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Showbiz Tonight
Paris Jackson Rushed to Hospital After Suicide Attempt; Star Jones Seeks Justice for Murder Victim; Is Jodi Arias Crazy?; Baseball Players to Be Suspended for Doping; Senior Sisters Star in Reality Show; HLN All- Stars; `Facebook` the Musical
Aired June 05, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
RYAN SMITH, HLN ANCHOR: ... Eastern. We`re going to have our trial. Let`s talk about it on "AFTER DARK" at night.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight the "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "SHOWBIZ Justice." Star Jones puts her Star power on a murder case that hit close to home.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
STAR JONES, TV PERSONALITY: I wanted to scream and cry like anybody else who wanted to comfort their friend, but I had to put on my prosecutor`s hat.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The former "View" co-host uses her passion and power to crack the case of a very personal murder mystery.
Michael Jackson`s 15-year-old daughter is rushed to the hospital. New details tonight about the latest shocker to rock the Jackson family.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer. Thank you for watching tonight.
A Jackson jaw-dropper. Michael Jackson`s 15-year-old daughter, Paris, is recovering tonight after being rushed to the hospital earlier today. Now, there are very few details surrounding this incident, but a source at the hospital tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she`s going to be OK.
People close to the Jackson family stopped short of calling this a suicide attempt. One suggested it might be a cry for help.
Just yesterday Paris tweeted this to her millions of followers: "I wonder why tears are salty," as well as the classic Beatles lyric, "Yesterday all my troubles seemed so far away, now it looks as though they`re here to stay."
This all comes just as Paris and her brothers are all set to be witnesses in a trial stemming from their father`s death.
So what is going on with Paris? And is it time to pull back her public exposure?
Joining me by phone right now, I`m so pleased to welcome Michael Jackson`s former attorney, Tom Mesereau.
Tom, always great to speak with you. I`m sorry it`s under these circumstances. But you obviously have unique perspective, having known Michael Jackson and the family so well. What was your first reaction when you heard the stunning news today?
TOM MESEREAU, MICHAEL JACKSON`S FORMER ATTORNEY (via phone): I was shocked and just saddened. I mean, this is a real tragedy.
You know, the Michael Jackson I knew was extremely protective of his children, a doting father, very careful with what he exposed them to. He always felt that he was robbed of his childhood because of all the rehearsing and all the pressures that were placed on him, you know, from the age of 5. And he always wanted his children to have a very spontaneous, natural childhood and not be overburdened by complexity.
I fear that, since his death, these children have suddenly burst through and become media sensations, all sorts of pressure and influences surrounding them. And teenage years are difficult enough anyway. When you add in this extra burden, you know, tragedy can happen. And apparently, that`s what we`re dealing with apparently.
HAMMER: And we`ve seen, Tom, over the years the family really rallying around all of the children, not just Paris, out of great concern after their father passed away.
In fact, we have a statement from the attorney for Paris`s grandmother, Katherine. This is what they`re telling us: "Being a sensitive 15-year-old is difficult no matter who you are." To your point, Tom. "It is especially difficult when you lose the person closest to you. Paris is physically fine and is getting appropriate medical attention. Please respect her privacy and the family`s privacy."
That`s all well and good, Tom. But I have to imagine, you, again, as somebody who knows the family well, has to be pretty worried for Paris right about now.
MESEREAU: Well, definitely, because she`s a 15-year-old. She`s beautiful. She`s brilliant. She`s creative; she`s personable. People flock to her. All of this sounds exciting on the surface, but it can create tremendous internal pressures.
We don`t know what it`s like to stand in her shoes. And she is just really a child, as far as I`m concerned. So I think this is a cry for help. I`m hoping she gets the right counseling after this event. And I`m hoping that people start to respect her privacy and her need to develop as a person through these very difficult, you know, teenage years.
HAMMER: You mentioned, Tom, something that we knew so well about Michael Jackson, how he protected his children from the spotlight. Do you think this is a good indication that, you know, Paris and even perhaps the other kids really need to pull back from being so much in the spotlight that they`re putting themselves into these days?
MESEREAU: Well, I`m not the expert or the authority on this, but I do think that perhaps all this pressure of dealing with the worldwide media and walking out the door and being a media sensation has caused a tremendous level of complexity in her life and her brothers` lives. And I think someone needs to probably take a look at that and decide if it`s really productive or not.
