Return to Transcripts main page
Showbiz Tonight
Top Three Burning Questions Jury Must Ask Jodi Arias; Is Duchess of Cambridge Having a Girl? Countdown of Top 3 Shockers
Aired March 06, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," the top three burning questions the jury must ask Jodi Arias. Why did Jodi record her phone sex talk?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
TRAVIS ALEXANDER, MURDER VICTIM (via phone): You cannot say I don`t work that booty.
JODI ARIAS, MURDER DEFENDANT (via phone): Oh, never mind, you do know how to work the booty.
ALEXANDER: Your butt has gotten more attention than any woman on the face of the earth.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Was all of that wild sex really consensual? What`s the No. 1 burning question?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello and thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
And tonight, the compelling drama on TV, seen live right here on HLN today, as the jury got to ask Jodi Arias questions at her murder trial.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUDGE SHERRY STEPHENS, PRESIDING OVER TRIAL: "Did you record other phone sex conversations?"
ARIAS: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes, in Phoenix, the jury gets to ask questions, and they started doing that today. And tonight on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," the top three questions we think must be asked before the jury is done. And as you can imagine, they have to do with all of the sordid, graphic revelations that Jodi has made about her over-the-top sex life with her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, before she stabbed him 27 times and shot him.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIAS (via phone): Remember the first time that you and I grinded at Ehrenburg. I ended up just (EXPLETIVE DELETED) and you were like, "Whoa, I (EXPLETIVE DELETED)" and we (EXPLETIVE DELETED) at the same time and I looked around and there was just like (EXPLETIVE DELETED) all over. It was so hot.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And on and on it has gone, Jodi`s cringe-worthy sexual details about her love life while testifying for more than two weeks on the stand, trying to prove that she killed Travis in self-defense.
And all, of course, seen right here as HLN brings you the live courtroom testimony every day.
Jane Velez-Mitchell is, of course, part of that continuing coverage. Jane is the host of "JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL," weeknights, 7 p.m. here on HLN and joining us from New York tonight.
In Hollywood tonight, Pat Lalama, who`s a correspondent with the Investigation Discovery network.
So ladies, let`s kick off our countdown with the No. 3 question that we think the jury has got to ask Jodi Arias: "Why did Jodi Arias and Travis Alexander record their phone sex conversations, which have been played in court?"
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALEXANDER (via phone): You cannot say I don`t work that booty.
ARIAS (via phone): Oh, never mind, you do know how to work the booty.
ALEXANDER: Your butt has gotten more attention than any woman on the face of the earth.
ARIAS: Well, it kind of screams for attention. It sticks out.
ALEXANDER: I love that butt. It is indeed -- if they had ass of the planet award, it would win.
ARIAS: Oh, I don`t know about that but thank you.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Jane, why did they record their phone sex? Does it make any sense to you?
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: Well, Jodi, the one who recorded it, she claims that Travis asked her to do that. I doubt that, because he might have made a reference to that, do you think, if he`s actually asked her? There is no reference.
So I think this was either some kind of stalker souvenir on her part or that she wanted blackmail material on him. If he ever tried to leave her, she could say, "I`m going to release this. Stay with me."
HAMMER: Yes. I`m thinking set up here.
But Pat Lalama, I want you to weigh in. I know you`ve been following this very closely. Why do you think she recorded these conversations?
PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATION DISCOVERY: You know, it`s interesting. You can look at it so many different ways.
First of all, these people are into sex, so maybe she just wanted to have it on record to go and listen to later. I doubt it. I agree with my good friend, Jane. I think there`s a set up in here. I think she wants to use it later. There`s all kinds of salacious stuff in there that doesn`t necessarily make him look, you know -- what`s normal. I don`t know. It`s not for me to judge, but definitely I think it`s maybe payback later.
HAMMER: Sex, sex, sex.
LALAMA: Oh, yes.
HAMMER: And sex happens to be part of the No. 2 question on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown" that we think the jury has got to ask Jodi Arias. Was the sex with Travis consensual or not?
Now, part of Jodi`s self-defense claim is that Travis was an abusive boyfriend and forced her to do things sexually that she didn`t like. But as we`ve seen throughout her testimony, heard right here on HLN live, Arias seems to go back and forth on that point. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIAS: I felt like a used piece of toilet paper.
