been able to do it for over three years.
TURNER: So --
SULEMAN: Yes.
TURNER: Seriously, I think even though --
(CROSSTALK)
TURNER: Even though there are a lot of people who have issues with your life and decisions you made, I think the last thing people want is to think that you and the 14 children will be homeless.
SULEMAN: Right. We won`t be homeless.
TURNER: But if the house is in foreclosure.
SULEMAN: Well, God forbid that we, you know, move out. And I have a very good friend that has a huge house and they`re offering, and I`m like, no, it`s OK, we`ll be fine.
TURNER: I like hugs. Mariah?
MARIAH, NADYA SULEMAN`S DAUGHTER: My name is Mariah.
TURNER: Mariah, I like hugs.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Maria likes dogs.
TURNER: Mariah, you like dogs?
MARIAH: Yes?
TURNER: You`re precious.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I like dogs, too.
SULEMAN: I don`t those kids to just get by. I want to have -- they deserve -- I want an empire and I`m going to have one.
TURNER: Well -- what`s your plan?
SULEMAN: Businesses. Businesses. But if you`re hated, you`re not marketable, you see? So -- you know, you`re like, why do you care, then? I have to care -- do I care in regard to how it affects them? Yes, of course, I do, because if we`re hated for no reason, there really is no reason. I haven`t done anything to hurt anybody.
At this point I`m 100 percent open minded to every opportunity there is to make money. Anyone out there have any opportunity of jobs for me? I`ll take it.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner with Octomom and now with us tonight from Hollywood.
Nischelle, I have to tell you, I`m just exhausted watching her in action there.
TURNER: Right.
HAMMER: We just heard Octomom say that she is 100 percent open minded to every opportunity there is to make some money. And she definitely needs it. TMZ is reporting today she has filed for bankruptcy. Now we know that Nadya has turned down some lucrative offers to do porn movies in the past, Nischelle, but you`re breaking big news right here tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that she`s changed her mind, huh?
TURNER: Yes, yes, A.J., that`s right. You know I really couldn`t believe it when she told me -- when I asked her if doing porn might be an option now, and she said yes. But with conditions. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SULEMAN: You know, far too long, I`ll never pose nude. But you know what, if the opportunity comes up, I`m going to be the first -- I`m going to eat my words, because all that matters is I took care of my family. It`s all that matters.
TURNER: What about a porn offer if that comes your way?
SULEMAN: I will not touch another human flesh. I will -- then I will be eating my words there because that`s something, that one thing I will never do.
TURNER: But that doesn`t necessarily mean you do have something with someone else?
SULEMAN: OK, then if that`s then, if you want to call it porn, then call it porn. I don`t care. If it`s a job, and it`s a really well-paying job - -
TURNER: Adult film.
SULEMAN: If it`s a job and it`s a well-paying job, then it`s going to allow me to get us out of here in a very safe, huge home that they deserve, I`m going to do it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoa, whoa, OK. She says she would do porn as long as she doesn`t have to touch another, as she put it, human flesh.
TURNER: Yes.
HAMMER: Big change for Octomom there.
TURNER: Yes. Definitely a big change, A.J., because she kind of went on her soapbox early and said, I would never, not for 100 million, not for 200 million, whatever, and she did get an offer back in 2009 to do an adult film, and reportedly that offer was $1 million. Now she says maybe if they came back around with a little bit of a modified answer, she`d think about that again. So that is -- you`re absolutely right. That is a huge change from where she`s been.
HAMMER: It`s so sad to me the level of desperation that we`re seeing. And if we step back for a moment, everybody puts their anger at this woman aside, you know, you have to almost feel sorry for her that she is --
TURNER: Yes.
HAMMER: You know, feeling in such a desperate way. And watching this, I have to tell you, Nischelle, something that truly left out to me was seeing the Octomom`s 14 kids, including the 3-year-old octuplets, and we`re seeing you there having this great bonding moment that I thought was pretty precious, actually.
What`s the most surprising thing that you learned about these kids?
TURNER: First of all, little Mariah there, she stole my heart. Just a precious little girl. As all the kids are actually, A.J., very sweet kids. So I think that`s the most surprising thing, is that she has -- and you can say whatever you want about her, and yes, she`s got a lot of issues -- she`s got those kids behaving very well.
They`re 3-year-olds, so they`re going to do what 3-year-olds do, but they listen to her and she does have them on a system and what I saw were well behaved kids, believe it or not.
HAMMER: Was it actually in person as phonetic as it felt watching? Because like I said, I felt exhausted. I`m not kidding you.
