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Showbiz Tonight
Jodi Arias Game Changers; Invisible Driver Prankster Gets 15 Minutes of Fame; Jada Smith Makes Plea to Leave Young Stars Alone; Gwyneth Paltrow`s Cookbook Criticized; Is It Really So Crazy?; Andy Dick Dancing; Seal Pup Hitchhiking
Aired March 13, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JUAN MARTINEZ, PROSECUTOR: You said you didn`t know where that knife had gone. Right?
JODI ARIAS, MURDER DEFENDANT: I said that I didn`t remember where it ended up.
MARTINEZ: Right. Which means you don`t know where it -- where it was, right?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "Jodi Arias Game Changers." The top three twists that could totally up-end this case including the brand-new courtroom fight over the knife used to kill Travis Alexander. Is Jodi`s silence about the weapon going to sink her?
The hosts of the show that just debuted tonight, "HLN AFTER DARK," are right here tonight, Vinnie Politan and Ryan Smith. What will be their No. 1 Arias game changer?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello and thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
We are fresh off the debut tonight of "HLN AFTER DARK." The Jodi Arias trial, with a must-see "SHOWBIZ Countdown." Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is counting down what could be the top three shocking "Game Changers" in the Arias murder trial. And we`re doing it with the hosts of HLN "AFTER DARK." Vinnie Politan with us from Atlanta. So is Ryan Smith.
Great having you both here. And congratulations on the show, guys.
VINNIE POLITAN, HLN ANCHOR: Thanks. Thanks for joining us at night time, A.J.
HAMMER: It`s good being here after dark with the two of you. "HLN AFTER DARK" made its big debut tonight after yet another dramatic day on the witness stand for Jodi Arias. Of course, it was all seen live right here on HLN.
Jodi Arias again today trying to convince the jury that she shot her boyfriend, Travis Alexander, and then stabbed him more than two dozen times in self-defense.
We kick off the "SHOWBIZ Countdown" with the No. 3 potential game changers in the trial. Jodi and prosecutor Juan Martinez squaring off today over what happened after she shot Travis. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARTINEZ: As you shot Mr. Alexander, you by necessity then had to go look for the knife, don`t you?
ARIAS: I don`t know the answer to that.
MARTINEZ: Did you have the knife in your hand when you shot him?
KIRK NURMI, JODI`S DEFENSE ATTORNEY: It was the same question.
JUDGE SHERRY STEPHENS, PRESIDING OVER TRIAL: Overruled.
ARIAS: No, I did not.
MARTINEZ: You needed to go get that knife at that point, correct?
ARIAS: No, it`s possible Travis grabbed the knife first.
MARTINEZ: Oh, so as Mr. Alexander`s coming toward you, he now has a knife in his hands? That`s what you`re telling me?
ARIAS: No, I didn`t say that either.
MARTINEZ: Doesn`t have a knife in his hand, does he?
ARIAS: Not in that particular moment, no.
Martinez: You never told us THAT he had any knife there, did you?
Arias: No, I wasn`t asked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Wow. Contentious, again. Ryan, Jodi says that she remembers shooting Travis but not stabbing him. Do you think the prosecutor`s determination to talk about when Jodi grabbed the knife actually turned into a game changer?
RYAN SMITH, HLN ANCHOR: It absolutely did. Think about this. First of all, now, we have the introduction of maybe Travis having the knife. She`s adding a layer to the story, A.J. But she`s saying she didn`t say anything about it because nobody ever asked. I think she was being a little snippy there. But it did not work to her advantage.
This is all about 62 seconds. She shoots him -- He body-slams her. She gets away. She runs to the closet. She gets the gun. She points it at him. He comes in a linebacker pose to her. She shoots him. Then she has to go back and get the knife and slit his throat, eventually. But all of that has to happen in this timeframe.
And he got her to admit that she didn`t know where the knife was, unless Travis has it. So unless you believe that additional layer, it seems like all of these things couldn`t have happened in that time period, and it could suggest something more than just self-defense.
HAMMER: Vinnie, do you think that the jury is at all buying the claim that she can`t remember what happened after she shot them? Or do you think now they`re fully convinced that her memory is convenient or selective?
POLITAN: Yes, I would be shocked if they are believing these memory gaps, because the memory gaps occur when it`s time for her to remember something that makes her look bad. You know, anything that makes her look good, she remembers, but if it`s a fact that`s difficult to get around, that would make her look bad. Stabbing him more than two dozen times after shooting him in the head is going to make her look real bad, but she doesn`t remember that. She doesn`t remember looking for the knife. These -- and getting rid of evidence. She doesn`t remember that either. That is a huge problem.
HAMMER: Ryan, when you were watching her today on the stand, did she look more confident to you or maybe even less confident than she has?
SMITH: Less confident. She looked a little broken down to me. She is tired of Juan Martinez. She is tired of these questions.
