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Showbiz Tonight
Usher`s Custody War; Fired for Being Too Hot?; Showbiz Exclusive with John Mayer; Wendy Williams Landmark 500th Show
Aired May 22, 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: Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Tonight, Usher`s custody war. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals the superstar`s brutal custody battle, the emotional courtroom breakdown, his ex-wife`s explosive claim that he is a bad dad. Why Usher`s showdown is getting downright nasty.
Also tonight, fired for being too hot? Did a bombshell blond get booted from a lingerie company for being way too sexy? Just another ridiculous lawsuit or serious discrimination?
A SHOWBIZ on location exclusive with Wendy Williams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WILLIAMS, HOST, "THE WENDY WILLIAMS SHOW": Welcome to my office.
HAMMER: Thank you. It`s good to be in your office.
WILLIAMS: It`s very pink and it`s very chaotic.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I`m behind the scenes with the real Wendy. Her stripped-down look, her bedazzled office. Wendy tells all in my candid SHOWBIZ exclusive.
(MUSIC)
Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer and can a woman really be too hot to work?
I`m not talking too hot because the air conditioning is on the fritz. I`m talking too hot, as in smoking hot. Well, that`s exactly what one woman is claiming tonight.
She claims she was fired because, well, she was so hot it was getting in the way of everyone going about their business, and not just any business, by the way, but a lingerie business. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT goes looking for the sheer proof.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice-over) In this time of economic uncertainty, people are losing their jobs for a variety of reasons because of downsizing, because of increased foreign competition, because they are too sexy.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: A woman accusing a lingerie store of firing her for being too hot.
HAMMER: Yes, the story of a woman who says she was fired from a lingerie company for being too busty had morning news shows busting out in giggles.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What would tri-state area tabloids do without stories like this?
HAMMER: The tabloids sure had their fun, too, "So hot, she was fired." "Now, it`s a rack war," blared "The Daily News." "Rack and ruins," snickered the "New York Post." But for the fired woman in question, this case is no laughing matter.
LAUREN ODES, FORMER WORKER AT NATIVE INTIMATES: When are I was first told that I was, quote, "too hot," end quote, and that my breasts were too large, I was shocked.
HAMMER: Lauren Odes says she got tons of grief about her body at her former job at New York`s Native Intimates whose specialty happens to be body-revealing unmentionables.
ODES: Bras, corsets, thongs. Given their basic products, I simply do not understand why I was told that I was, quote, "too hot," end quote, especially because I was covered up in the attire that I was wearing.
HAMMER: At her press conference, she modeled the modest outfit she was wearing on her last day, but she says that wasn`t good enough for the supervisor who, Odes claims, made her cover up with this ridiculous red robe.
ODES: I was appalled when my supervisor suggested that I tape down my breasts and wear my boyfriend`s oversized t-shirt and sweat pants. I felt ridiculous and extremely embarrassed. Others in the office were laughing.
HAMMER: Odes says that when she left the office to buy something else she could cover up with, she got a call saying her services were no longer needed.
ODES: We should not be judged by the size of our breasts or the shape of our body.
HAMMER: Famous attorney Gloria Allred is representing Odes. And today, Gloria told me they definitely have a case.
GLORIA ALLRED, ATTORNEY: We do understand that some of the owners are Orthodox Jewish and maybe they have their views about how women should be covered.
She is also a Jewish woman. She does not share those religious views. This is why we filed a complaint yesterday and charged discrimination on account of gender and on account of religion.
HAMMER: Native Intimates tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT they have no comment on the case. But everyone else is commenting about the woman fired for being too sexy. It made Bob Van Dillen of HLN`s "MORNING EXPRESS" review his career history.
BOB VAN DILLEN, WEATHER FORECASTER, "MORNING EXPRESS": I`ve had that problem so many times. I`ve lost so many jobs. That was the reason why. I guess that`s the reason why.
HAMMER: And it elicited a ton of questions from the hosts of "The View."
WHOOPI GOLDBERG, CO-HOST, "THE VIEW": Does she not have the breasts on when she went to the job to -
HAMMER: But at the "Today" show, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb were a tad critical of Odes.
HODA KOTB, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: It does take moxie to get up and say, "Here`s why. I`m so distracting because I`m so pretty that people can`t work around me."
KATHIE LEE GIFFORD, CO-HOST, THE "TODAY" SHOW: It`s just incredible to me that people have the moxie to say such a thing.
HAMMER: Yes. As Joan from "Mad Men" can attest, sexy women can sometimes have it rough on the job. Erin Brockovich would also agree.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: You may want to rethink your wardrobe a little.
JULIA ROBERTS, ACTRESS (as Erin Brockovich): Well, as long as I have one ass instead of two, I will wear what I like.
HAMMER: But it can sometimes turn into a serious legal issue. In 2010, Debra Lee Lorenzana said she was fired from her job at Citibank for being too sexy. Her attorney? Gloria Allred who tells me this is a serious issue.