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: Yes, you know, you can`t help but it to be crazy because there`s so many people there. Eight kids, 14 in total, and her as well. She`s kind of frenetic, back and forth here and there as well. So yes, it was -- I would say maybe controlled chaos.
HAMMER: OK.
TURNER: But yes, it was kind of crazy.
HAMMER: Let`s talk a little bit more about the condition of the house because we were reporting last week, we had seen these reports that the kids were living in squalor. That the house was a mess, and look, any house with kids is going to be a mess to a certain degree. But the reports said they were being properly looked after. We saw the holes on the walls, the paint on the walls. They had local officials from Children and Family Services showing up at the house but they didn`t find anything harmful.
What did you notice in the home? Was the situation as bad as the reports made it out to be? Because quite frankly some of those pictures were pretty off-putting.
TURNER: You know, A.J., let me say this, first of all. When we came in, it was clear that there had been some cleaning going on, because when I walked in the door and I said to her, you know, I see holes but I smell Pine-Sol, so I -- I know someone has been cleaning something here and she said, yes, that the cleaning crew had been there and they do clean the house once a week.
Now the holes in the walls, she said that they are hollow walls, the kids, you`ve got 14 of them, they`re playing, they knock holes in the wall, and that`s basically the extent of it. I did see water damage, you know, on the ceiling, things like that. Other than that, I didn`t see bugs. I didn`t see anything like that.
HAMMER: OK.
TURNER: So I don`t think the conditions were as bad as maybe they were made out to be. But like I said before, you could tell that somebody had been in there cleaning earlier.
HAMMER: OK. All right. As long as it`s not like this crazy, unsanitary situation. And I know before you left, Nadya actually told you about her love life?
(LAUGHTER)
TURNER: She did. You know one of the things that kind of made my jaw drop was she said she`s been celibate for 13 and a half years, A.J. All of her kids are through in vitro, every single one of -- all 14 of them. She said that, you know, she doesn`t even really think about relationships. And I asked her, well, don`t you yearn for intimacy or romance or even companionship? And she told me, you know what, I don`t think about it at all. I think I have a mind like a child.
HAMMER: How would she have time to? Really, really amazing reporting.
TURNER: Good point.
HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. Thank you so much, Nischelle.
We move on tonight to star war on sex ads. This is crazy. And we have Alicia Keys, REM and other worldwide superstars uniting to shut down alleged child sex exploitation ads. They`re online and on newsstands.
Well, tonight, I had singer and activist Daniel Bedingfield revealing more about a really disturbing sex crisis. It`s a stunning SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
Jennifer Hudson`s private inner circle. Family and friends rally around Jennifer in the trial of the man accused of shooting her mother, brother and nephew. It`s grinding on how is Jennifer coping. Well, a friend and fellow artist, Kraven Tionne, is right here for an intimidate SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. That is coming up next.
Viola Davis tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about taking a much deserved break after awards season.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
VIOLA DAVIS, ACTRESS: I feel like I`ve been, like, recovering for the last couple months or so, you know, getting back to my life, being a mother, being a wife, you know, being human. But it feels good to be out now. It feels like I took enough time off and now I`m coming back and I`m really enjoying it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now, big news breaking about a Whitney tell-all. According to the "New York Times", Whitney Houston`s mother, Cissy, is all set to publish a book about her daughter`s tumultuous life. Cissy reportedly said the book is going to be about the bad and the good. There`s no released statement on this just yet. But it`s not going to be the first Whitney biography since her death. Her good friend BeBe Winans set to release the "Whitney I Knew" coming out in July.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, behind Hudson`s pain. Week two of Jennifer Hudson`s family murder trial begins with stunning new developments. The court has just released those emotional 911 calls that were made just moments after the tragedy was discovered. These are calls that we have decided not to air at this point.
Jennifer Hudson has certainly put on a very brave face in the courtroom, sitting front and center every single day, even taking the stand. I don`t know how she gets it to do that. But where is she finding the strength to withstand this trial each and every day as all these agonizing details are released?
I want to bring in R&B artist Kraven Tionne who is a long-time personal friend of Jennifer Hudson. Craven with me in New York joining me for the SHOWBIZ newsmaker.
It`s nice to meet you.
KRAVEN TIONNE, R&B ARTIST: Nice to meet you, too.
HAMMER: Sorry we have to be talking about these really unfortunate circumstances and the terrible situation that Jennifer is going through. Just heartbreaking to see having to sort of re-live the tragedy every single day.