And I think a lot of this is about who Jodi Arias is. She`s somebody who believes wholeheartedly in her story. So the more Juan Martinez questions her, the more she gets a little bit defensive. Kind of like, you know, what are you questioning me for? I`ve already explained this, even at points saying, "Hey, I didn`t mentioned Travis had a knife." "You never asked me." That`s not a good answer for her, because if you care about Travis and you care about the truth, and you`re asking the jury to believe you, why aren`t you offering every piece of information you have?
HAMMER: Yes, and look how long she`s been on the stand now. Vinnie, to you, does it almost seem like she`s been in this downward spiral as far as her confidence level is concerned?
POLITAN: Yes. If you compare this to a prize fight, we`re in round 18 of what was supposed to be a 12-round fight. She`s exhausted. She`s tired. She can`t keep everything straight. Juan Martinez, though, on the other hand, he`s energized.
So seeing that contrast in the courtroom, I see someone who is weaker, beaten down, more tired, more fatigued than her opponent, the prosecutor, Juan Martinez.
HAMMER: Well, Jodi`s trouble with a previous question is next on our countdown of potential "Game Changers." We all watched here on HLN as she was asked whether she would have ever come forward to tell what happened, had she not been arrested. And we all saw, and were quite frankly stunned, by how she seems unable to answer the question. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STEPHENS: "Would you decide to tell the truth if you never got arrested?"
ARIAS: I honestly don`t know the answer to that question.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Ryan, that moment seemed devastating for Jodi, and it was a question that was coming from the jurors. Do you think that is a game changer right there?
SMITH: That`s huge. That`s one of the biggest game changers. For two reasons. Think first about the pause. That pause that she has suggests to me that she`s not necessarily giving the honest answer. She`s trying to think about what the jury wants.
And then the answer she gives doesn`t seem to make sense with the idea that she said after the fact she didn`t come forward because she didn`t want to get caught but also because she wanted to protect Travis and his memory and everything about him. Why not come forward immediately? Why is the issue whether or not police would have caught you? And I think both of those things make her look especially bad and could be the deciding factor in this case.
HAMMER: Yes, I called that a huge red flag from where I sit.
So out of all of the potential Game Changers, what is No. 1 on our "SHOWBIZ Countdown"?
Jodi`s possibly attempt to secretly send a coded message to a potential witness. So the prosecution sprung this bombshell on the court. Jodi allegedly had two magazines in her jail cell which she intended to pass along to a friend and scribbled in those magazines a series of numbers. You`re seeing them here. The prosecutors say they correspond to magazine page numbers that allegedly contain a coded message to a friend on the outside.
Well, the prosecutor had Jodi read that alleged message in court. Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARIAS: "(EXPLETIVE DELETED) what you told my attorney next day directly contradicts what I`ve been saying for over a year. Get down here ASAP and see me before you talk to them again and before you testify so we can fix this. Interview was excellent. Must talk ASAP."
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Whoa, whoa, Vinnie, how big a game changer would it be if the jury believes that Jodi was trying to pass a message to a potential witness in the case?
POLITAN: Oh, it doesn`t get much worse than this. I mean, short of a confession on the witness stand. She`s passing a secret message, trying to manipulate a jury -- a witness testimony? Trying to fix a problem, change a story?
It shows someone who is not changing her story because of what Travis did to her. It`s someone who`s changing her story to try to save her hide. This is huge, A.J.
COOPER: Ryan, game over as far as you -- you`re concerned?
SMITH: It`s getting close. I think Vinnie`s got a great example. It`s like the 18th round, and she`s on the ropes.
The big deciding factor for her is going to be the experts. Can they bolster her memory loss? Can they talk about why that occurred? Can they talk about some of the strange actions that she had afterwards and explain it? And if they can and the jury believes them, then she has a better case. But as far as self-defense, it gets worse and worse every day.
HAMMER: Worse and worse. And we are witnessing it all right here.
All right. Vinnie, Ryan, thanks, guys. "HLN AFTER DARK, The Jodi Arias Trial," airs nightly right here on HLN at 10 p.m. Eastern.
Well, I hope you`re ready, because I am firing up yet another fascinating "SHOWBIZ Countdown" tonight. The breaking stories that have us asking, "Is it Really That Crazy? Think about it.
Dennis Rodman is in the Vatican. He wants a one-on-one with the brand-new pope who was just announced today. So Rodman`s already met with the leader of North Korea. "Is it Really That Crazy" for him to meet the new pope?
How about Russell Crowe`s alien encounter? The mega actor says he`s got video of a spaceship. So is his claim of other life out there really so out there? Which wild story is going to top our countdown, "Is it Really That Crazy?"
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Geico`s 15 Minutes of Fame." So imagine this: a car pulls up to a drive-through window, and it`s completely empty. Is it driven by a ghost?