You know, Michael -- Michael passed away, and all of a sudden this level of protection, you know, from the media and from the entertainment industry was just lifted. And all of a sudden, they became sensations very quickly when they were barely children.
So I think -- I think someone has to really take a close look at the kinds of pressures they`ve been subjected to and realize it`s not all just a fun celebration and let them develop as teenagers with a certain level of privacy and dignity that they deserve.
HAMMER: Tom, thank you so much.
Sadly, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did confirm today that Paris did cut one of her wrists. But again the source tells us she is going to be OK.
Paris Jackson`s shocking hospitalization obviously huge news tonight. But there are some other major "SHOWBIZ Justice" stories that are breaking, and we are counting down today`s top three.
Kicking it off at No. 3, Star Jones`s emotional new quest to find justice for her friend`s murdered sister. So Star has just joined forces with HLN`s own Nancy Grace to help solve this tragic case.
Thirty-two-year-old Rosaline Ransom Lee was found half naked and strangled to death in a lake about a mile from her mother`s house near Pontiac, Michigan. Police haven`t been able to identify a suspect. So Star, who is a former prosecutor, is now working with Nancy Grace to put this story in the spotlight, in hopes of finding the killer. Watch what Star just told Nancy.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JONES: They found her body just inside of Pontiac, Michigan, by a lake. And when I was told this, of course emotionally, I wanted to scream and cry like anybody else who wanted to comfort their friend. But I had to put on my prosecutor`s hat, and I had to put on the public eye hat.
And I said to my girlfriend, "We`re going to find out what happened, and I`m going to use every public platform that I have to get my friends in the media to pay attention to your sister and your sister`s murder." Not her death, her murder, and we`re going to find out who did it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, I can only imagine what her friend`s family is going through right now.
Let`s go right to "HLN AFTER DARK`S" Ryan Smith.
Ryan, clearly, Star`s got a lot of passion to solve this case. How much, though, do you think that this kind of attention will actually help things?
SMITH: I think it`s a tremendous help, A.J., because what police really need is help from the public, and that requires publicity. I mean, when someone of Star Jones`s Star power, also Nancy Grace, as well, with her reach, as well, can get out there and talk about someone who is missing and police are really looking for clues, really looking for people to come forward, someone who may have known either Rhonda, or whoever might have been involved with this, they need people to come forward.
So when Star Jones comes forward like she`s doing, I think it gives the police so much help in trying to solve this.
HAMMER: I want to bring in Jane Velez-Mitchell, host of "JANE VELEZ- MITCHELL" here on HLN.
And Jane, I have to believe you`re right there with Ryan, the fact that you have Star and now, because of Star, Nancy Grace getting involved here. This is going to help out this case incredibly.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN ANCHOR: Kudos to these strong women using the media powerhouse that they have for good to find out who was responsible for this hideous killing. I love it. And I think it will be effective. These women have very strong voices.
And so those out there who know anything, I hope you are listening. The police need to be looking everywhere. The possibility that this was a stranger attack, the possibility that it could have been someone this woman knew. What were her relationships? That`s what we have to dive into right now.
HAMMER: And I`m sure the presence of Nancy Grace and Star will have a big impact.
So, our countdown of "SHOWBIZ Justice Shockers" continues right now. No. 2, is Jodi Arias really crazy?
So Jodi`s defense team finally saying, well, what quite frankly, a lot of people suspected all along, that Jodi Arias is insane. They just told "The Arizona Republic" that she`s mentally ill and that she shouldn`t get the death penalty because of that.
Ryan, I hear this news, and like so many people I wonder, why would they say this now and not during the murder trial when it probably could have helped them to some degree?
SMITH: Because I don`t think they could get an independent person to come up there and say that she actually was insane.
But the thing is, A.J., they had a chance at this in the penalty phase. Because in that penalty phase, you can talk about all kinds of things that affect somebody that should keep them off Death Row. And one of them was mental impairment. But these guys decided not to really press on it. They touched on it a little bit, but not in a big way.
So this gives them a second bite at the apple. If they get in front of a new jury for that last penalty phase, they`re now going to try to bring this out. And so in a way, maybe they`re trying to put it out there to the potential jury pool that, "Hey, Jodi Arias might not be all there. So you know what, folks? You can`t send her to Death Row. It`s not the right thing to do."
So I think it`s a little bit of a clever move on behalf of the defense.