TIONNE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: I know you were last with her at the American Music Awards. How is she holding up, do you think?
TIONNE: You know, Jennifer, aside (INAUDIBLE), is an extremely talented and gifted person. She has strength. You know, and I believe that strength has come from her relationship with God. You know we both, you know, grew up in the church. I believe she`s tapped into that strength, and I think that`s what has sustained her then and now. So she -- of course, she has her moments, you know, she`s human, so -- but I think she`s going to pull through this.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Because it -- it truly is unimaginable. It`s interesting you bring up that strength coming from her spirituality.
TIONNE: That`s what she does. She goes to church. She`s not a party person. You know what I mean? She stays to herself and she loves -- she loves the Lord and she loves Gospel music, too.
HAMMER: Well, and she also has a very really tight-knit circle of friends that she really relies on. And really has had to lean on, particularly since she got very famous. You know, you have to be very careful about --
TIONNE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: About who you choose to really give yourself over to, so being part of that tight circle, what kind words of encouragement or types of supportive things are you all saying to her at this time?
TIONNE: You know, I reached out to her, and her and Walter, you know, who`s her right-hand man, and he holds her up, you know, as well. And I just told her, you know, I`m praying for you, I`m here for you in whatever capacity. And like I said, she`s a strong person and she`s going to pull through this, you know.
And you know a lot of people are depending on her, and I think it`s just extraordinary. I commend her strength for juggling being a mom, you know, having a successful career, you know, having a fiance. It`s just a lot. I can only imagine what she`s going through right now.
HAMMER: But despite the fact that you know she has this deep strength and the circle of support as people who are close to her, are you scared for her and worried for her? Because really, again, I always go back to having to relive everything again.
TIONNE: Right.
HAMMER: Which is what she`s having to do. So do you really worry?
TIONNE: I do, but I`m going to be honest with you, A.J., knowing her relationship and that she grew up in the church, again, I believe that that is what has kept her sane and from losing her mind at this particular, you know, time during this tragedy. So I think -- like I said, I think she`s going to be fine. I`m not concerned.
HAMMER: And do you think being there in court, despite the fact that she has to face the man who is accused of these horrible tragedies in her life, do you think this will help her in her healing process?
TIONNE: Absolutely. Absolutely. Of course, it`s hard, but I think that when justice prevails, you know, I believe that this will be somewhat a closure for her and for Julia, you know, that`s Julia`s son that died, too.
HAMMER: Yes.
TIONNE: So I think this definitely has given her closure. They probably never ever get over this.
HAMMER: I think she`s very lucky to have the support of of course her fans. And to give her the good energy but her good friends as well.
TIONNE: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Kraven, it`s a pleasure to meet you and thank you very much for sharing that with us.
TIONNE: Thank you. Thank you so much for having me.
HAMMER: And we move on tonight to a presidential Trump slam. President Donald Trump burns Donald Trump again at the White House Correspondents` Dinner.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: In fact on this very weekend, we finally delivered justice to one of the world`s most notorious individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. Find out what Donald told me today about that presidential pot shot. And Beyonce`s baby drama. The new mom has her own birther issue going on. I just hope Donald Trump doesn`t get wind to this.
Emily Deschanel tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT why she is not a practicing Catholic anymore.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
EMILY DESCHANEL, ACTRESS: I grew up Catholic. I`m not a practicing Catholic. No, one of the reasons is because of the official word on being I`m gay. I just don`t agree with that. But, you know, if I do believe that if Jesus were today, if you believe that he wouldn`t -- he would accept people who were gay or straight. He wouldn`t -- he would be friends with them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now big SHOWBIZ baby news. Backstreet boy A.J. McLean has just announced on YouTube that he`s going to be a dad. A.J. and Rochelle got married late last year, and by the way, they are no strangers to inviting the world to share in on their big news. A.J. actually proposed to Michelle on stage in front of a packed club in Las Vegas. They`re just going to put it all out there.
Well, right now controversial SHOWBIZ baby news. Did Beyonce fake her pregnancy? This is wild to me. These off-the-wall reports have dogged Beyonce for her entire pregnancy. People wondering if she had a surrogate. Did she wear a fake baby bump? Can you believe that? And you know these people, they still weren`t satisfied with they showing off those pictures of Blue Ivy in her hospital room shortly after the baby`s birth.
Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you, Beyonce has had it and she has a few choice words tonight.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner joining me from Hollywood.
Nischelle, I don`t think Beyonce should really have dignified these rumors with a response, but she did. So fill us in on exactly what she said, how she went about it.