Well, one man has turned his pranks into YouTube stardom, and it looks like he is ready to spin this act into much more. Check out the stunned reactions of fast-food employees when a car pulls up and nobody`s in the driver`s seat.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yo. There`s no one in the car.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hello.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the heck is going on?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Rahat Hossan is the mastermind behind these hilarious prank videos. He joins us tonight from his home in Newport News, Virginia.
And right off the bat, I want to thank you for being with us, because these are my kinds of pranks. I love it.
RAHAT HOSSAN, PRANKSTER: Thank you. Thanks for having me.
HAMMER: Well, the videos show you pulling away leaving everybody completely baffled. I mean, look at the expression on their faces. It`s amazing to me.
Did you eventually reveal yourself to these drive-through employees?
HOSSAN: Yes, absolutely. After I got the initial reaction, about a minute or two, I would reveal myself and tell everybody, "Hey, it`s just a prank. You know, I`m just filming this for YouTube and everything." And they usually get a really good laugh afterwards.
I got this idea last year when I saw an image floating around on the Internet where it was like a picture of a guy and he`d developed a car seat disguise, and in the picture wrote in the captions, "keep your arms low." And I can`t really remember it off the top of my head. But it was, like, keep your arms low, drive safely and enjoy all the reactions you`re going to get. And I thought, wow, that`s a great idea.
HAMMER: Nice. It worked out well for you. I want to take a look at another clip from a new drive-through prank that you just did that we want to reveal to everybody. Roll that, Brett.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) Dude, I`m on camera.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: On YouTube?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Did you ever expect that you`d get this much attention from them, that people would actually recognize you from YouTube?
HOSSAN: I kind of had a feeling that this invisible driver video was going to get a lot of attention. And I kind of thought that, OK, this is going to be kind of tough afterwards to film any other prank video that`s going to be related to the invisible driver idea. I have a lot of different variations that I want to do with the invisible driver costume.
But nowadays it`s a little tough to do it. But half of the drive-throughs I can kind of get away with them because they haven`t really seen the video at all.
HAMMER: I`m thinking show up at the car wash. I think that would be a lot of fun. But tell me how the popularity of your video pranks have changed your life.
HOSSAN: I`ve actually taken a break from college. I, you know, want to pursue this more. And, you know, my workload`s gone, you know. It`s ten times more than it used to be. So...
HAMMER: Well, how -- but how are you making a living playing pranks? Explain that to me.
HOSSAN: I -- makes me -- make money on YouTube.
HAMMER: OK. The ad revenue and all that stuff.
HOSSAN: Yes. Definitely. You know, I have a lot of other -- a lot of ideas in the works, and, you know, in the next couple months I`m going to be very busy filming these new ideas. And I have one idea that I think is going to be very big. I don`t want to reveal anything right now.
HAMMER: OK.
HOSSAN: But, you know, I think it`s going to be an awesome, epic video.
HAMMER: Well, I`ll let you slide on that. But thank you for entertaining us. We`ll look forward to what`s next, Rahat. Thanks for being here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HOSSAN: Thank you for having me.
HAMMER: And now you need to get ready for an amazing "SHOWBIZ Newsmaker" interview with a man known for being totally unpredictable.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY DICK, CONTESTANT, ABC`S "DANCING WITH THE STARS": It gets to the point where you hit a wall. And I was just crying in a puddle. I had literally a little puddle of tears on my feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Andy is fighting for the mirror ball trophy on "Dancing with the Stars," and now he`s revealing to me how the fierce competition led to a behind-the-scenes breakdown. I`m one-on-one with Andy Dick and his dancing pro Sharna Burgess. You have got to watch this.
Plus, it`s "SHOWBIZ Trending." Jada Pinkett Smith issues a smack-down in defense of young stars. She wants everybody to back off young celebs like Justin Bieber and Rihanna. Well, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, is America bullying young artists?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOHN DARNIELLE, SINGER (singing): On the other hand, even a rich guy needs some space and should be able to get to his car without people all up in his face. And getting on his case.
You don`t have to leave Justin alone. You don`t have to leave Justin alone, but don`t be an (EXPLETIVE DELETED).
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. "SHOWBIZ Trending" tonight, give Justin Bieber some space, would you?
That is indie folk singer and front man for the Mountain Goats, John Darnielle, defending Bieber in the song he wrote about the face-off Bieber had with the paparazzi.
Darnielle`s not the only person defending Bieber tonight.
Also trending, Jada Pinkett Smith`s smackdown. Now Jada just posted a letter to her fans defending Justin and other young stars. She actually calls the people who criticize stars like Bieber "big bullies." Let me read to you what she`s writing.
"Is it OK to continually attack and criticize a famous 19-year-old who`s simply trying to build a life, exercise his talents, while figuring out what manhood and fame is all about? Are these young people not allowed to be young, make mistakes, grow and eventually transform a million times before our eyes?"
I want to bring in Amanda Seales. She`s the host of VH1`s "Best Week Ever" and seems to know about these things.