HAMMER: It seems clever, but it also really feels like the cart before the horse in a strange kind of way.
All right, Ryan, Jane, thank you both so much.
So I have to ask, what could possibly be more stunning than Jodi`s own lawyers saying Jodi`s in insane? Well, that is the No. 1 story on our countdown. You`ve got to stick around to find out what it is.
Also, tonight, stunning star arrests caught on tape. These are good actors on-screen, but, you know, when they`re busted on tape, oh, it is so wrong.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REESE WITHERSPOON, ACTRESS: I`m an American citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Get in that car and stay in there.
WITHERSPOON: This is beyond. This is beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Reese Witherspoon just one of the A-listers to have monumental meltdowns at the hands of the cops. Tonight, stars under arrest and caught on tape. You have got to see it.
Plus, how much do you love Beyonce? No, really, I won`t judge. Would you be willing to pay $25,000 to work for her? Yes, I said pay her, not the other way around. It`s all about to go down. I will tell you why.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now the No. 1 story on our "SHOWBIZ Justice Countdown" tonight. It is the epic Major League Baseball doping scandal. This brand-new doping story is just blowing up the sports world tonight.
An historic wave of 20 player suspensions is reportedly on the way in as little as a couple of weeks. Two of the league`s most famous players appear to be on that list, Yankees` Alex Rodriguez and Milwaukee Brewers` Ryan Braun.
Well, the man who ran the clinic where some of baseball`s biggest stars allegedly got performance-enhancing drugs, reportedly telling MLB investigators everything.
So far the players aren`t admitting to any of it. You`ve got to watch Ryan Braun`s non-statement statement about this explosive scandal.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
RYAN BRAUN, MILWAUKEE BREWERS PLAYER: I addressed it in spring training. I will not make any further statements about it. The truth has not changed. I don`t know the specifics of the story that came out today, but I`ve already addressed it. I`ve already commented on it, and I`ll say nothing further about it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, that is that.
HLN`s own Carlos Diaz is with me from Atlanta. This is Carlos`s life. He is the sports anchor on "MORNING EXPRESS WITH ROBIN MEADE."
And Carlos, I mean, this story is huge. Turning out to be one of the biggest investigations ever in Major League Baseball. But as I said, so far the players, they`re keeping their mouths shut. I am thinking if there is any truth here, these guys better start talking now before some more really potentially devastating news comes out. Wouldn`t you agree?
DIAZ: I completely agree. I mean, to put it in entertainment moves, remember the movie "The Untouchables," Kevin Costner?
HAMMER: Yes.
DIAZ: They got a bookkeeper. All right? MLB has got the bookkeeper, and he`s talking. And that`s what Tony Bosch is. He has got records, and he is ready to talk to Major League Baseball.
And if you look at Ryan Braun in that statement/non-statement, he kind of looks like Robert De Niro in the movie. He`s like, "Hey, you want to do something, do something." That`s what the players -- they might have to come to the realization that the bookkeeper is in the possession of Major League Baseball, and they`re going to have to start talking because they`re not really facing 50-game suspensions. They`re facing 100-game suspensions.
And it`s not just the suspension. When you come back from that 50-, 100- game suspension, you better put up the same numbers you put up before. And the crowds are going to be booing these guys on the road and calling them cheaters. I mean, this is huge.
And not only do you have the quality -- excuse me, the quantity of 20 -- you keep saying 20 guys. Yes, that`s light, 20 guys. But it`s also the quality. Look at that: Alex Rodriguez. He is the highest-paid player on the highest payroll, the Yankees. Ryan Braun. He was the National League MVP two years ago. It`s the quality and the quantity.
HAMMER: And listen, the MLB isn`t talking either. They`re basically saying -- here`s a statement they gave SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- "We can`t comment on an ongoing investigation." I understand that.
But there`s a part of me, Carlos, that is thinking could the 20 players who were allegedly doping just represent the tip of the iceberg, and maybe that`s why they`re not talking?
DIAZ: Well, the 20 players that they`re talking about are all linked to Biogenesis, this clinic in Miami. Yes. And so you better believe, by the way, that other players who aren`t linked to that who are kind of like doing things on the side better clean up their act real quick.
But you make a good point. I mean, these players, you know, when you have baseball coming after these guys, you know, baseball`s statement today, I can translate it for you: "We better hurry up and start working quickly on this, because ESPN got this information and it`s getting out there. And the public has a thirst that we need to quench immediately."