JUAN MARTINEZ, PROSECUTOR: It was a consensual mutual relationship sexually speaking, wasn`t it?
ARIAS: Yes, always.
I couldn`t help thinking that I was kind of like a prostitute.
MARTINEZ: Your participation, if you will, in these activities was equal to his, right, wasn`t it?
ARIAS: Yes.
It was a way for him to relieve his anger.
KIRK NURMI, JODI`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Are you telling us that this was an alternative to anger?
ARIAS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: There was a sexual component to it, wasn`t it?
ARIAS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: And it was always a component that you and -- partook of as much as he did, right?
ARIAS: Yes.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. I don`t know if you guys could actually hear the sound while that sound was playing, with my head spinning round and round, trying to figure out exactly what the truth was.
But Jane, does Jodi`s constant testimony about her sex life leave you just as confused as the rest of the world? Or do you have a line in on this for us?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Look, I think she enjoyed it. It`s a kinky sexual relationship. It takes two to tango. I think she even used that phrase. And you could see from some of her texts she wants a well-deserved spanking.
And the fact is that, in S&M relationships, both parties get something out of it, the top and the bottom. And so they`re both getting off. What can I say?
HAMMER: Yes, so to speak. So listen, Pat, at one moment she`s saying, "I felt like a piece of toilet paper." And the other moment she`s saying, "This was consensual." Can you make sense of it for us?
LALAMA: What she meant was "I felt like a piece of toilet paper and I liked it."
HAMMER: Oh, OK.
LALAMA: The point is she insults. She insults -- she is an insult to people who are truly in domestically abusive or sex slave kinds of relationships.
She used sex as a tool. It was one of her weapons. She was into it, and she later used it to try to get him back, to manipulate him in any way she possibly could. She was angry and jealous and frustrated, and sex was the tool. That`s what she wanted to keep him in her life.
HAMMER: Yes, I agree with you.
LALAMA: She was no slave.
HAMMER: I also think that, you know, she`s making a bad name for people who are into sexually-charged relationships. But that`s a whole different...
LALAMA: Exactly. Exactly.
HAMMER: Jodi`s shifting stories in the case does bring us to our No. 1 question on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown." We think the jury has got to ask Jodi Arias, "Jodi, after all your lies, I mean, really, why in the world should we believe you now?"
From the moment Travis Alexander was killed in 2008, we`ve lost track of all the lies. Jodi has told so many of them, from saying she wasn`t in Arizona when Travis was killed to blaming the killing on ninjas that broke into the house. And she`s admitted to it on the stand.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTINEZ: Did you lie to the detective? Yes or no.
ARIAS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: And did you also lie to "48 Hours"?
ARIAS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: Did you lie to people in Utah?
ARIAS: Yes.
MARTINEZ: Did you lie to Daniel Freeman?
ARIAS: Yes, everyone.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Jane, they only get so many questions. You`ve got to think that the jury wants to ask Jodi, "Why should we trust you now?"
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Why do you want to ask a question of a pathological liar? Well, even a broken clock is right twice a day, and really good pathological liars weave the truth into their lies. They need 70 percent truth but 30 percent really good lies.
I think some of these jurors want to catch her in the lie: "Oh, I`ve got a question that`s really going to snag her." It`s like a game at this point.
HAMMER: Yes. I mean, what do you think, Pat? Would you want to ask her, "Why should we believe you at all, because you have contradicted yourself so many times at this point?"
LALAMA: You know what really strikes me, A.J.? I was looking back at some of the old TV interviews that she did. And when she was telling that original story about the intruders, it was so intricate, and she had so many details. And I thought she is so good at this, how will anybody really know what shred is the truth and what is not? She is a born liar.
HAMMER: There`s little question about that.
And now, in a bombshell accusation, some friends of Travis are accusing Jodi of yet another lie. They just revealed this exclusive video to Dr. Drew Pinsky here on HLN on his show, "Dr. Drew on Call."
It shows Travis and Jodi sitting down and talking to a group of friends in this thing. And one of Travis` friends tells Dr. Drew that the affection we see Travis showing Jodi in this video shows that she`s lying now, as she paints Travis as being this unaffectionate abuser. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For Jodi to be on the stand, saying that Travis never showed affection and he was embarrassed of her, this shows right here that -- I mean, there were -- you can`t see in the rest of the video, but there were 20 other people standing opposite to Travis, listening to this story. And she was laying there.