Listen, Amanda, I totally get where she`s coming from and what Jada is saying here. But do you agree that people who slam Justin and other young stars are actually acting like bullies? Is that right word here?
AMANDA SEALES, HOST, VH1`S "BEST WEEK EVER": I think "bully" is a strong word.
I think that they`re definitely in the public eye. So they`re open for criticism, and that is part and parcel of being a celebrity.
I think sometimes people take it a bit too far, like the use of the "C" word, as we`ve seen happening regularly these days. But in terms of criticism, does that make someone a bully to critique these stars? No. Are Tina Fey and Amy Poehler bullies? No. They`re comedians.
HAMMER: Yes.
SEALES: That`s the difference.
HAMMER: I mean, there are certainly times when young stars do invite the criticism that they receive, right?
SEALES: Yes. I mean, Taylor Swift has made her career based on making songs about these very visible relationships she`s in. So it`s kind of like part and parcel. You have to just say, like, "All right, well, I did give it, so you can make little jokes about it."
HAMMER: Yes.
SEALES: But are they being bullies? That`s really, like, tormenting and terrorizing. I don`t think that`s the case.
HAMMER: Yes. I realize it`s been a buzzword for some time now.
SEALES: Yes.
HAMMER: But maybe the wrong one to apply in this situation.
Also trending tonight, Gwyneth Paltrow`s cookbook chaos. The Oscar-winning actress has just released a new cookbook. It`s called "It`s All Good." Only not everybody thinks that the title fits.
Now she swears off carbs like rice and pasta and bread even for her young kids. Here`s what she says about it. "Every single nutritionist, doctor, and health-conscious person I`ve ever come across seems to concur that gluten is tough on the system and many of us are, at best, intolerant of it and, at worst, allergic to it."
Now a lot of doctors say that she`s wrong. And some say she`s actually being irresponsible to her kids and even to the public, Amanda, for putting out this cookbook. There are a lot of extreme diets and approaches to eating out there. Do you understand the outrage, or do you think that Gwyneth is just an easy target here?
SEALES: Well, it`s the same kind of thing. Like, you put yourself out there saying, like, "I`m an expert." When you make a cookbook, you`re saying, "I`m an expert at this." Right? So when you put that out there, you`re inviting people to criticize your point of view.
I`m a big believer in moderation. So I`m not saying we should be living on an all rice and bread diet.
HAMMER: Right.
SEALES: But the reality is your kids live in the world. There`s bread and rice in the world and it`s really good.
HAMMER: There you go. All right. Thanks, Amanda. Appreciate it.
Now get ready for a truly wild "SHOWBIZ Countdown," stories that have us asking tonight, "Is It Really So Crazy?" Like Russell Crowe insisting he just had a close encounter of the otherworldly kind. Yes, Russell`s claiming he just saw an alien spaceship and that he`s even got the pictures to prove it. So is Russell going to rocket to the No. 1 spot on the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "Is it Really So Crazy?"
I know this is pretty crazy. Look at that seal pup. He`s a hitchhiker. "SHOWBIZ Caught on Tape." I`m going to show you how that little guy got a chance to give his flippers a bit of a rest.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
It is time now for "SHOWBIZ Buzz List." These are the top five things the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff is buzzing about today.
Well, Bowie is back. Music legend David Bowie has just released "The Next Day," his first studio album in a decade. I can tell you, it is instant classic.
Mama`s got a brand-new bag. The ladies of the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT staff love designer Onna Ehrlich`s brand-new handbags for the spring.
The new "Twilight." The new movie from the creator of the "Twilight" saga. "The Host" will be in theaters on March 29. And "Us Weekly" has a brand- new collector`s edition in tribute.
Eighty-six goes Hollywood. The sneaker kings have designed a brand-new running shoe for this weekend`s L.A. Marathon. So run out and get it.
And "Jack Frost" gets bad-ass. The amazing animated flick, "Rise of the Guardians," is out on DVD.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`ve heard a lot about you and your teeth.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: My what?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Open up. Are they really as white as they look? They really do sparkle like freshly fallen snow.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Girl, pull yourself together.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK: It gets to the point where you hit a wall. And I was crying in a puddle. I had literally a little puddle of tears by my feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Right now, the utterly surprising Showbiz Newsmaker interview with Andy Dick. Andy and his Dancing with the Stars partner are right here tonight, and they are telling all about his major meltdown during rehearsal for the brand new season.
Speaking of meltdowns some people think Dennis Rodman is having one right now. The former NBA star is in the Vatican and he wants to meet the guy who was just named the new Pope today. He`s already met with one other world leader. So is it really so crazy?
What about Russell Crowe`s UFO sighting? He`s not the first person to reveal video of an alien spaceship.