TURNER: Yes, A.J., you know, I think these kind of -- these kind of silly stories aren`t even worth acknowledging, but Beyonce is a woman of dignity, so I guess she felt like she just had to speak out. Now Beyonce tells "People" magazine, quote, "I thought it was very unfair and very cruel that someone would think that someone would be that diabolical to keep up a charade like that for nine months. As a mother it was painful for me to hear the crazy rumors. That was crazy, it wasn`t her fault. It was just crazy.
Now Beyonce also tells "People" that her well-wishers from around the world actually helped drown out those haters.
And, A.J., Beyonce also says the record straight about her alleged diva demands and personal security team at the hospital, calling those reports as well ridiculous.
HAMMER: I`m glad she put that to rest because that was dogging her for a while as well. And by the way, as you were speaking there, we`re taking a look at Beyonce, some behind-the- scenes pictures and video from her "Most Beautiful" shoot. She was just named the most beautiful woman of 2012. And we haven`t talked about that, but how appropriate and how wonderful that she got that title.
TURNER: Absolutely. You know one of the things she also said was now that she`s had a child and given birth, she does feel like the most beautiful woman in the world.
HAMMER: Yes.
TURNER: That motherhood made her feel that way. And I think that`s great. That rocks.
HAMMER: I think her smile --
TURNER: I`m a big Beyonce fan.
HAMMER: It`s gotten even bigger. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. Thanks, Nischelle.
TURNER: Yes.
HAMMER: Time for the SHOWBIZ lineup. Coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, is a Kardashian getting canned? Reports tonight that "Khloe and Lamar Odom Show" is getting bounced. We of course have the very latest.
Lindsey, Kim, which Hollywood star truly rocked the biggest D.C. red carpet of them all? It`s a fashion face-off. White House Correspondents edition.
This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN, news and views.
It is time now for the SHOWBIZ news ticker. More stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news tonight.
GRAPHICS: Jennifer Lopez launches Website with "backstage access" of her new tour.
GRAPHICS: Kevin Jonas and wife to star in E! reality show called "Married to Jonas."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Big news breaking tonight on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Star wars against sex ads. Alicia Keys, R.E.M., music`s biggest stars unite to shut down alleged child sexploitation. Tonight, singer and activist Daniel Bedingfield reveals why he sparked the movement in a headline-making "Showbiz Newsmaker" interview.
Tonight, the joke`s on Trump. President Obama turns Donald Trump into a big old punch line.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Last year at this time, in fact, on this very weekend, we finally delivered justice to one of the world`s most notorious individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The president got a lot of laughs at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. And, tonight, I have got Donald Trump`s first reaction. Is the Donald furious?
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT and thank you for watching. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
And, tonight, SHOWBIZ investigates star wars on sex ads. Some of music`s biggest stars are declaring all-out war on a website that also offers up sex for money, including, they say, teenagers, even children. Get a load of this. The Roots, R.E.M., Alabama Shakes, Alicia Keys, Pearl Jam, and leading the charge, this guy, music star Daniel Bedingfield, who got them all on board, demanding Village Voice Media shut down its website, backpage.com. Daniel`s right here tonight for a "Showbiz Newsmaker" interview.
But, first, let me bring in CNN correspondent Deborah Feyerick.
So, Deb, how is Village Voice Media defending this?
DEBORAH FEYERICK, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, what Backpage is really doing, they`re selling a lot of things online, but sex is also on the menu in classified ads and it leaves little to the imagination.
Now, I just spoke to the attorney who represents Village Voice Media, which owns Backpage. Watch what she told me.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
FEYERICK: How would feel, for example, I mean, as a mother, if you saw an ad like this or an ad like this, or -- I mean this -- this girl, she says she`s 19. If you saw your daughter in this -- like this, what --
LIZ MCDOUGALL, GENERAL COUNSEL, VILLAGE VOICE MEDIA: I would be horrified. And I am -- I`m horrified for those mothers and my heart goes out to those mothers and to their daughters who are victims of exploitation.
FEYERICK: Am I wrong? Isn`t prostitution simply illegal?
MCDOUGALL: Prostitution is illegal and we don`t permit illegal activity on the website.
FEYERICK: But what are they selling? What are they selling?
MCDOUGALL: We have -- there are legal adult entertainment services.
FEYERICK (voice-over): The classified ad website, similar to Craigslist, let`s people post all kinds of ads in different states. When you look at the escort section, there`s little doubt what`s for sale.