ALLRED: People need to work these days. It`s hard to get a job in this economy. And we don`t want women to be suffering because of a factor over which they have no control, which is the size of their breasts, for example.
HAMMER: So the right of every able-bodied American to wear what they want to work has become yet another legal battle in the workplace gender wars.
Who knows, it may be decided once and for all at the U.S. Supreme Court. Nothing revealing about their workplace attire.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
So is this fired for being too hot lawsuit just ridiculous? Or does this woman actually have a serious discrimination case on her hands?
With me tonight from Atlanta, I am pleased to welcome Ryan Smith. And I just want to say Ryan is going to be the host of HLN`s brand-new show, "EVENING EXPRESS." It`s going to be seen weekdays, 5:00 p.m. here on HLN. That begins on June 4th.
Ryan will be joined every day by Isha, who you may know from CNN International. Great to have you both here, guys.
RYAN SMITH, HOST, "EVENING EXPRESS": Good to see you.
ISHA SESAY, CNN INTERNATIONAL ANCHOR: Good to see you, A.J.
HAMMER: So let`s get into this, because I think it may have been a very, very smart move for the woman to hire Gloria Allred.
Face it. We know she usually gets results in cases like this. Ryan, you`re also a lawyer. Do you think that this company, the one that fired this woman basically is going to want to make the case go away and settle the lawsuit quietly?
SMITH: Oh, A.J., absolutely. When Gloria Allred shows up on the scene, you know you better run for cover. So she is going to take them to town.
And you know what gets me about this? I don`t know - did she just come in and decide to dress like this? Had this been going on for a while? That`s a problem they have. Did they have a policy in place?
So I don`t see how - somebody can step on the job and you say, "Oh, you are too hot. I don`t know. I`m distracted and now, all of a sudden, I can`t work. Oh, my god. You`ve got to go." I don`t get how that`s going to fly here.
HAMMER: Yes. As Whoopi Goldberg just said, you know, it`s not like they just grew - that`s a polite way of saying it - you know, after she had been on the job for a while.
Isha, what was your reaction to this story when you first heard about it. Do you think she has a pretty good case?
SESAY: Hey, I mean, at the end of the day, taking a look at the pictures - I mean, look, she`s got bosoms that nobody can really ignore, but -
SMITH: You couldn`t ignore them?
SESAY: The outfit was kind of - you know, it`s a little bit on the tight side. I mean, that was really my reaction when I talked to a couple of people about the story. And I think our mouths hit the floor because I do agree with what Ryan said that, you know, she didn`t walk in one day with a new set of, you know, bosoms.
But you have to say, and you two would agree, that there are certain things that are appropriate for the workplace.
HAMMER: Yes.
SMITH: Yes.
SESAY: And there are things that aren`t. And that`s just a fact. And when I looked at the outfit, I have to say my initial reaction was, "For the workplace?" But that`s for the people she works with to decide. But definitely, it`s got everyone talking.
HAMMER: Well, Isha, I am going to write this down. I`m going to write this down right now. Bosoms you can`t ignore. Welcome to our network. Isha, great to have you here.
SMITH: Yes.
HAMMER: I do want to move on though from too hot to handle to a very heated custody battle. This involves Usher and his ex-wife, Tameka Foster.
It`s over their two young boys, actually pretty serious stuff here with things getting so tense in court. We saw Usher breaking down in tears. I want you to both watch this video obtained by "The Insider."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ATTORNEY: She offered for you to have your children from the 3rd to the 8th, six days.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ATTORNEY: Your Honor, again, I am not certain why Miss West(ph) has to (UNINTELLIGIBLE) that she has to talk to my client. I would appreciate it if you were more professional and appropriate. (UNINTELLIGIBLE) this question has been asked and answered four times.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE ATTORNEY: You`re Honor, Mr. Raymond has not answered the question four times. Mr. Raymond?
USHER RAYMOND, SINGER: I have answered the question four times, Lisa.
(CROSS TALK)
Lisa, I`ve answered the question - I`ve answered the questions many times.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. I mean, Usher clearly breaking down there.
SESAY: Yes.
HAMMER: A tough moment for him. And Usher also testified that his ex-wife threw food at him and spit on his girlfriend while threatening to kick the woman`s you-know-what. Ryan, Tameka wants full custody. Usher wants increased visitation with his boys. How do you see this playing out?
SMITH: I see him getting increased visitation. And you know what? Him breaking down on the stand I think ultimately could end up having something - a positive effect on his side of the case.
You know what? It`s a shame it always has to get this way in so many of these cases that you`ve got two people trying to get along and then someone else starts to move on. And then there are different accusations back and forth, A.J.
But when I look at Usher on that stand, it looks like a father who wants to take some responsibility for his kids -
HAMMER: Yes.
SMITH: See them more often. And a lot of times, courts would say, you know what? Why not? Let`s give it to him and see how it works out.