And this is how she always was around the group. She, you know, was apathetic. She didn`t care about anything, and she was, you know, always trying to get Travis away from the group.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So, Jane, what do you think that the jury is going to make of all of Jodi`s lies?
VELEZ-MITCHELL: First of all, I think the prosecution should take that videotape and play it in their rebuttal case.
HAMMER: Yes.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: Because it really does show that he`s affectionate in front of a large group of people, and that was one of the bases of her defense was that, "Oh, I`m Travis`s dirty little secret. Nobody was supposed to know." Well, look at that. That flies in the face of it.
I just think this is absolutely fascinating, and every day there is something like this. She`s like, "Oh, I can`t wait until I get him alone. I just can`t stand being with other people." Look at this. It is hysterical.
HAMMER: Yes, Pat. How in the world is the jury going to find any modicum of credibility with anything that Jodi has said?
LALAMA: I don`t know. But it only takes one, and that`s the beauty of our system.
But the point of the matter is that she is so sincerely narcissistic. Everything comes back to her, everything about -- it`s about her.
The only thing I fear is that when she does that little demure kind of thing and the jurors have seen her for so long and they`ve become so familiar with her, that maybe they`re going to forgive her for something. I don`t know; I hope not.
HAMMER: We sure will find out. Pat, Jane, anything goes. Thank you very much.
Well, we`re moving on right now to outrage over what appears to be a murder in progress. Murder as a viral video prank. Now, this is the video that has everybody asking, what would you do if you walked in on something like this?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Tonight the shock over that in our next big "SHOWBIZ Countdown." It`s today`s top shockers, including this news that is breaking today.
Valerie Harper revealing that she has terminal brain cancer. The TV legend, who starred in "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "Rhoda," now only has months to live.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Geico`s 15 Minutes of Fame".
Wow. Can you believe this kid`s mind-boggling moves? That is Julian Newman. He`s the starting point guard for Orlando`s Downey Christian High School basketball team. He`s only in fifth grade. He`s five -- 4`5" tall, yes, just 4`5". He weighs 70 pounds.
And now Julian is enjoying his fame as the videos of him smoking guys a foot or more bigger than him have gone crazy viral. There he is, Julian, joining us tonight from his home in Orlando, Florida.
Thanks for hanging out with us, Julian.
JULIAN NEWMAN, HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYER: Thank you, A.J.
HAMMER: So as we talk here, I`m going to show everybody these amazing videos that have made you famous. And you`ve got to tell me, how do you do it? How do you put these guys who are so much bigger than you to shame like this?
NEWMAN: I just have to use my footwork and get by them.
HAMMER: And you are quick, man. You`re quick. And you`ve got these moves, and I know you`ve got a nickname, too. They call you Handles. You`ve got to tell me where you got that nickname.
NEWMAN: Just because I can dribble the ball. And people call me Handles, because I can dribble the ball.
HAMMER: I have to believe, watching you out on the court like this, that you`re having the time of your life.
Basketball experts are saying they`ve never seen anybody like you out there at all. I mean, here you are on the court, side by side. You`re starting with these guys who are really, really big, and obviously, you`re totally holding your own.
So how does it make you feel when they`re calling your name and the crowds are cheering for you, the girls are smiling? Are you loving every minute of it? What`s it like?
NEWMAN: It`s fun. Hearing people, like, talk about me, and I still have to work hard. And so I can have more stuff like this.
HAMMER: Yes, I know you have to work really hard at it. But come on, does anything beat the cheering that goes on for you when you`re walking out on that court? How great is that?
NEWMAN: It is great hearing them call my name and stuff.
HAMMER: Well, this has made you famous. And I know you just had the chance to meet one of the most famous and, quite frankly, one of the greatest basketball players in the world, your hero, Kobe Bryant, and here you are with him as we`re looking at this picture. How did that happen? How did you get to meet him?
NEWMAN: I was on the Conan O`Brien show, and -- and they told us we were going to the Lakers game and we would get to meet Kobe. And -- and we went outside the locker room to talk with him after the game.
HAMMER: That must have been so much fun. I hope you gave him some tips on improving his game. Did you help him out a little bit?
NEWMAN: No.
HAMMER: Did he give you any tips, any suggestions for you on how to keep this thing going?