FEYERICK (on camera): Some would say all you`re doing is legitimizing prostitution. That you`re in the prostitution business.
MCDOUGALL: We`re not in the prostitution business when we`re doing everything possible to impede prostitution, to impede the exploitation of women, children, boys, men, labor, sex trafficking. We are -- we -- the Internet is, unfortunately, the vehicle for this. We are trying to be the sheriff.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: OK, so they`re trying to impede it, yet it`s still going on successfully. It`s amazing to me, and I don`t think a lot of people are very aware of this, Deb. So how exactly are these ads being featured? What are they showing? How is this all working?
FEYERICK: You know, it`s really incredible because these ads, when you look at them, there`s absolutely no question as to what it is that is being sold. And what`s more -- what`s so dark about this is that, you know, during our report, we spoke to several moms whose daughters met somebody online, hooked up with them and then all of a sudden, before they knew it, were actually being sold for sex on Backpage. So it is a very devious business.
And it happens really without warning. Backpage basically says, look, we do a scan of different words, different terms so that if they are selling sex, which we don`t allow, then we don`t allow the ad to go on. They also say they check the ads manually. But we found a lot of examples where there was just no question that what they`re putting out there is little more than a veiled attempt for sexual services.
HAMMER: And I remember this happening before with Craigslist. It seems easy enough, in my mind, to be able to sort through all this stuff. But now you have music`s biggest names putting a lot of pressure on. Did you get any impression from what the attorney told you that they may actually back down from the pressure?
FEYERICK: Well, it`s interesting, they are beginning to lose advertisers. But one thing you have to keep in mind, this is a $27 million business.
HAMMER: Wow.
FEYERICK: That`s how much they made in the last 12 months. And the revenue is up 30 percent from a year ago. When Craigslist shut down, all it did was create a better business plan for backpage.com because everybody went over to Backpage. You know, they say, look, we want to monitor this, we`re going to put things in position.
They do work with the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children. They notify them, they say, about 400 times when there`s a suspicious ad. We verified that that is, in fact, the case. But still, you can`t basically say, look, here`s what we`re selling, and then say, but we`re going to make sure there are no abuses. It`s a little bit of a contradiction.
HAMMER: Yes, it seems that way and it`s just so fascinating. I just can`t believe this goes on.
CNN`s Deborah Feyerick. Thank you so much, Deb.
And you can see more of Deb`s fascinating report on this controversy tomorrow night on CNN`s "AC 360."
Just amazing, though, how many superstar musicians are now helping to lead the fight against the sex ads on backpage.com. the guy who got them on board is this guy, fellow musician and activist Daniel Bedingfield. He`s with us tonight from Hollywood. And Daniel has been fighting human trafficking since he founded Stop The Traffic six years ago.
Great to see you, Daniel. Thanks for being here.
DANIEL BEDINGFIELD, MUSICIAN AND ACTIVIST: Thank you very much. Yes, I founded --
HAMMER: So you`ve got a great crew with you onboard here, Daniel. You have Pearl Jam. You have R.E.M., Alicia Keys. How did you make that happen?
BEDINGFIELD: I didn`t make that happen. I`m just getting involved with the movement to shut down the adult section. People are coming from all over the world to just join in on this initiative. So I`m just part of it.
HAMMER: You can certainly understand why anybody who hears about it would want to do something. And I`m not surprised music`s biggest stars are getting involved, too.
BEDINGFIELD: Absolutely.
HAMMER: But here`s the thing. Obviously we hope what you guys are working on works. Do you expect, truly expect that having superstars onboard is going to make a difference as, you know, no one else has really been able to convince Village Voice Media to stop these sex ads?
BEDINGFIELD: I think the only reason that you`d listen to a super star`s opinion is because it gets more people`s attention. What we`re really trying to do is get all of America, the whole planet really, to just get this adult section of backpage.com shut down. They`re saying they`re doing everything they can to get rid of children being used as sex trafficking on the site. Until they do that, this thing needs shut down.
HAMMER: And have you been finding since you`ve gotten involved with this group and you`re trying to get the word out, that people are responding, that people are helping to spread the word?
BEDINGFIELD: Yes.
HAMMER: I mean just right here, I`m blown away by it hearing about this story in such depth for the first time.
BEDINGFIELD: Yes. I mean it`s -- the 51 Surgeons General in 22 different states have found cases of child trafficking that have come from this site. So it`s obvious the thing needs to shut down.