HAMMER: Yes. It`s like any father, you know, dealing with kids. Forget the fact for a moment that he is a celebrity.
SESAY: Absolutely.
HAMMER: Congratulations to the two of you on the new show, "EVENING EXPRESS" right here on HLN. We really are thrilled you`re going to be joining us when it launches on June 4th.
Now, Isha, are you going to be joining Ryan? Clark Howard is going to be on with you guys from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. What can we expect to see from the show, Isha?
SESAY: You can expect to tune in and hear about all those things that happened while you were at work. And really, you`re going to get in from your busy day and you`re going to relax with the three of us.
We`re going to take you through all the important stuff you missed and stuff that we think you can use in your day-to-day life.
We`re going to give you information you can use. We`re going to leave you feeling good and we`re going to hopefully inspire you a little bit.
SMITH: I can say things like bosom and you can`t ignore it.
HAMMER: Well, there you go. It`s right there. Welcome again, guys. Ryan Smith, Isha Sesay, thank you so much.
I want to remind everybody to start their evenings with HLN`s "EVENING EXPRESS," whether it`s parenting, education, health, relationships, personal finance.
You`ll have Ryan Smith, Clark Howard, Isha Sesay, having you covered every day. HLN`s "EVENING EXPRESS" starts Monday evening June 4th from 5:00 to 7:00 Eastern.
Moving on to tonight`s exclusive behind-the-scenes visit with Wendy Williams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: She`s down here and there only a few pairs, but these are Christian Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks. One pair, Ron Donovans and one pair, Giuseppe Zanottis. But I`ve got a lot of other shoes, other places.
HAMMER: The shoes, wardrobe, the hot pink dressing room. Tonight, I take you inside the world of TV diva, Wendy Williams, like you have never seen her before.
And another blockbuster SHOWBIZ exclusive tonight with John Mayer. Is that song in his brand-new album really about Jennifer Aniston like all the rumors say it is?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN MAYER, MUSICIAN: At no time did the engineer say what`s that about. It`s not a question that`s asked among musicians and songwriters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Setting the record straight here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Now, Howard Stern makes a seven-year-old rapper cry on "America`s Got Talent" and then tries to comfort him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HOWARD STERN, "AMERICA`S GOT TALENT" JUDGE: No one likes hitting the X on a seven-year-old. You are very brave to get up there at seven years old.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Aww.
STERN: Let me fix it. Let me fix it. I`m sorry. I`m sorry, my man. I`m so sorry. I`m sorry.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK) 0
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: There is nothing you can say now that would ever make me nervous, so you can have your life back and your ring.
UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS: Oh, no. You earned this. Let`s go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with an explosive first look at the new season of the huge VH1 show, "Single Ladies." Three women, all single, all looking for love in Atlanta.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. And tonight, all the single ladies are right here. And I have to wonder what they think about Jenny McCarthy posing nude for "Playboy" again, just as she`s about to turn 40 years old.
Queen Latifah is the executive producer of "Single Ladies" and is back for season two on Monday. Take it from me, you do not want to miss a moment of it.
Joining me in New York, all three of the fabulous actresses from the show, LisaRaye McCoy, Denise Vasi and Charity Shea. It`s great to meet and to have you here. I appreciate that.
So here`s the deal. Jenny McCarthy, who, of course, used to be a "Playboy" playmate, has just revealed she will take it all off once again for "Playboy."
Now, this is almost 20 years after she first appeared in the magazine. Jenny`s turning 40 later this year. And she said she wanted to do it again before she turned the big 4-0? LisaRaye, are you thinking, "Yes, good for her"?
LISARAYE MCCOY, ACTRESS: Good for her. Great for her. You still got to do it. What can be changed can do and re-brushing.
HAMMER: Re-brushing? So you`re all about Photoshopping whatever it takes to make it look it? Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT actually just caught up with a former "Playboy" playmate and reality star, Kendra Wilkinson Baskett. And we asked her what she thought about Jenny doing this. Watch what she said.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KENDRA WILKINSON BASKETT, FORMER "PLAYBOY" PLAYMATE: And if she feels sexy and hot again and wants to re-embrace that, then go ahead. But my days are done.
"Playboy" is a great thing, but sometimes I feel like things should be better left in the past, you know what I`m saying? It`s nice. I mean, she is hot enough and she, like, looks great for her age.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Denise, what do you think about that? You know, it`s true sometimes it is better to leave something you have done back in the glory days, in the past?
DENISE VASI, ACTRESS: Unless you know you`ve still got it. I mean, women are so insecure about their bodies nowadays at every age that if she thinks that she wants to share herself with the world at whatever age, who am I to judge?
MCCOY: Yes.
HAMMER: By the way, have you seen Jenny McCarthy? When does she not look good? I mean, really.
CHARITY SHEA, ACTRESS: I know. She`s amazing. She`s out there. She talks about Photoshopping. She has a great personality, so I totally think it works for her.