It is our SHOWBIZ countdown of the stories that have us asking, is it really so crazy? Which wild story will top the list? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
We are ready to kick off our SHOWBIZ countdown of today`s top three wild stories that made us ask, is it really so crazy? At number three, another bombshell from Dennis Rodman. Arriving in Vatican City, and insisting he will meet the new Pope. Well, the Pope, of course, was just elected today. White smoke flowing from the Sistine Chapel as you see. That happened this afternoon. Letting the world know there is a new Catholic leader.
And Rodman, who is in Vatican City to shoot a commercial, is determined to meet the new Pope. Is that really crazy? Well, who would have ever predicted he would have gotten to meet North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Un and try to broker peace with the United States?
Watch what Rodman told ABC`s George Stephanopoulos.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS RODMAN, FORMER NBA PLAYER: The one thing that I said to him, I said, we talked about -- it was a clip of whatever. He loves basketball. Now I said the same thing, I said, Obama loves basketball. Let`s start there. Let`s start there. If you see the quotes in the papers, he says that. He says that about sports. Why do you guys love basketball so much?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Priceless, right? Rodman bringing a direct message from the leader of North Korea. So is it really so crazy he might get a meeting with the new Pope?
Let me bring in David Begnaud from Hollywood tonight. He is the host of "NewsBreaker" on OraTV.
David, right at you, really so crazy?
DAVID BEGNAUD, "NEWSBREAKER" HOST: Look, I think it`s crazy. He`s everybody`s favorite freak show. Do I think he`s going to meet the Pope, A.J.? Heck, no, I don`t think the Pope is going to meet with him. But you know what, I also thought it was ridiculous this whole North Korea thing, but maybe there is something, the whole Obama likes basketball, Kim Jong-Un likes basketball, yes, maybe, but look, I`m sorry, I can`t take Rodman seriously.
I think he`s there for a publicity stunt. He`s getting it. I mean, people are taking photographs, tweeting about him at St. Peter`s Square today. But I think it`s ridiculous.
HAMMER: Yes, I don`t really see that happening. Sir, you have an audience request from Dennis Rodman. Who?
BEGNAUD: Right?
HAMMER: Today we got to see for the first time of course the man who`s elected as the new Pope, Pope Francis, as he stepped out onto the balcony of the Vatican.
Amanda Seales is the host of VH1`s "Best Week Ever." She`s with us in New York tonight.
Amanda, we know that there is no way Rodman is going to meet the new Pope now while he`s in the Vatican. I think the guy`s busy, but is it really so crazy in this world we now live in to think that he could have a chance?
SEALES: No. Two weeks ago, if you would ask me, I would be like, no, you`re crazy, but this man ended up in North Korea.
HAMMER: What? No.
SEALES: And now I`m just, like, anything can happen. Listen, I -- I never thought that a man in a dollar bill jacket would have ended up in North Korea. And honestly, he makes a valid point. Maybe Kim Jong-Un and Obama should play horse for diplomacy. We don`t know.
HAMMER: Look, Donald Trump has got a better chance at being the president than Rodman does of meeting the Pope.
(CROSSTALK)
SEALES: I mean, the reality is it`s all a joke. So let`s laugh about it.
HAMMER: All right. Well, just tonight Facebook fans were all over this. They`re very fired up today. We actually asked our countdown question, is it a good idea for Rodman to meet the Pope? Guess how this went. Let me read a couple of these responses.
Catherine writing on our wall, "Well, gee, he met with that nut case leader of North Korea and the next week North Korea threatened to nuke us so I`m thinking no." This one from Michelle who wants to know, "Will he be wearing a dress?"
Listen, David, nothing Rodman would do would surprise me, so I`m not surprised to think that he thinks it could actually happen.
BEGNAUD: No, and look, I think in his defense, he actually naively believes, you know what, I`ve got a chance. The president of North Korea wanted to meet with me, so why wouldn`t the Pope want to meet with me?
Look, keep drinking, keep eating, smoking what you`re smoking, Dennis. No, no, buddy. Ain`t going to happen.
HAMMER: Can`t speak to exactly what he`s smoking. But maybe he saw the white smoke and he got very excited today.
Diplomacy is very strange these days. And you mentioned Donald Trump, David. So let`s get to Donald Trump. He is number two on our SHOWBIZ countdown. Is it really so crazy that he`s considering to pay to keep the White House public tours going? You know these tours were canceled, of course, because of the sequester and the budget cuts. It would cost Trump at least 74,000 bucks a week to cover the cost of the Secret Service.
And I asked him if his offer is the real deal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So what is the plan, because obviously your name`s been thrown around after your friend, Newt Gingrich, suggested that you pay for the tours at the White House. What`s the reality of what`s probably going to happen?
DONALD TRUMP, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER: Well, if they want to do something, I would certainly be open to it. I don`t know that they can or they would want to. But certainly I`d be open to it. I think it`s a shame that they`re -- I mean this has taken place from day one. I think it`s a shame that there are no more tours of the White House.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I bet you do, Donald.