HAMMER: No question about that. And we just saw the attorney for Village Voice Media telling Deb Feyerick basically they`re not backing down. Here`s exactly what she told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And I`ll be really interested to see what you think about her words here. She said, "the reality is that human trafficking for labor and sex is an Internet-wide problem. To stop human trafficking online, you`ve got to fight it online. And Backpage is fighting it day and night through aggressive collaboration with law enforcement and child protection advocates, and through ever more sophisticated ways of screening ads before and after they appear on our website."
Now, Daniel, they say they are screening these sex ads before they appear on the site. Are you essentially, and your group, saying that they`re not doing that and that ads with teens and children are still slipping through as a result?
BEDINGFIELD: No, we`re saying thank you very much for, you know, helping the effort by screening the ads, doing everything you can. That`s great. But until you`ve actually -- until you`ve actually managed to make sure that no children are being sold through your site, you need to shut down the adult section.
HAMMER: So tell me more about what we can expect down the line from your organization and perhaps any other big stars that may be joining in on this fight.
BEDINGFIELD: We`re just going to keep putting pressure on them until they shut it down. That`s what I -- get more people involved and be louder and bigger than we have before, if that`s what it takes.
HAMMER: And are you yourself reaching out to other fellow music artists or other people in the entertainment industry? Any names you can share with us?
BEDINGFIELD: Yes. Not any specific names, but I`ve got a lot of family members.
HAMMER: You do. People do pay attention to what you say. And, as you said, you get a celebrity involved with a cause, it does have the opportunity to really spread the word more than it otherwise would get out there.
Daniel Bedingfield, thank you so much. I really appreciate you being here tonight.
BEDINGFIELD: Yes. Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, we move on tonight to the president`s big Donald Trump diss.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Last year at this time, in fact this very weekend, we finally delivered justice to one of the world`s most notorious individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There you go. Fantastic. President Obama certainly made a big splash with that joke at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. But what did The Donald think himself? Well, I will ask him in a brand new interview. His answer actually might surprise you.
And could it be, "Khloe & Lamar" canceled? What? Tonight, I`m going to tell you what the real deal is about those reports that Khloe Kardashian`s reality show with her husband Lamar is over. That inside story is next.
Well, I`m all in for this already. Here, now, your SHOWBIZ first look at the great Aaron Sorkin`s new HBO series "The Newsroom."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I came on this program voluntarily.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I don`t have subpoena power. Everyone comes on this program voluntarily.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A news room then turned into a court room because American voters need a lawyer.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Great job tonight. These things are done by teams. And I`ve got the best team in television. This isn`t our control room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Then screw it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: We finally delivered justice to one of the world`s most notorious individuals.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Perfect. President Obama taking a shot right there, Donald Trump, at this weekend`s White House Correspondents` Dinner. But what does The Donald think about that little shot? Well, tonight, he is giving me his very first reaction to that presidential diss.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
Tonight, SHOWBIZ on location with my good buddy Donald Trump. Boy, did the president have some fun picking on Donald Trump again this year. Donald wasn`t the only one taking hits that night, though. Lindsay Lohan also the butt of some jokes at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. Yes, she was there. Donald and Lindsay are actually family friends. And when I went on location with Donald today, he broke some news to me. He told me about a phone call that he just got from Lindsay`s mom. Dina Lohan wanted Trump`s advice after Rosie O`Donnell`s recent slam of her daughter Lindsay. I also got his very first reaction to the president`s pot shot at him.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: You`ve made it very clear to me and to the world how you feel about our president, but you have a sense of humor about things like that, don`t you?
DONALD TRUMP, ENTREPRENEUR: No, I thought he was great. I thought his delivery was great. I was honored to be mentioned, number one. And I thought he did a really good job, absolutely.
HAMMER: And to set the record straight, are you or were you the world`s most notorious man?
TAPPER: No, and I don`t think he feels that either, but it was very cute. It was a take-off on you know who. I won`t even mention the name. But I thought he really delivered it well. It was funny. It got a big laugh. And I laughed myself.
HAMMER: Lindsay Lohan was at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. I know you`ve been friends with the Lohan family for quite some time and recently had a conversation with Dina looking for a little help for Lindsay. Tell me how that conversation went.