NEWMAN: Yes, to keep working hard and keep loving basketball.
HAMMER: Well, I have the feeling that that is going to be a huge part of your life for many, many years to come, and we haven`t heard the last of you, Julian Newman. Thanks so much for being with us.
NEWMAN: Thank you.
HAMMER: Absolutely. All right. What a great story.
Coming up, we`ve got another great "SHOWBIZ Countdown," and it`s creating shock waves in Hollywood and beyond tonight. Outrage over what appears to be a murder in progress, all for a viral video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is crazy. It`s the video that`s got everybody asking does this go too far? Tonight it`s the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," the day`s top "SHOWBIZ Shockers." Which is going to be No. 1?
Who shot J.R.? Yes, it`s one of the most infamous TV catch phrases in TV history, and it made "Dallas" and Larry Hagman TV icons. As we witness J.R.`s history-making final farewell on "Dallas," his co-star and his real- life best friend, the incredible Linda Gray, is right here, and she is sharing secrets from the set and telling us about the brand-new "Who shot J.R." story line. Tonight, SHOWBIZ in Dallas.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now, "SHOWBIZ Trending." Kate Middleton has just reignited the royal baby frenzy with a little possible slip of the lip. Did the duchess actually reveal that she`s having a little princess? Hold the royal horses. The truth is yet to be revealed.
So the expectant Duchess of Cambridge has set the social media world abuzz tonight after a well-wisher claims that she heard the duchess say "Da," as in "daughter." Now, the woman claims that another well-wisher gave Kate a gift and that Kate thanked her and said that she would give the gift to her "da." Well, cameras caught the end of the exchange. Let`s watch how that played out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you say my daughter?
KATE MIDDLETON, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: No, my, oh, my -- no, no, no, no, I`m sure. I`m sure. We don`t know. So...
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK, I`m listening to her, and I`m trying to read her face, as well. So did she or didn`t she? What`s going on?
Let me bring in Cheryl Lazar from WhatsTrending.com. Cheryl is with me from Hollywood tonight.
So Cheryl, imagine if this is true. I`m thinking this goes down as one of the greatest slip-ups in history.
CHERYL LAZAR, WHATSTRENDING.COM: Right. I mean, you`re not allowed to reveal the gender of a baby when you`re a royal before the baby is born, so that`s a huge deal, the fact that she just revealed it. And now we`re all becoming mind readers and lip readers. Was it "da" -- is it for her dog? What did she really mean?
HAMMER: Yes. I`m going to give it to my dog.
LAZAR: I don`t know.
HAMMER: Yes. What`s trending online about this, because even though they`re not supposed to, are there people out there right now thinking that Prince William and Kate may, you know, become more modern and reveal the baby`s gender? Or are they going to keep everybody waiting?
LAZAR: Exactly. You know, it does take the media and social media to change the rules, if we can say that. And so perhaps this little slip-up will make them say, "You know what? Instead of putting out a press release and waiting," because this is going to create more buzz and more pressure for them, if anything, everywhere they go after this. And so perhaps maybe they`ll even do an official tweet of the baby`s gender instead of doing a big interview, because that`s the new way to do it.
HAMMER: She almost did look a little panicked there, though. It was pretty funny. You almost had the sense that maybe she said something that she shouldn`t have said. But here`s another thing.
LAZAR: She knows all the cameras -- yes, and she knows all the cameras are capturing it, and it will end up on YouTube anyway.
HAMMER: Well, there`s another famous mom to be who doesn`t mind sharing it all, and that is Jessica Simpson, of course. She was on "Ellen" today, revealing that her second pregnancy was unexpected, and it came as a shock. And she was talking about what it`s like the second time around. Let`s watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER: This pregnancy is the complete opposite. Like, with Maxwell, I felt amazing. I felt like I could do everything, eat everything, do whatever I wanted. I had a lot of energy.
This time around, I`m like exhausted, you know, eating Tums.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Tasty snack there, Tums.
Jessica loves to keep it real, Cheryl, and I`m thinking that, because of that, a lot of women just relate to her so well.
LAZAR: Yes, exactly. More relatable than ever before, even beyond her reality show.
She actually tweeted in December her baby bump. And everyone just loved that, the fact that she was showing it off in Hawaii and she was owning the fact that she`s big and bubbly and pregnant.