The White House, by the way, has turned him down, Amanda. But is it really so crazy? I mean, why not let him pay?
SEALES: I mean, he`s just going to do whatever he can to get close to the White House. So, you know, it didn`t work to try a run for president so now he`s like, all right, well, maybe I`ll just be able to foot the bill so people can see the president. I don`t know.
HAMMER: Yes.
SEALES: You know, we`re talking -- we`re trying to talk rational things about irrational people here, A.J.
HAMMER: Well, that is exactly why we`re asking is it so crazy. Now it was interesting to me when Newt Gingrich put that out there and suggested it, saying, hey, let Donald Trump pay for it and then I saw that it would cost $74,000 a week. Donald Trump, David, no way.
BEGNAUD: He would pay it.
HAMMER: No way is he putting that money out of his own pocket. No chance.
BEGNAUD: You want to bet?
HAMMER: Absolutely not. No.
BEGNAUD: A.J., I bet you he would pay that.
HAMMER: Yes.
BEGNAUD: I bet you he would pay that. Yes, he would.
SEALES: I agree.
BEGNAUD: You give that man the opportunity like she said to get closer to the White House or continue to be a thorn in Obama`s side, you better believe he would do it. Yes, sir.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Well, maybe, maybe if he could put his name on it. Because you know there are several roadways I drive through here in the New York -- greater New York metropolitan area that say this roadway cleaned up by Donald Trump.
SEALES: Yes.
HAMMER: And I don`t think he`s actually it out there cleaning it up.
BEGNAUD: Well, you know, the Donald Trump White House tour.
SEALES: He would love that. Trump tours.
BEGNAUD: Right?
HAMMER: At 74 grand a week. I just don`t see it. I don`t care how much money he may have.
BEGNAUD: Well, I`m telling you it could work.
HAMMER: Let`s run it down here. We have Trump possibly funding White House tours. Dennis Rodman meeting with the new Pope. What could be number one after that on our SHOWBIZ countdown of stories today that made us ask, is it really so crazy?
It`s Russell Crowe and a UFO. OK. Listen to this. Russell Crowe has just claimed he had a close encounter with something truly other worldly. He says that he was trying to catch fruit bats on camera. This was apparently outside of his office in Australia. But instead, he shot those eerie looking flying lights that you see in these pictures that he tweeted.
These pictures, by the way, got tweeted out to all of his followers, 800,000 of them. Also a link to the video so you could actually watch the whole video. And analysts from a UFO debunking agency actually says that what Crowe saw was a helicopter. Maybe it was a plane.
Now, Amanda, I`m looking at that picture. Can we put the picture up again, Charles? This doesn`t look -- that`s not a plane. I realized it lightens --
BEGNAUD: No.
HAMMER: And things can happen, but I like Russell Crowe a lot. I know there`s got to be something else out there, too.
So, Amanda, to you first. Is it really so crazy to think, maybe it was a UFO?
SEALES: I mean, I love ancient aliens, so I am not someone to debunk the fact that there could be something out there. However, I don`t necessarily think that looks like a UFO.
BEGNAUD: No, no.
SEALES: I mean, crazy to me is letting Russell Crowe sing in "Les Mis." Now that`s crazy. That`s just silly.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: OK. All right. There he goes, David. I think David was just abducted by the aliens.
(LAUGHTER)
BEGNAUD: I saw a UFO. I saw a UFO.
HAMMER: Well, that`s what happens.
BEGNAUD: My (INAUDIBLE). You get it.
HAMMER: Yes. Perfect.
BEGNAUD: I think -- I think it`s ridiculous like she said. Having to listen to him in "Les Miserables" sing was bad enough. Now you look at this, I don`t think it was a UFO. I think it was something fancy Photoshop. But hey, who knows. If it was a UFO, Russell is on to something.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Hold on a second. Now step back for a moment, though. We`re talking about Russell Crowe here. An Academy Award winner.
BEGNAUD: Yes.
HAMMER: He is not a nut job. He`s an international superstar, Amanda. Do you at least find his story, perhaps, more plausible because of who he is? Is it really such a crazy idea to think that he thinks that`s what he caught on tape?
SEALES: I think that he may be smoking what we can`t identify that Dennis Rodman is smoking.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: OK.
BEGNAUD: Wow.
HAMMER: David, I mean, you don`t give him the credibility because of who the guy is?
BEGNAUD: No, listen, he was crazy enough to sing in "Les Miserables." He is crazy enough to think it`s a UFO.
HAMMER: I know. I`ve got an idea. Get the UFO. We`ll get Trump on it, we`ll get --
(LAUGHTER)
SEALES: Right.
HAMMER: We`ll get Rodman on it. We`ll get the Korean guy on it.
BEGNAUD: There you go.
(CROSSTALK)
BEGNAUD: Put Rodman on the UFO.
HAMMER: All right. Well, David, Amanda. It`s been crazy. Thank you both so much.