TRUMP: Well, Dina, who`s Lindsay`s mother, called me. Is there anything I can do to help, because it seems that Rosie O`Donnell is attacking Lindsay, which is not what Lindsay needs at this point in life. And I said to her, you know, don`t worry about it. Rosie needs help more than your daughter as far as I`m concerned. Rosie`s, you know, a pretty sick individual. And she`s a bully and she always ultimately ends up losing. So I said, don`t worry about Rosie, she`ll peter out. But it`s pretty sad when a mother calls me for help.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, he`s still not a big fan of Rosie`s. So, Donald standing up for Lindsay today coming off her big appearance at the White House Correspondents` Dinner. And I`m still trying to put together what she was doing there. But she was there. And it was her very first big red carpet in quite some time. The question is, was she a hit or a miss? With me right now in New York, George Katsiopoulos. Did I say that right?
GEORGE KATSIOPOULOS, FASHION EXPERT AND CO-HOST OF "FASHION POLICE": Katsiopoulos.
HAMMER: Katsiopoulos. I knew I was going to mess it up.
KATSIOPOULOS: It`s a tough one.
HAMMER: George Katsiopoulos is a fashion expert and you see him as the co- host of "Fashion Police" on E. It`s great to have you here, George Katsiopoulos.
KATSIOPOULOS: Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: So, Lindsay, obviously, got a lot of attention for showing up at this White House Correspondents` Dinner. Here she is arriving, walking the red carpet. I think looking pretty good, but I don`t know much about these things. What do you think, hit or miss?
KATSIOPOULOS: Well, partial hit.
HAMMER: OK.
KATSIOPOULOS: Partial hit, partial miss. It`s a little bit ill-fitting. I do love that she went back to her red hair color. I mean it`s definitely much more elegant and more sophisticated, but it just looks a little bit ill-fitting and it`s a little sexy for the event. Maybe a little too much plunge, a little too much side boob.
HAMMER: And here`s the question, because every time she would show up at court, every time she would make any kind of a public appearance, everybody is immediately talking about what she`s wearing. If she`s wearing the right thing, especially when she would show up in court and we`re like, oh, it`s not really sending the right message. What should Lindsay -- obviously it`s event dependent, but what should she typically be seen wearing in public? Does she need to be a little more conservative, do you think?
KATSIOPOULOS: Well, particularly for the White House Correspondents` Dinner, I mean she got the color right. Black is great. It`s conservative. But D.C. is not L.A. It`s not New York. I mean it`s -- you can get away with much, much more in L.A. Do definitely just be respectful of the event and wear something a bit more conservative. Not -- you know, don`t show too much cleavage.
HAMMER: OK.
KATSIOPOULOS: I mean the women of D.C. don`t dress that way.
HAMMER: No, they don`t.
KATSIOPOULOS: You know so --
HAMMER: And we need to -- you know, she probably is hoping we`re taking her more seriously.
All right, let`s move on to Kim Kardashian. Charles (ph), can we put up Kim. Wearing velvet. I don`t know. You know, velvet, really? Is that happening?
KATSIOPOULOS: Well, the silhouette, you know, is great for her. She looks beautiful. But, yes, velvet`s completely out of season. But in her defense, OK, this is how it works. So starlets borrow clothes, basically. They borrow everything that they wear. And right now what`s available to them is pre-fall and fall.
HAMMER: Right.
KATSIOPOULOS: So everything for spring has either already been worn or it`s in stores.
HAMMER: See, that`s a problem.
KATSIOPOULOS: It`s a problem.
HAMMER: What do you do?
KATSIOPOULOS: So it`s very -- it`s, you know, gosh, it`s --
HAMMER: Because then you wind up here and we`re talking about it and she -- I mean, look --
KATSIOPOULOS: She looks great.
HAMMER: She looks great.
KATSIOPOULOS: Yes, it`s -- other -- you know, the other option is getting something custom made. But, you know, because it`s -- the spring stuff is in stores, so, you know, you could run the risk of wearing something that someone else is wearing at the same event.
HAMMER: But then you have to -- then you have to take into account what the person who you`re going with is wearing. Charles, can we put this up. I actually thought this was pretty funny. If we can see the picture of Kim Kardashian, and if we can also take a look at mom. Is this all Kim? Is this Kim and mom? There we go. There`s Kim and mom right there. It`s like a Christmas card. I hear "Jingle Bells."
KATSIOPOULOS: Totally. For a -- yes, exactly, for the holidays, this would totally work, but not for April in D.C.
HAMMER: Not the move you would have made if you were styling them?
KATSIOPOULOS: No, it`s springtime. No, no, no. Yes, I mean, you know, they know they were -- they knew they were going to see each other. They knew they were going to be photographed together. It`s like Kris could have worn like black or -- even if she wore black, it would have been a little bit more forgiving.