But then, you know, talking about this in such an open way so many women can identify, and that`s what`s so great about it. And she`s also been sharing it on her own social media feed.
HAMMER: Yes.
LAZAR: So we`re connecting with her in more ways than ever before.
HAMMER: And I`m sure Tums tweeting -- trending, as well, tonight.
Cheryl Lazar, thank you so much.
We move on right now to some big news that really hit a lot of TV fans pretty hard today, that Valerie Harper is revealing she has terminal brain cancer. The TV icon who played Rhoda on "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" now only has months to live. Tonight, we`ve got the shocking details about that.
Plus Taylor`s tart tongue. Taylor Swift`s been called every name in the book for her love them, leave them and write a song about them ways, but now she`s firing back, Taylor calling her critics sexist for calling her names. Will Taylor`s attack top the "SHOWBIZ Countdown" of today`s top shockers?
It is time now for "SHOWBIZ Say What?" Tonight Regis Philbin and Michael Strahan. And you know that Michael became the heir to Regis` throne, of course, when Reeg retired from "Live." These guys are still buddies, but what do you think was going through Michael`s mind when this picture was taken? Please fill in the thought bubble and share your thoughts with us.
Head to HLNTV.com/ShowbizTonight, fill in the thought bubble. We`re going to share our favorite answers tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SCREAMING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," today`s top three "SHOWBIZ Shockers," including the fierce outrage over that viral video showing people reacting to what appears to be a murder in progress in an elevator. Did it cross the line? And will it top our "SHOWBIZ Shockers" countdown?
Plus, good-bye J.R. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is taking us inside the late Larry Hagman`s amazing last scenes as the iconic J.R. Ewing on "Dallas." Larry`s long-time friend and co-star, Linda Gray, is in Dallas tonight for a "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview. She`s revealing all of the extraordinary details about this amazing tribute. "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" continues right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I am A.J. Hammer. And tonight on the SHOWBIZ Countdown we`re counting down the top three shockers today that are making big news right now. And kicking it all off at number 3, the outrage today about an over the top prank, so imagine this. You are waiting for an elevator. When you see the doors open, you see a guy being strangled. But did the producers of this viral video take things too far? Well, you`d be the judge. Here is CNN`s Jeannie Moos for "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT."
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Set up a hidden camera, get one actor to pretend to strangle another with an electrical cord, then ask what would you do if you walked into a murder in progress?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: (Screaming)
MOOS: Scream bloody murder. It is the latest viral video from an agency called Think Moto (ph). The creators say out of about 110 people around 20 percent actually tried to stop the strangulation. Beating with a bouquet? Trying to drag out the victim. They call it elevator murder experiment. It is really meant to promote a movie starring Collin Farrell that includes a strangulation scene ..
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You know how hard it is to kill a man?
MOOS: "Dead Man Down", it is called, at least this downer of an elevator experiment left no one dead, although one guy sprayed a fire extinguisher.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Some of it looks a little staged to me, you know, the fire hose and so on.
MOOS: The question is are the people in the video genuinely reacting or are they just acting? The creators told us they used Craigslist to bring most of the people into the building under the false premise of attending a focus group, and they sprang the elevator prank on them. They admit the dogs were added to have an animal reaction.
(on camera): What would you do?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I would jump in there.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t think I would be beating anybody down. I think I probably would have called.
MOOS (voice over): Meaning 911.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It is a Coach bag.
MOOS: This woman says she would have used her purse on the strangler. Some would like to murder the video. "It is like a horrible psych experiment, borderline sadistic." "These `real` promos keep happening, and one of these times the actor is going to get shot."
The one who really gets a lot of flack is the guy at the end of the video, the guy who just points his camera phone, "that one taking the pic is sick," "that scumbag," "oh, thanks for the help, jackass." It turns out the scumbag is a part-time actor named Keith Mackles. The creators admit that shot was staged to recreate a moment they missed. Somehow it feels like we`re the ones left holding the bag.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: That was CNN`s Jeannie Moos for "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT." It is pretty amazing, isn`t it? Here is our SHOWBIZ Countdown question tonight. Did this viral video featuring a man pretending to strangle another all for the sake of promoting a new movie just go too far? Let me go out to Jen Hobby, who is a radio host for Kix 101.5 in Atlanta. So, Jen, I have to tell you, I checked today, the video has got already more than 1 million hits on Youtube and the reactions are mixed as you would expect. Some people do find it funny, others like Matt Lauer on "The Today" show said this morning that it has gone too far. I am curious to know what you think.