MCCOY: And I think with people being, you know, health-conscious now, if you look good and you`re eating properly and you are healthy and you got it -
HAMMER: Yes, she definitely takes care of herself. All right. Well, I`m going to throw out the obvious in our SHOWBIZ flashpoint - is Jenny brave, crazy or so hot for posing at 40?
MCCOY: All of the above.
SHEA: So hot.
VASI: So hot.
HAMMER: And crazy, too, just because, well, she`s crazy. Listen, we have been talking about that woman who claimed she was too hot to work for the place she was working and that`s what got her fired.
Her name is Lauren Odes. She claims she was fired from a lingerie company, of all places, for being too busty. She is suing the former employee. LisaRaye, are you buying that a woman can possibly be so hot-looking it can actually get in the way of a business doing business?
MCCOY: Absolutely not, because, to me, if you are selling lingerie and busty, that`s saying, "Buy this bra. You could look like this." That`s like advertisement for them. So I don`t believe that.
HAMMER: What do you think about that (UNINTELLIGIBLE)?
MCCOY: She is not that hot looking anyway.
HAMMER: Well, busty to be sure.
VASI: I`m just completely confused about the situation. I mean, why did they hire her if they knew there was going to be a situation later on?
HAMMER: it`s not like she became busty after the person interviewed her.
VASI: Those girls don`t go overnight.
HAMMER: It`s not how that happens.
MCCOY: Maybe she came back to work and it was like bam, you know. I don`t know.
HAMMER: Maybe she - yes. I doubt it.
SHEA: You are representing a company though. So I do feel that you should - if they want you to tone it down, then you should do that because you are representing that company.
HAMMER: But again, I get back to the point. If they knew what they were getting to begin with, that`s what - with her. But do you think this has struck such a cord with so many women? Because, really, this is something women do face in the workplace.
MCCOY: I think we can identify with it, but not in this situation. I think she is just leaning more towards the similarity of it and just using it and going with it.
HAMMER: OK. Fair enough. Well, someone who definitely doesn`t mind bringing her sex appeal into the workplace is Miley Cyrus. Now, we all literally watched the 19-year-old grow up before our very eyes.
She really raised some eyebrows just the other night, showing up at the Billboard Awards red carpet wearing this very revealing outfit. Yes, she is just wearing a jacket. That`s all.
And in a brand-new interview that was revealed today, Miley says sex is a beautiful and magical thing. So here`s the next SHOWBIZ flashpoint - is Miley trying too hard to be sexy? Stay right there.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Back now with the stars of VH1`s "Single Ladies" season two, debuting on Monday. It`s very exciting. So Miley Cyrus is now doing whatever she can to lose this teeny bopper image that she has.
She`s looking for the sexy new brand image I think is what`s going on here. She gave a brand-new interview to Lifetime.
And she says, "The girls that really base how much they are worth on the sexual favors they can do for somebody, that makes me really sad because sex is actually really beautiful."
"So it is ignorant not to talk to your kids about it or not to make it seem as magical or as cool as it actually is."
So Miley is doing really all she can to reinvent herself. Here`s our SHOWBIZ flashpoint - is Miley trying too hard to be too sexy? What do you think about that, LisaRaye?
MCCOY: I knew you were going to ask me this. I think being a mother - my daughter is 23. And I`m very self-conscious about how she goes out. She is very busty.
So I am leaning towards half and half. I think love and sex and all of that is great. It is beautiful. It is magical. Does she know what that is at 19? I`m not really sure. Who is to say if she ever has been in love or not? So I`m kind of -
HAMMER: Yes. It`s kind of tough and we want her to be able to grow up. And I think, look, she is bringing up a terrific point.
But you, ladies, are obviously all very sexy in "Single Ladies." We`re very excited about the new season, the second season getting underway on Monday. But Denise, you are new to the show this year.
VASI: I am.
HAMMER: Are you shaking things up? Can we expect that from you.
VASI: Oh, yes. We bring in a lot of hot stuff to Atlanta.
SHEA: Hotlanta.
VASI: Hotlanta.
HAMMER: Best part about doing the show for you?
VASI: Two new very good friends.
HAMMER: Was it a very instant bonding?
MCCOY: Yes. When she auditioned, I took to her right away, her energy. She burst onto the scene. I thought, wow, those eyes. Look at that beauty, the baby blue eyes.
HAMMER: Very good. Pardon me for asking. Do you get the Vanessa Williams thing a lot? People say that.
VASI: Yes.
HAMMER: Because I look at your eyes and I look at Vanessa Williams` eyes and I can say, pretty close. Well, it`s great to meet you all.
SHEA: Thank you very much.
VASI: Thank you very much.
MCCOY: Thank you very much.
HAMMER: Thank you for being here, LisaRaye, Denise and Charity. I appreciate having you here. And make sure you check out "Single Ladies," the second season premiering Monday on VH1.