HAMMER: I want to put up a beautiful pairing right now. The lovely Eva Longoria and Sofia Vergara. Wow, the two of them together wearing short cocktail dresses. Not gowns. How does this fit into D.C. big time political event. Did they dress to impress in your mind?
KATSIOPOULOS: No. They`re beautiful women, but I think Sofia`s dress is a bit too casual. It is a black tie event. All the women are wearing gowns. So it is customary to wear a gown and respect, you know, the occasion.
HAMMER: So why don`t they know that?
KATSIOPOULOS: You know, I mean it`s --
HAMMER: Or do they not care?
KATSIOPOULOS: No, I don`t think it`s a matter of not caring. I think they think that they can get away with it. And I think if Eva was wearing Sofia`s dress, she would have gotten away with it because it would have been longer and a bit more elegant.
HAMMER: Got it.
KATSIOPOULOS: It`s just too short on Sofia. You know, she`s a bombshell. She`s a babe. She`s going to look good in everything and anything. But this is just a little bit too casual, I think, for the event.
HAMMER: From what you saw of who was at this event, wearing what they were wearing, who did it the best?
KATSIOPOULOS: OK, Kerry Washington is one who always nails it for me. She wore this peach Calvin Klein dress.
HAMMER: Look at her.
KATSIOPOULOS: It was long-sleeved. Very casual. Very elegant. Effortless. And also Kate Hudson in this long-sleeved sequin number, which is really something that I could see like Michelle Obama wearing. I mean it`s covered. It`s --
HAMMER: They got the message.
KATSIOPOULOS: Totally. Totally.
HAMMER: George, great to have you here.
KATSIOPOULOS: Thanks for having me. Thank you.
HAMMER: All right. We move on now to a Kardashian reality show canceled? Tonight, what is the real story behind the mysterious end to Khloe Kardashian and her husband Lamar`s reality show? Was it the Kardashians? Was it Lamar? I tell you what happened, next.
And now here`s your SHOWBIZ first look at John Mayer`s cool new video for his sing "Shadow Days."
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Are Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom calling it quits on their reality show? Well, that all depends on who you believe. Now, Lamar had certainly had a tough year while playing for the Dallas Mavericks. And after reaching a career low in the NBA, he parted ways with the team. Reports out today say he`s now parting ways with his reality show as well. But is it true? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner.
Nischelle, I`m reading things about this online today and it sounds like Lamar is just done with the Kardashian reality machine. But what is the truth here?
NISCHELLE TURNER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: You know, A.J., it would really be a dramatic move if that were true. You know, Lamar`s had a pretty tough year professionally and in his personal life and a lot of people blame his career slide on the E reality show "Khloe & Lamar." Now, TMZ is reporting that Lamar wants out in order to focus on his career. That would make sense since he hit a career low of six points per game with the Mavericks this year.
Let`s not forget also, though, that Lamar suffered in his personal life as well. He lost his cousin, his 24-year-old cousin, in a horrific murder. He was also a passenger in a car that was involved in an accident that killed a 15-year-old boy. So, you know, I can understand if Lamar thought this would be a good time to cancel the show. But, today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reached out to E and the network tells us, quote, "the show has not been canceled." It will depend on their scheds as Lamar`s b-ball is priority right now.
HAMMER: So if Lamar`s basketball game is the priority, it seems to me that the show might just be on hold at the moment.
TURNER: Yes, that`s what it sounds like to me too, A.J. But, you know, whether or not the show is on hold, or if it is canceled, reports say Lamar would make appearances on the family show, "Keeping Up With the Kardashians," which we all know has just been renewed for the next three years. So we`ll just have to see what happens here.
HAMMER: We`ll wait and see. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Nischelle Turner. Thanks, Nischelle.
All right, you have got to see this. Keith Urban`s jaw-dropping moment on "The Voice" Australia. This is wild.
(VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The best reaction I`ve seen on a music competition show in a very long time. I cannot wait to show this to you. It is so incredibly cool.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: You know, it`s been a while since we`ve had a true Susan Boyle moment. So you have got to check out tonight`s SHOWBIZ "Viral Video." On "The Voice" Australia, Keith Urban and his fellow star judges were just dumbfounded when contestant Karise Eden broke into "It`s A Man`s World."
(VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow! See how fast the judges turned their chairs around. They hit their buttons all at the same time. The 19-year-old chose Seal to be her mentor.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT weeknights at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific here on HLN. Stay right here for "Dr. Drew" next. And tonight, Drew speaks with former "Saturday Night Live" star John Lovitz, who`s challenged a trio of middle school bullies on Twitter. That`s coming up next.
END