JEN HOBBY, RADIO HOST 101.5 IN ATLANTA: I think it has gone too far, A.J. I mean SHOWBIZ Shocker is an understatement. This is just beyond shocking. And I think that we have to ask ourselves are we desensitizing ourselves to violence with this? I mean were these really people in a focus group that showed up thinking they were witnessing a murder? And like Jeanne mentioned, what if somebody had a gun ...
HAMMER: Yeah.
HOBBY: ... and their fight or flight response was to fight with a weapon?
HAMMER: Yeah, can you imagine if one was like an undercover cop or something like that ...
HOBBY: Oh, yeah.
HAMMER: All in the name of publicity drumming up audience for the movie "Dead Man Down" featuring Colin Farrell, but it does provoke a very important question of the people who did watch it or the people who came across the situation, what would you do if you came across a scene like this? Let`s watch again.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Help me. Help me!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey!
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, you`ll kill him. I need some help over here!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK, Jen, as I sit here watching this, I don`t know about you, but I still don`t know what I would do. I think it is one of those things where you kind of have to be in the moment. But what about you? Would you be there slamming on that person like that woman was trying to stop this or would you run away screaming like people understandably did?
HOBBY: I don`t know how I would react. I think it is that split second decision when you come upon something, you want to say that you would immediately jump in and help or scream or get attention or call or do something to stop it, but it is just so horrific, it makes my stomach turn every time we see these images, and the thought that it was just a prank, just to get movie promotion, I am like what are we really doing here?
HAMMER: Yeah.
HOBBY: You know, to cut through marketing messages, this is what we have to do now?
HAMMER: Yeah, I know.
HOBBY: Really?
HAMMER: It is sad. And it is freakish, and really, I don`t understand what it is all coming to. So, let`s move to a different direction. Still shocking, however, the shocking things that Taylor Swift is now saying about her love life. It also went crazy viral today. Taylor calling anybody who criticizes her penchant for penning lyrics about her love life sexist. This is number two on our SHOWBIZ Countdown of today`s top three SHOWBIZ Shockers. Take a look at what Taylor said in a brand new interview that she gave to "Vanity Fair." Here is what she said, `For a female to write about her feelings and then be portrayed as some clingy, insane, desperate girlfriend, I think it that`s taking something that potentially should be celebrated, a woman writing about her feelings and twisting it into something that is frankly a little sexist." You know what? Jen, I see where she is coming from. Do you agree that this is kind of sexist?
HOBBY: I see where she is coming from. She is a young girl. She is just dating and even though she`s had short lived relationships, she is just dating. I think she is young, and I think the thing with Taylor is she needs to be a little more confident about it. She is a mega star. People are going to comment on her life regardless of what she does, whether she is dating or not dating, everyone is going to have an opinion about it. She has to be self confident and do what she wants to do.
HAMMER: I agree, but in the grand scheme of pop culture, she has kind of made herself an easy target. All right, Jen Hobby, thank you so much.
Well, it is time now to reveal our number one shocker today, and it really did come as a shock, hit a lot of people really, really hard. The brand new issue of "People magazine" broke the news today the TV legend Valerie Harper, who of course played Rhoda on the "Mary Tyler Moore Show" and of course on the spinoff Rhoda has terminal brain cancer. Sadly, Harper has been told she has only months to live. Joining me in New York is Carlos Greer, he is a reporter for "People" magazine, and, Carlos, as someone who is a huge fan of both of those shows and Valerie in particular, this is such a shocking thing to hear and such a shocking diagnosis for her to have gotten. Can you share with us how Valerie found this out?
CARLOS GREER, PEOPLE MAGAZINE: A.J., she was experiencing several symptoms leading back to August, and she saw several doctors, and they couldn`t figure out what it was, but then in January she was rehearsing for her one woman show "Looped," and she felt her jaw, the right side of the jaw felt like she had Novocain in it, and her husband took her to the hospital, and that`s when she found out that she was diagnosed with terminal brain cancer.
HAMMER: And so many of her fans, as we know, really connected with Valerie`s TV character Rhoda. I have to imagine that connection had something to do with the fact that she was willing to reveal her diagnosis of terminal cancer instead of keeping it quiet. Would I be right about that?