Well, now, the SHOWBIZ lineup at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It`s a SHOWBIZ exclusive with John Mayer.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: At no time writing a song did the engineers say what`s that about? It`s not a question asked among musicians and songwriters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: John Mayer setting the record straight on his brand-new song that is reportedly about Jennifer Aniston. It is a headline-making SHOWBIZ exclusive.
Plus, a SHOWBIZ on location exclusive with my good friend, Wendy Williams. Tomorrow, Wendy`s landmark, 500th show, the woman who is changing the face of daytime TV is telling me what`s her next big move is going to be. Could Wendy be the next Oprah? This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
TEXT: "Dog the Bounty Hunger" cancelled after eight seasons. Mike "The Situation" Sorrentino reveals he was addicted to painkillers.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MIKE "THE SITUATION" SORRENTINO, REALITY TV STAR, "THE JERSEY SHORE": Then, after a while, you think maybe this will help my schedule out, you know. I`m always on planes and flying here and I`m flying there.
I mean, I don`t want anybody to feel bad for me at all. I`m just saying that, you know, that being in this business is not easy and it`s definitely not for everybody.
I, for sure, made a mistake by picking a substance over maybe what I (UNINTELLIGIBLE) chose, which is fitness.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, a SHOWBIZ on location exclusive with Wendy Williams.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: These shoes down here - they`re only a few pairs, but these are Christian Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks, and one pair Ron Donovans and one pair Giuseppe Zanottis. But I`ve got a lot of other shoes other places.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: How are you doing? Well, pretty great if you are Wendy Williams. And I`ve got your exclusive look behind the scenes with the glamorous daytime diva, Wendy Williams.
Plus, the brand-new mystery behind John Mayer`s latest song.
(MUSIC)
Is John`s new song really about his ex, Jennifer Aniston? Why the heck did he just quit Twitter? John Mayer sets the record straight about all his controversies and his brand-new life. It is a rare must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview.
ANNOUNCER: TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I am on location with daytime talk diva, Wendy Williams. Charles, can you help me out, please?
CHARLES WAGMAN, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT DIRECTOR: How are you doing?
HAMMER: That is our director and Wendy Williams impersonator, Charles Wagman(ph). Wendy is celebrating her 500th show tomorrow. I`ve got to tell you it is a well-deserved honor.
Well, tonight, I am one-on-one with Wendy for an exclusive look behind the scenes that you have got to see of her blockbuster talk show. The wigs, the shoes, that signature phrase, of course.
From radio D.J. to new queen of talk, tonight, we are flipping the switch on Wendy and asking the burning questions everybody wants answered.
So hang on because Wendy is about to reveal all in a headline-making SHOWBIZ exclusive.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
Let`s talk about fun things. Let`s talk about this office, first of all.
WILLIAMS: OK.
HAMMER: I noticed it is an office. No computer.
WILLIAMS: No.
HAMMER: That`s not you, is it?
WILLIAMS: Well, here`s the thing. If I sit on the computer, I will never get anything done in here except obsessing. First of all, I don`t have E- mail. Somebody else does all that stuff.
HAMMER: Right.
WILLIAMS: But I like to go online and I like to look at the blogs and I like to look at online shopping. I will get lost in that rhythm, so no computer.
HAMMER: Got it. Now, a lot of people, particularly of your stature, hosting a nationally-syndicated television show, 500 episodes in, would have a separate dressing room for all of their clothes.
So I imagine there is a reason that you have all of this here as opposed to often in other rooms.
WILLIAMS: Yes. Well, there are actually two other rooms that the clothes and shoes and stuff are all in. But I love to have some of my clothes around me.
HAMMER: To be surrounded by it.
WILLIAMS: For inspiration. And maybe once a week, what they will do is they will come and they will swap out these dresses and things and put more in.
So as I`m sitting and watching TV or whatever I`m doing in here, I can say, "You know what? I still haven`t tried this on. I wonder if this is still good." And as far as the shoes -
HAMMER: Look at this. Now, just tell me, educate me as a guy who doesn`t really know much about these things, a pair of Christian Louboutin shoes on average costs if you were to go to the store and buy it?
WILLIAMS: $700.
HAMMER: $700.
WILLIAMS: You can get some for $500, but you also get some for $2,000 or more.
HAMMER: OK. I mean, I`m looking at at least 20 pairs of shoes in here. And this is only what`s in this room.
WILLIAMS: Right. These shoes down here - they`re only a few pairs, but these are Christian Louboutins and Manolo Blahniks, one pair, Ron Donovans, and one pair Giuseppe Zanottis.
HAMMER: Show me more. What`s this on the wall? What`s the significance?
WILLIAMS: OK. So this is a dress that I can`t wear anymore, because the night I wore it, I killed it and there`s so many pictures taken. And here`s me wearing it.
HAMMER: Whoa!
WILLIAMS: At the Night Life Awards. Say hello to Kevin`s mother. But these are things. That`s my artwork up there. I love just doing a little something, me when I was pregnant, college radio.