Well, I know this isn`t crazy. I am firing up a blockbuster SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview with the hilarious Andy Dick.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANDY DICK, ACTOR: It gets to the point where you hit a wall and I was just crying in a puddle. I literally had a little puddle of tears at my feet.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: But why? While Andy is fighting for the Mirror Ball trophy on "Dancing with the Stars," and tonight I am one-on-one with Andy. He`s going to reveal to me the stunning details of his behind the scenes meltdown.
Plus, Billy Joel`s once-in-a-lifetime answer to this college student`s heartfelt request.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering if I could play with you. I would accompany you, that is?
BILLY JOEL, SINGER: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Nice. I`m revealing Billy`s awesome answer in tonight`s dazzling SHOWBIZ moments of awesomeness.
This is SBT. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Tonight dancing with Andy Dick. Andy is getting ready to put his past behind him and hit the ballroom floor for the brand new season of "Dancing with the Stars." Of course he`s a famous comedian and actor but his offstage antics including multiple trips to rehab and jail have often overshadowed his talent. Well now he seems to have found his sweet spot learning shimmies and shakes from his pro dance partner Sharnd Burgess.
Still Andy reveals to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the pressure of the show actually led to a major meltdown while he was rehearsing. So what happened? Well, I got to the bottom of that and found out just how Andy managed to convince producers of the show he`s able to pull it all off clean and sober.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, congratulations on the show. I`m -- actually I`m checking for smiles now because I`ve seen the look on contestants` faces the week before the show hits the air. Yes, Andy is not smiling right now.
SHARNA BURGESS, "DANCING WITH THE STARS": He`s faking you out. This man is working so hard and he`s doing an amazing job. He has been all smiles this week.
HAMMER: OK. All right. Well, the proof will be in the dancing, I suppose, when it finally comes to light. A lot of people were surprised hearing your name on the season`s roster. What, with your squeaky clean image and all.
Now when they came to you about doing show, did they come to you and say, we`d like you to do the show but you still have to convince us that you can pull this off without causing us any problem?
DICK: Yes, they definitely had to have a meeting with me and just see if I was, you know, steady. And look at me. I`m steady as a rock.
(LAUGHTER)
HAMMER: What did you say to convince them that, you know what, the past is the past, I can work at this and make it all glow and everybody will be happy?
DICK: To be honest, they`ve been wanting me to do the show since season one, episode one they asked me. And I wasn`t in a good place. And basically you can tell when I`m not doing well, and I think people are starting to see that I`m doing well. I mean business.
HAMMER: But I do understand, you know, the show hasn`t even hit the air yet, and I know, or I`ve heard that you already had a meltdown in rehearsals. And I know the rehearsals are tough.
DICK: Are you telling people ?
BURGESS: I`m not telling anybody.
HAMMER: What happened? What happened, seriously?
DICK: You know, honestly, it`s tough for anybody.
HAMMER: Yes.
DICK: It`s -- I challenge anybody to do what we`re all doing. It`s tough for her to teach somebody like me. I just wasn`t getting it. I started thinking maybe my brain is a little off. I mean, I know it`s a little off. I have lots of people tell me. But I was starting to think, maybe I`ve done some permanent brain damage. And that might be true, too. But it gets to the point where you hit a wall and I was just crying in a puddle. I had literally a little puddle of tears at my feet.
HAMMER: So are you convinced, Sharna, as his partner, that he`s actually past that hurdle? I mean, was it a true teaching moment if I can throw that cliche out there?
BURGESS: Absolutely. Well, I think it was a moment of discovery for both of us in learning how to work together, in learning what each other needs and how each other works.
HAMMER: Just going back to some of what you`ve dealt with in the past and really how candid you`ve always been about it. You were on "Celebrity Rehab Revisited" on VH1.
DICK: Right.
HAMMER: And back in November of 2011 you didn`t mince words at all about how bad your struggles have gotten. I want to watch that with you right now.
DICK: OK.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DICK: I`ve had my fair share of going out. I`ve gone out and partied for five lifetimes. Every night I would go out and stay out for weeks. I`m truly surprised I`m not dead.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: What do you think now looking back on that time? Are you currently in the best place you`ve ever been?
DICK: Well, first of all, I feel -- I`m lucky -- I`m lucky not only to be alive but I`m lucky to have this opportunity. I`m lucky to be dancing with Sharna Burgess and I`m so lucky I was -- I`m not wearing the same tie because I almost wore that tie today. I almost wore -- you saw me. Thank god, A.J.
HAMMER: Look, the show is stressful. Are you absolutely convinced that it`s not going to push you over the edge?
DICK: It`s not -- no, let me tell you something. I invite this kind of stress. If I can be this stressed out for the rest of my life, please bring it.
HAMMER: That`s a good thing.
DICK: The kind of stress I`ve had, you know, you don`t -- from jail, to lawsuits, to --
HAMMER: Right.