GREER: Absolutely. She has been in a lot of people`s lives for more than four decades, and she understands her celebrity, she understands her connection to her fans, and it is also about her wanting to spread awareness of this very rare cancer. I believe it accounts for less than 2 percent of all cancers. So this is about her spreading awareness also, and just really being candid and honest and open and confronting this head on.
HAMMER: Well, four years ago, she had lung cancer. She actually thought that she was in the clear after going through that, but now we get this sad news. What did people learn about how she plans to live out what are her final days now?
GREER: What is really great about this interview, is that, again, she is so candid and it is very inspiring. She is living her life, still joyful, she is still cracking jokes, but she also has, you know, bouts of sadness and depression as well, but she wants to spend her life, her final days with her family and planning, and she is honest about that.
HAMMER: What a great inspiring example. Thank you so much, Carlos Greer. And to read more about Valerie Harper`s incredible story, pick up a copy of "People" magazine, she is on the cover, and it will on news stands everywhere this Friday.
Well, we all know cancer took legendary actor Larry Hagman from us sadly last year, and "Dallas" just paid tribute to his iconic role as JR Ewing in a farewell scene that was touching, it was fascinating, and it certainly was 100 percent JR. Tonight it is SHOWBIZ in Dallas. I have got an incredible newsmaker interview lined up with Larry Hagman`s "Dallas" co- star Linda Gray, and she is revealing all of the details about her friend`s final scenes. Plus I have got your brand new SHOWBIZ first look at "Iron Man 3."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is the first day of what`s left of your life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Iron Man, aka Tony Stark, on the ropes in this one. Come on, he is going to come to his super hero senses, right? He`s got to. He`s Iron Man. Watch and see. This is SBT, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can fix this.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I am glad to hear that. Don`t you worry, son, I have got a plan. It is going to be my masterpiece because you shouldn`t have to pay for my sins.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Come on, we just all loved Larry Hagman as JR Ewing on "Dallas." The legendary actor, of course, passed away in November. "Dallas" just paid tribute to Larry and his iconic role with his final scene as JR. I think it was just incredible. And tonight, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" brings you an extraordinary SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview with the woman who has been co- starring with Larry since the original "Dallas" series back in the `70s and `80s, and now of course in the "Dallas" revival, which is about to wrap up its second wildly successful season on TNT. There she is. We have known and loved Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing for all of these years on "Dallas." Linda joining us tonight from "Dallas," it is so terrific to have you here. I really appreciate it.
LINDA GRAY, ACTRESS: Thank you. It is my pleasure.
HAMMER: Well, we all just watched a brilliant end to a brilliant career with Larry Hagman`s famous role as JR came to an end this week. Linda, I think for me, and I think for everybody, it was a truly touching and fascinating final scene, but people shouldn`t take my word for it. Let`s watch it together.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY HAGMAN, ACTOR: Just remember, I am proud of you. You`re my son. From tip to tail.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you, daddy. That means a whole lot for me to hear you say that.
J.R.? Hello. Dad?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. So I am sitting here getting chills as I am watching that, Linda, and we`re all left asking the iconic question once again, who shot JR? I know that Larry and losing him obviously was very, very hard on you and the entire cast, and I know he was a dear friend. But when you watch his incredible final scene as JR, did you think, you know what, this is the best tribute anyone could have given to his amazing six-decade career?
GRAY: It is amazing. Not only was he my best friend for 35 years, but he touched people`s hearts and lives around the world for all of those years from "I Dream of Genie" to "Dallas." And just hearing the voice, wow, that was hard. Because I thought, oh, his voice was always present, and I keep looking in the script thinking where is our scenes together? And I keep expecting him to walk in the door with that Stetson and kibitzing with everybody on the set, and so it is a huge sadness, but good news, this Monday on TNT it is called we`re going to call it Larry Hagman day, March 11th, and it is the show where I think that the writers have done the most amazing job. We`re actually saying goodbye to Larry Hagman and JR Ewing. There will be a funeral and a memorial, and so people will get to say, sit in their living rooms and say, we love you, we`ll miss you and thank you.
HAMMER: Yes, I think that`s really nice.
GRAY: It is pretty good one. Yeah. You don`t want to miss that one.