This office has little tiny things that mean stuff to me that don`t mean too much to anybody else. When I got this show, this artist made me that fish and it`s just so glamorous and lovely.
HAMMER: What`s the first time you said, "How you doin`?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILLIAMS: How you doin`?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
By the way, a Wendy watcher made that to me this past summer.
HAMMER: Nice.
WILLIAMS: The first time I said, "How you doin`?"
HAMMER: Wendy, who said this is going to be your thing? Or did you identify that it was going to be your thing?
WILLIAMS: So I was a morning radio personality in Philadelphia. And you know, every morning show has the obligatory gay character.
Our gay character`s name was Shantay(ph) and he was played by a straight man.
HAMMER: What`s Shantay`s last name? Shantay?
WILLIAMS: Shantay Shantay. And so look, so nobody in the room really wanted to talk to Shantay when he would come in.
HAMMER: Right.
WILLIAMS: And he would come in and just talk like this and like that. And so I took the ball by the reigns and I said, "How you doin`?" It sounds like a drag queen. I am not going to have a full conversation with him. But all I knew how to say was, "How you doin`?" And I let him take it away, and that`s working.
HAMMER: And now, everybody, everywhere you go, "How you doin`?" Right? I`m getting better.
WILLIAMS: You are getting better.
HAMMER: I am getting better. Does the hallway have a name? Because I know various parts of the hallway have names.
WILLIAMS: Yes, this is Heather Locklear hall way.
HAMMER: This is Heather Locklear hallway. The sign - I understand there was a sign that`s gone.
WILLIAMS: Well, the sign - where`s the sign? Oh, my gosh.
HAMMER: It`s going to be part of your 500th show maybe.
WILLIAMS: Oh, probably.
HAMMER: But here`s just some of your favorite guests. Well, there`s you and there`s Carson.
WILLIAMS: Well, there`s Carson and whatnot. But this is Heather Locklear Hallway -
HAMMER: Because?
WILLIAMS: Because Heather Locklear is a dream guest. Does that sound stupid for me to say (UNINTELLIGIBLE) about dream guests?
HAMMER: No. No, I think that`s actually pretty appropriate because she is a lovely woman. She is a beautiful woman and she`s got a lot to say.
WILLIAMS: We were pregnant at the same time. I had a miscarriage. We will always be friends in my head. She has Ava. And as I look at grow, I said, "I could have a daughter that age, too."
I love Heather Locklear. I heard that she is not the talkative one, so I don`t anticipate that she will ever come here. That`s why, to me, it makes no sense to say dream guests, because people, for various reasons, don`t want to - you know, whether it`s that they don`t fly or they don`t do talk shows.
Or you know, Donna Summer called me three years ago and wished me a happy birthday on the air. I had no idea at that time or two years ago that she was diagnosed.
HAMMER: Right. Well, nobody did.
WILLIAMS: And she was a proud woman. I knew all this time I`m thinking, I am the queen of disco, like ooh, ooh, is my middle name. We renamed a green room down there the Donna Summer green room.
HAMMER: I heard you making that announcement.
WILLIAMS: And because she couldn`t come, I was conflicted, and then she passed away. This is the Susan Sarandon rest area.
HAMMER: Because?
WILLIAMS: Because Susan Sarandon is from Jersey like I am. And -
HAMMER: Yes. And Molly Pitcher was already taken.
WILLIAMS: Molly Pitcher was already taken. And she really does want a rest area. So you know, Gov. Christie is busy dieting. And so I said, "You know what? We will name this your rest area."
HAMMER: And have you had a conversation with Susan about that?
WILLIAMS: Yes.
HAMMER: She was on the show?
WILLIAMS: Yes.
HAMMER: OK.
WILLIAMS: Yes.
HAMMER: And so it happened?
WILLIAMS: It`s still there.
HAMMER: But I walk in this building and I know I have been here before and it wasn`t for your show. I have been on another show and it was for "Montel."
WILLIAMS: "Montel" was here for 17 years. And if it was good enough for him to produce that show out here for 17 years, it`s certainly good enough for us.
HAMMER: I`m so happy for you - 500 episodes. That deserves a huge hug. From the modern day disco queen, Wendy Williams.
WILLIAMS: How you doin`?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: How you doin`? I`m never going to get it right. I`ve got to congratulate Wendy Williams going strong, 500 shows. We`re very proud of you, Wendy.
She`s set to celebrate that huge milestone tomorrow on her show. She is promising some huge surprises for fans of the show and the studio audience.
Wendy has truly transformed herself. A lot of people are even comparing her to the ultimate queen of talk, Oprah Winfrey. Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but is Wendy truly the heir apparent to the daytime throne?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Obviously, after the great Oprah left the airwaves, there was a real void that was left. And everybody - you know, the constant question was, who is the next Oprah?