HAMMER: Yes. The fans are getting angry already.
Carlos, this is a huge story. Again, why we made it No. 1. Thank you, my friend.
We move on now. So I`m sure Beyonce is a tough but generous boss. But would you actually pay for the privilege to work for her? Well, if you like it, then you can put a $25,000 donation on it. We will explain.
Plus, new proof that you don`t need to have a sex tape to become a reality superstar.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What are your favorite hash tag...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What the hell is that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Can someone tweet I`m going to go to the Caribbean and swim this summer. And you would say YOLO, which is...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hash tag?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You only live one.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Love the "Golden Sisters." Guarantee that you will, too. Josie, Teresa, Mary right here, telling us how they are rocking, YOLO style, with their fantastic new reality show.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Geico`s 15 Minutes of Fame."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This I got to see.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Kardashian sex tape with Ray J.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Ray J who?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: This is pornography. There they go.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: I love that. Those are the "Golden Sisters." They became Internet sensations after recording themselves watching Kim Kardashian`s sex tape. That`s right.
And now guess what? They have their own television show on Oprah Winfrey`s network, the OWN network. The ladies, Josie, Teresa and Mary, are right here to tell us all about how they took their 15 minutes of fame and they ran with it.
I love how these ladies turned their moment in the sun into a truly golden opportunity. They are certainly taking their sudden fame for a full ride with Oprah Winfrey herself, and starring in their own show, "Golden Sisters," on OWN. Josie, Teresa and Mary joining me here in New York.
It`s great to meet you and have you here. I love you. I love you all. We`re just meeting for the first time, and I love you.
But Josie, you have to explain this to me. Because you saw the sex tape of Kim Kardashian sex tape in a salon, and you showed it to your sisters, and then it somehow became a YouTube sensation. How did that happen?
JOSIE CAVALUZZI, REALITY TV STAR: Well, our producers were -- were filming us as we were tweeting, right? And one of the questions from the tweeters was "What do you think of Kim Kardashian?"
I was the only one that saw the tape. And I said, "Oh, she did a tape. Did you guys see it?" And they said no. So I said...
HAMMER: Shocker. They hadn`t seen it.
CAVALUZZI: So I said, "Let`s watch it." You know, and so that`s when I showed it to them. And then we put it on YouTube, because it was a tweeter`s request.
HAMMER: OK.
CAVALUZZI: And it went viral.
HAMMER: Understandably, because it was great watching your reaction to watching this. I know it was a little off-putting.
But here`s the thing. I also know that, look, as we get older in life, you`re embarrassed by fewer things. However, were you a little embarrassed when you told your family, "Hey, you know, we kind of got this whole fame thing riding now because we watched a sex tape"?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was very embarrassing.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It was. My son`s got very upset over it. You know, because we were watching porno. But I didn`t know it was like that. I mean, it was shocking. She showed it to us because she wanted us to see what she saw.
HAMMER: So this thing goes nuts on the Internet. Everybody loves watching you. In fact, I believe we played it right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, and then Oprah Winfrey comes calling. Can you tell me -- how do you react to something like that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were so excited. Oprah Winfrey called our producers and said, "We want these girls on a show on OWN." So we put together a show, and she ordered ten episodes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And we finished all ten episodes.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Then we saw her in person. We actually saw her.
HAMMER: Wait, how did that go?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We were on something called Upfront.
HAMMER: Right. That`s where they present the new TV shows, and they were presenting yours to all the advertisers.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes. And then she just walked out of the door. And we were there waiting, and we almost dropped dead.
HAMMER: Did you touch her?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Are you kidding? We have a picture with her arms around us. She said, "I`m such a fan of yours."
HAMMER: Isn`t that nice? When in your life did you think Oprah Winfrey would be saying that to you?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I love you girls, and I`m thinking, "Oh, my God. We love her."
HAMMER: And I love the fact that you guys are into the social media. You`re out there on the Twitter. You read tweets from -- from fans.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She tweets.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I`m the tweeter.
HAMMER: I understand. And correct me if -- well, I actually know this because I saw it. You got a tweet from a very famous person recently.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Kim Kardashian. She invited us to lunch. She actually invited us to lunch.
HAMMER: How about that?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s the next big thrill.
HAMMER: So do you hope she brings Kanye? Do you know who Kanye is?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s her husband.