DICK: Just my own inner demons. Laying in my bed practically if not suicidal. To this.
HAMMER: Yes.
DICK: You know, I can -- if I can`t get the step, so be it. We`re going to get that mirror ball. We have a little saying. We are in it to win it.
BURGESS: To win it.
HAMMER: That`s a good one. Yes.
DICK: Wow.
HAMMER: I`m glad you guys coined that. Hey, listen.
DICK: Shut up, A.J.
HAMMER: I know -- I know I speak for America when I say we cannot wait to see what you guys are going to do on the dance floor. But Andy, on a personal level, I think I also speak for a lot of people saying that I think you have a lot of people rooting for you right now. They want to see you get through this. And we look forward to it.
Great to have you guys here. Thanks so much.
DICK: Thanks, A.J.
BURGESS: Thank you.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: And "Dancing with the Stars" premieres Monday on ABC.
Moving on now to SHOWBIZ caught on tape. Tonight the sea creature hitchhikers. Yes, look at this. A seal pup catching a little ride on a wind surfboard. I will reveal just how he became a passenger. It`s an absolutely adorable SHOWBIZ caught on tape.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And now to SHOWBIZ caught on tape. The adorable edition. I`ve got a sea lion pup stowing away on a kayak. A seal pup taking a ride on a wind surfboard. But what`s going on with these super cute sea animal antics these days? I`m thinking there must be something in the water. But you can decide for yourself because it`s all caught on tape.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with two hitchhikers that are going to melt your heart.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Rick Coleman is not afraid to go diving at night off the California coast. Look what does scare him.
RICK COLEMAN, MARINE VIDEOGRAPHER: Oh, my god. You scared me. Hi, little guy. You could hear my scared reaction and then immediately kind of melts my heart. What are you doing on my kayak?
MOOS: Not only was the sea lion up a stowaway, it won`t go away.
COLEMAN: You can`t stay up here.
MOSS: So what do you do? Rick called his wife on his cell phone in a dry bag.
COLEMAN: Right now I`m sitting on the kayak, and on my bow is a baby sea lion. And it won`t get off.
MOOS: Even when he nudged it with his paddle.
COLEMAN: No, you`ve got to get off.
MOOS: Less than 10 seconds later.
COLEMAN: Hey.
MOOS: This time, he`s safe. The pup had a scuff mark on him.
COLEMAN: I think a shark after him, the shark is playing on his behind.
MOOS: An animal rescue experts say it`s more likely the pup was just cold.
(On camera): The sea lion wasn`t the only pup trying to climb aboard. In this case, a wind surfboard, a thousand miles or so up the coast in Seattle, Washington. This seal pup couldn`t make it up. When he did make it, it`s off the other side or got a hostile reception from the others.
The wind surfboard`s owner, Ethan Jansen, had mounted a go-pro camera that caught the action. How far he ended up? No (INAUDIBLE) with the unfriendly up.
Back at the kayak, the sea lion stayed aboard for the entire 20-minute paddled to shore then sat on a rock and finally swam away. At least he didn`t scream bloody murder. Seals yelling like humans have now replaced goats yelling like humans.
As they yelled her throughout the Internet. This is the second video Rick`s posted that became famous on YouTube. The last one was a blue whale encounter a year and a half ago.
COLEMAN: So instead I`m an animal magnet.
MOOS: Then jumped in and shot video of the whale underwater.
(On camera): Comparisons are being made between the life of rick and the life of pi. One stuck in a boat with a sea lion pup. The other stuck with a tiger. By the way, they say a sea lion`s bite can ten times worse than a pit bull. No bull. We`re not lying.
COLEMAN: Oh my god. You scared me.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Yes, I would have given the pup a ride, too.
That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
Well, you think that video was awesome? Wait until you see this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering if I could play with you -- I would accompany you, that is?
JOEL: OK.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It`s Billy and the kid. So did Billy Joel give that Vanderbilt college student the chance of a lifetime? I`m going to show you what happens next. I`ll say just this, it`s our moment of SHOWBIZ awesomeness. So it`s got to be good.
This is SBT. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Time for our SHOWBIZ awesomeness. This is where we name the most awesome moment of the day. And tonight, it`s Billy Joel and the wonder kid. Get this. Now get this, Billy Joel was performing at Vanderbilt University when a student there asked to join him on stage. That`s right, Michael Pollick is a huge fan of Billy`s. He`s also amazing at the piano. And it was dream to play "New York State of Mind" with the great Billy Joel. Sometimes dreams do come true, and you get to watch what happened right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I was wondering if I could play with you, I would accompany you, that is?
JOEL: OK.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: And that kid can play. I think Billy Joel was even impressed there smiling away. So awesome.
Well, next on "DR. DREW ON CALL" tonight, Dr. Drew speaks the CSI forensic specialist who actually knew Travis Alexander and Jodi Arias.
"DR. DREW ON CALL" starts right now.
END