And I want to ask you, because there is only one Oprah. But look, a lot of people say you have stepped in to really fill that void. What do you think about that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wait until you hear what she said. Also tonight, John Mayer unplugged. Is his new song really about his ex, Jennifer Aniston?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MAYER: At no time writing songs did the engineer say what`s that about? It`s not a question that`s asked among musicians and songwriters.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: John Mayer sets the record straight tonight about living through the firestorm after spilling the beans about exes, Jen Aniston and Jessica Simpson, all coming up in a rare, must-see SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
And now, your SHOWBIZ first look at Ron Burgundy and the gang in "Anchorman II."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEVE CARELL, ACTOR: And now, it`s my turn to talk.
WILL FERRELL, ACTOR: Rick, give a nice message to people.
CARELL: In this movie, we play witches.
FERRELL: Rick, what are you possibly driving? Look, it`s going to be a fun movie.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Tonight, John Mayer`s unbelievable reveal about his latest song, "Shadow Days," from his new album which is out today called "Born and Raised."
Now, reports say the song is all about his ex, Jennifer Aniston. But is that really true? Well, tonight, Mayer is setting the record straight for us, and he reveals why he quit Twitter and his millions of followers. Here`s SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Kareen Wynter.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
KAREEN WYNTER, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): John Mayer is slamming the unnamed source who said his new single, "Shadow Days," is about his ex-girlfriend, Jennifer Aniston.
MAYER: There are no sources, because no one ever asked. I`ve never told anybody what a song is about. Literally, at no time did the engineer say what`s that about.
At no time did Don Weiss look at me and say hey, "Hey, Johnny, what`s this about?" It`s not a question that is asked among musicians and songwriters.
(MUSIC)
WYNTER: Mayer tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Shadow Days" is not an ode. It started as a mantra from Mayer to himself.
MAYER: I was singing and strumming the guitar. And I remember singing, "I`m a good man with a good heart." And it was really interesting to hear it sung because it`s not arrogant to say that.
I don`t know if air left my body or more came in, but it was this really profound moment of, like, it`s OK to say you are a good person, you know.
WYNTER: On his new album, "Born and Raised," the seven-time Grammy winner writes about picking up the pieces after his very public fall from grace in 2010.
It came to a head in an overly-glib interview with "Playboy" where he insulted African-Americans and former flames Jessica Simpson and Jennifer Aniston in one disastrous swoop.
MAYER: I think that`s probably the only time I did or will sort of just write about that crash, you know, that sort of like violent awakening into adulthood by way of like really now embarrassing kind of behavior.
WYNTER: Some may call it poetic justice, but after running his mouth, suddenly, Mayer lost the ability to speak. He developed granuloma nodules near his vocal cords that had to be surgically removed.
As soon as he finished the new record, he discovered he`d have to undergo a second surgery, which he hasn`t gotten around to scheduling yet.
MAYER: I think in singing the record, I lost the ability to sing again. Singing the record sort of brought down the - like, because I sang the record, I wasn`t able to go on tour.
But if I had gone on tour, I would have had to cancel two weeks, you know. It was just - I just aggravated it again.
WYNTER: So now, he`s a singer who can`t sing with a new CD he can`t promote with a tour.
MAYER: It`s up to the record to kind of speak for me or tour for me. I don`t know. Maybe it`s kind of cool to find something and not have the jammed down your throat. Who knows?
WYNTER: With the exception of non-singing appearances on "Ellen" and a couple of late-night shows, Mayer has turned down most requests for interviews except for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and he`s finally admitting why.
MAYER: I waited for a long time to say this. It`s extremely uncomfortable. I think it was always extremely uncomfortable.
But I just thought I would come up with some other competing corrected behavior to stop making it feel uncomfortable.
And the only way that I could stop making it feel uncomfortable was to behave in the sort of reverse of how the energy was coming at me.
WYNTER: To stop fanning the flames, he pulled the plug on his own Twitter account and left 3.7 million followers without their daily dose of the world according to Mayer.
MAYER: So it`s a little crazy being your own brand manager, and so I gave it up. I gave up Twitter and - you know, I`m not bashing Twitter.
It`s too easy, meaning it`s lazy. It`s just lazy to bash Twitter. But for me, I felt like I just wanted to disengage from it.
And it was a really great way to come off of this daily analysis which is not correct anyway, the feeling like you can correctly analyze yourself and the world every single day. It was beautiful. I`m never going back. Never going back.
(MUSIC)
WYNTER: These days, you won`t find Mayer in New York or Los Angeles. He told his homes on both coasts and moved to a small town in Montana. Mayer tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT life is less complicated, and he likes it that way.
MAYER: Where I am now is just I think where I should have always been, just a singer-songwriter, not looking to dominate the world.
Let someone else try to think they can beat the game. I watched people do it. I watched people do it, and I totally understand where they are coming from.
And I go, well, OK, I don`t want to be the guy to tell me I can`t do it, so I`m going to keep watching. I know what he`s trying to do.