HAMMER: Well, not her husband but the father of her soon-to-be-born baby.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We want to have lunch with the three sisters. With the three sisters. We want to have lunch with the three sisters.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In 50 years, they`ll be us.
HAMMER: If they`re lucky they will be so charming. In 50. Yes.
Anyway, great meeting you. Great success with the show. You touched Oprah Winfrey; you`ll be just fine. All worked out. So nice to meet you ladies.
And be sure to catch the show. It`s "Golden Sisters," Saturdays on OWN. How great.
Well, the Golden Sisters can probably relate to this: status updates, crazy viral videos, friend requests that make you want to run for cover. You know what I`m talking about. Because Facebook, it sometimes makes you want to scream, right? But now it might have you humming a new tune.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Facebook, Facebook, got to check my Facebook.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (singing): Got to take another look. Nothing new.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): Got to take another look. Nothing new.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): I am hooked. What to do?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE (singing): I am hooked. What to do?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: It`s a lot of fun. It`s a totally addictive song that you`re going to start singing the next time you log onto Facebook, I am telling you.
Plus Michelle Obama`s smack-down. So the first lady makes an extremely bold public move that I`m sure is not in the FLOTUS handbook, but was this incredible moment dynamite or disrespectful?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WITHERSPOON: Are you kidding me? I`m an American citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told you to get in that car and stay in there, didn`t I?
WITHERSPOON: This is beyond. This is beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, star arrests caught on tape. Reese Witherspoon`s beyond horrible arrest tantrum. Tonight the best of the worst celebrity arrests of all time.
Get a job with Beyonce, great. Now you have to pay to work. Not the other way around. Not so great? Would you pay $25,000 to get caught up in the beehive?
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer. Tonight, "SHOWBIZ Justice" soap opera style. You don`t have to look far to find wild TV crime stories so crazy even real legal experts are looking for answers. So, this year the soap operas nominated for outstanding daytime drama series are keeping us all on our toes. They, of course are a huge part of the all-out excitement surrounding this year`s daytime Emmy Awards, which, of course, you can see Sunday June 16th right here on HLN. Just this past year, we`ve seen mob hits, a love triangle turned deadly and some criminal trials that were almost as crazy as the real life ones we covered right here on HLN. So, how would our HLN all- stars take on these cases?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: They were the years most shocking court cases.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I sure as hell didn`t kill a little girl.
HAMMER: In Fort Charles, New York, a reputed mob boss and donor to that city`s General Hospital accused of murder in a heart breaking case.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh my god.
HAMMER: And in Genova City, Wisconsin, a young and restless defendant.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You want me to go - to go to prison?
HAMMER: Accused of trying to kill her romantic rival almost 20 years ago.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are never going to get away with trying to kill Paul and me.
HAMMER: Even our veteran HLN legal all-stars are wowed.
SUNNY HOSTIN, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTION LEGAL ANALYST: I think these are serious cases.
JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HOST, HLN`S "JAN VELEZ-MITCHELL": Truth is stranger than fiction, or is it?
HAMMER: Alleged crime lord Sonny Corinthos, was accused of shooting out the tires of rival mob boss Anthony Zacchara. Causing a chain reaction accident that killed another motorist, Cole Thornhart and his 3-year-old daughter Hope.
HOSTIN: That`s what is so sad about this case. You`re talking about true innocence getting injured because of true evil and malice.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: He is a very powerful man who`s built an empire on violence and vendettas.
HAMMER: At Sonny`s trial, the prosecution outlined the evidence Sonny had threatened Zacchara.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (inaudible)
HAMMER: Zacchar`s eyewitness testimony.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It was him. Sonny Corinthos.
HAMMER: And perhaps, most damning of all...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you seen this gun before?
HAMMER: The gun used to shoot out Zacchara`s tires, which was found in the office of Sonny`s girlfriend. A largely circumstantial case.
HOSTIN: I tried a lot of circumstantial evidence cases. And just because you don`t see it snowing doesn`t mean it didn`t snow.
HAMMER: But Sonny`s defense attorney was masterful.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Did you actually see Sonny shoot up Anthony` Zacchara`s tires on the night in question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I did not.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I did not.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I did not.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The defense did a masterful job.
HAMMER: And the defense worked.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not guilty.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: This is America. And even the sleaziest mob boss deserves a presumption of innocence and he got it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re under arrest.