HAMMER: Well, it is also amazing that you have an opportunity to have some degree of closure for you and your cast mates on the show and give it to the audience as well, and of course this new scene of JR getting shot simply reminds everyone of one of the most classic story lines in TV history, of course, talking about the first time JR was shot in "Dallas" back in the season finale in 1980. Let`s revisit that moment.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAGMAN: Who`s there?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It is amazing watching this with you and seeing your reaction, Linda. But you know very well that back then, more than 83 million people watched, and at the time it was the highest rated TV show in history. So do you think we`re going to see a second wave of who shot JR mania going on?
GRAY: You know, I don`t know. Times have, as you know, certainly changed. I mean, back then we had three networks, and now we have gazillions, and Internet and TiVo and DVRs that we didn`t have back then. So I think the amount of people may be different, but I think that people were so enamored by Mr. Hagman and so touched by him -- by the way, he loved for me to call him Mr. Hagman, and then I insisted that he call me Ms. Gray.
HAMMER: Perfect.
GRAY: When people would see us out in public, they would go, whoa, they`re very formal. No. But I don`t know whether it is going to be the same thing. It would be fantastic if it was. But I don`t even know who shot JR this time. So it is not in any scripts. It is very kept very, very close, so I am going to stick with you and find out who it was. But the writers are amazing, and I give them a lot of credit because they had to turn a lot of -- go through a lot of hoops when Mr. Hagman died, because then they had the scripts were going one way, and now they had to reshuffle everything and redo it. Applause to them.
HAMMER: I will be right there along with them, wearing my Stetson, Linda, catching the season finale of "Dallas." It is Monday night on TNT.
We move on now from the end of an amazing TV icon`s life to what looks like the end of an incredible movie icon. Could it be? I am talking about Iron Man, super hero Tony Stark, and SHOWBIZ is revealing your brand new first look at "Iron Man 3." I can tell you, not looking good for Tony.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Today is the first day of what`s left of your life.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Your first look at the next chapter in this epic Iron Man saga. This is SBT, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Super hero fans can rejoice. Also Robert Downey fans, because I have got your SHOWBIZ first look at "Iron Man 3." This "Iron Man" looks like a good old-fashioned revenge story, with the always glib Tony Stark digging deep to save the world and the love of his life. Let`s watch it.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ROBERT DOWNEY JR., ACTOR: I am Tony Stark. I build neat stuff. I got a great girl. And occasionally I save the world. So why can`t I sleep?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You elected me on a single platform. I will defend this country at all costs. The Mandarin must be stopped.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t know who I am. You will never see me coming.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are you going to do about these attacks?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The whole world is going to be watching.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The question, where is Tony Stark?
DOWNEY: Things are different now. I have to protect the one thing that I can`t live without. That`s you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Mr. Stark, today is the first day of what`s left of your life.
DOWNEY: Go!
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am going to offer a choice. Do you want an end to your life? Or a meaningful death?
DOWNEY: You`re not a man. You`re nothing more than a maniac.
I am not afraid of you. There`s no politics here. Just good old-fashioned revenge.
We do need backup.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That`s your department.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I guess we`re just going to have to wait and see if Tony Stark comes to his super hero senses and makes it back on top. I can`t wait, though. That was surely an awesome first look, and next I have an awesome real-life moment I am about to reveal to you. This is great, the shot heard around the world. Developmentally challenged teen who made his hoop dreams come true, and it was all because of one of the most amazing acts of good sportsmanship I have ever seen. This is SBT, "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Right now it is time for SHOWBIZ awesomeness. This is where we name the most awesome moment of the day, and today I am going to show you an act of good sportsmanship that is sure to become legendary.
So here is what went down. The coach of a high school basketball team in Texas put in his developmentally challenged team manager during the final moments of the final game of the season. That teen, Mitchell Marcus, sadly missed shot after shot, that is until a member of the other team intentionally turned over the ball to Mitchell so he could have at least one last shot at glory on the court. You have got to watch what happened.
What a magic moment for everyone. It is amazing, it`s all because of Jonathan Montagnes (ph) and what may be the most awesome act of good sportsmanship ever. Nice going. Next on "Dr. Drew on Call," exclusive video of Jodi Arias and the lover that she killed, Travis Alexander. What were they like as a couple? It`s the video you will only see on "Dr. Drew," and that starts right now.
END