WYNTER: In the meantime, Mayer keeps to himself, sharing thoughts with his guitar.
MAYER: I`m going to make another record. You know, I may have to sing differently, quieter something, maybe in a different voice or write the songs with a croaky voice and then come back and redo the vocals in a week, you know, six months after the surgery. But I`m OK. I want less of the world than I ever did.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It looks like John has gotten his life back on track. And I do believe he`s on to something with that hat. His brand-new album is called "Born and Raised." It`s out today.
And tonight, I`ve got exclusive new revelations from daytime`s biggest talk show diva. Is Wendy Williams the new Oprah?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
(on camera) There is only one Oprah, but look, a lot of people said you have stepped in to really fill that void. What do you think about that?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Tonight, more from my SHOWBIZ on location exclusive with Wendy Williams. She answers the burning questions, next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
Time now for the SHOWBIZ buzz list. Here`s what the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff is buzzing about this week.
Happy 500th show, Wendy Williams. I had such a blast with Wendy on her set. Can`t wait to see what she has got cooking for a big milestone on Wednesday.
We are loving the new app "Video 2 Photo" that lets you take video and turns them into pictures.
Food Network stars all fired up for a new season, but now, Chefs Bobby Flay, Giada De Laurentiis and Elton Brown have face off with each other. That`s Sunday night on the Food Network.
And we are going to pick up "Born and Raised" by the newly mellowed-out John Mayer. It`s out today.
And here come the "Men in Black" for a third time. Josh Brolin joins Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones just in time for Memorial Day weekend.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WILL SMITH, ACTOR: We have a situation.
TOMMY LEE JONES, ACTOR: Yes. I will take the chloropod. You take the toranomy(ph) and hydroneum(ph) over there. I will take whatever is in the kitchen and meet you on the street.
W. SMITH: This is a very confusing time in life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight, my SHOWBIZ on location exclusive with Wendy Williams. The new diva of daytime talk is poised to celebrate her 500th show tomorrow. We are so proud of you, Wendy Williams.
And now that Oprah stepped aside, is Wendy the new queen of daytime talk? Well, I went behind the scenes and I turned the tables on Wendy to ask her the burning questions everybody wants answered.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(on camera) First of all, honestly, because you are always very candid, could you have ever imagined?
WILLIAMS: No. No.
HAMMER: I mean, your success, you deserve it all. But really, I mean, this is - to make it through 500 episodes like this?
WILLIAMS: I mean, no, honestly, I thought that my radio career was the pinnacle, you know, writing books, the pinnacle. Side projects would happen from me being on the radio and me doing that, you know.
I am married 14 years. Our son now is almost 12 years old. A charmed life before this talk show. And then the show came along. And I could not imagine in a million years that this is what my life would be like now.
HAMMER: And I know you take none of it for granted. And obviously, after the great Oprah left the airwaves -
WILLIAMS: Yes.
HAMMER: There was a real void that was left and everybody - you know, the constant question was, who is the next Oprah? And I wouldn`t ask you that, because there is only one Oprah. But look, a lot of people say you have stepped in to really fill that void. What do you think about that?
WILLIAMS: I don`t think so. I mean, I think that people say that because, you know, maybe I`m a black girl on although Katie is now getting that pressure. She`s coming out in September, so maybe it`s not a black thing.
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t think it is. It`s a great talk show host who has a variety of things to talk about and people are interested.
WILLIAMS: I think it`s a great talk show host with a lot of things to talk about, but that`s not me, you know. I am a fun girl on a daily basis with my hot topics, a bit of ask Wendy.
I`m a responsible woman so I like to talk about responsible things, but I also like to quickly get back to the fun.
HAMMER: People imagine you live this glamorous life. I think you actually live a pretty modest life. You don`t have homes all over the world and fly around in private jets.
WILLIAMS: I fly a private jet if somebody else is paying.
HAMMER: Well, yes.
WILLIAMS: The homes all over the world - no. We live in New Jersey. You know, I have a nice life. I have a nice life, but I also understand that savings is probably the most important thing that you can do when you get to a particular station in life, because I want to keep this life going.
And when I say this life now, I am not talking about necessarily the celebrity. I`m talking about - you know, I don`t want to worry about my life. And food is so expensive. If I want blueberries, I want to be able to buy blueberries.
HAMMER: And you`re a mom.
WILLIAMS: And I`m a mom and there`s college to pay for. But in terms of buying $1,500 handbags, I`ve lived those days and I did it.
HAMMER: You have to be happy with yourself. It`s more about what you like, right?
WILLIAMS: Exactly.
HAMMER: I think we just had a bond.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
Thanks again to my good friend, Wendy Williams. You can check out the big celebration for the 500th "Wendy Williams Show" tomorrow. You should check your local listings for show times. Congratulations, Wendy.
That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer. Remember, you can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusively, weeknights. We are on at 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. And we are on right here on HLN.
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