HAMMER: Then there was the trial of the young, the restless, Phyllis Newman. Newman was accused of trying to run over her long-time rival, Christine Cricket Blair, all the way back in 1994. The discovery of Phyllis`s old rental car receipt proved she was the culprit. But there was one small problem.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The statute of limitations.
HAMMER: It was this victim, Christine, is an attorney and she found a big loophole.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was a federal employee at the time of the murder attempt which means no statute of limitations.
HAMMER: For CNN legal analyst, Sunny Hostin, who is a former federal prosecutor, this case hits home.
HOSTIN: People do try to take out federal prosecutors, and there`s no statute of limitations on that nor should there be.
So this is going down.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You can thus convict her with this crime.
HAMMER: But soon after Phyllis` trial got underway, a courtroom shocker.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ms. Newman, you`re released.
HAMMER: The judge angrily dismissed the case.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I can`t believe that you would waste my time.
HAMMER: The judge was unusually cranky. Courts sources suggest he`s being bullied at home.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hey, cool aid?
(LAUGHTER)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got your cool aid.
HAMMER: Turns out the judge wasn`t cool with Christine`s legal end run around the statute of limitations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was working with the Justice Department.
HAMMER: Working with, Miss Blair?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I was a consultant for a rape case with legal aid.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A consultant is not a federal agent. Well, then I guess the statute of limitations doesn`t apply.
HAMMER: Christine wasn`t happy.
And our HLN legal All-Stars sparred over the decision.
HOSTIN: I think the judge got it wrong.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: People should not abuse the criminal justice system just so they can have their way and get back at somebody.
Imagine if everybody did that? By gosh, we would all be in court all the time trying to use the criminal justice system to get back at somebody.
HAMMER: Two shocking trials and two shocking ends.
VELEZ-MITCHELL: The twists and turns it`s like something out of a soap opera.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well, my thanks, of course, to Sunny Hostin and Jane Velez- Mitchell for having a little soap opera fun with us tonight. Don`t forget, meet me right here on HLN for the daytime Emmy Awards, Sunday June 16th. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s live red carpet coverage will fire up at 7:30 P.M. eastern. We`d follow up with the 40th annual daytime Emmy Award showed 8 PM Eastern. And, of course, it all happens right here on HLN.
And now, SHOWBIZ quick hits: this is where we take on the days of buzziest stories at lightning speed. And let`s get it going right now with what could be the opportunity of a lifetime. Do you want to work for Beyonce? Now is your chance. That`s right. But it will cost you. So Beyonce just announced she is auctioning off the chance to be a member of her style team next month. It will happen during the Los Angeles stop of her world tour. Seems kind of hard to believe, but, yes, it is true. And the one day, one- time experience will cost you at least $25,000. Yes. 25 grand for this. But here is what you`ll get. There`s a lot involved. A chance to help out Beyonce`s chosen charity, "Miss a Meal", that`s a good deal, a photo op with Beyonce followed by lunch with her mom, a tour Beyonce`s wardrobe rooms and, of course, two tickets actually be there for the L.A. concert.
But at $25,000, is that a bargain or a total bust? With me now in New York, Michelle Buteau who is a cast member of VH1 "Best Week Ever." With me from Hollywood, David Begnaud, the host of "Newsbreaker" on Ora Tv. So look, obviously this would be a serious dream come true for a die-hard Beyonce fan. Last I checked before the show bids were already up to over $12,000. So, Michelle, to you, great deal or totally insane? 30 seconds.
MICHELLE BUTEAU, COMEDIAN AND CAST MEMBER, VH1`S "BEST WEEK EVER": Totally insane. I would rather save money and send my kids to college for $25,000, not only do I want to braid Beyonce`s hair, I want her to paint my toes, I want to have a sleepover. I don`t want a tour of her wardrobe, I want to fry on every leather bathing suit she has. How does she take something like a charity and still become a diva about it?
(LAUGHTER)
BUTEAU: Come on, girl.
HAMMER: Yes.
BUTEAU: I want to try your bathing suit.
HAMMER: Yeah. I don`t want to be cynical about the charity part. That`s a good thing. But yeah, put Michelle in your bathing suit for 25 grand. I mean come on. All right. Moving right to our second SHOWBIZ quick hit tonight.
A first-lady stunner. Michelle Obama taking a heckler head on. You`ve got to hear the first lady just square it off with the heckler. This was at a gay rights fundraiser. The heckler interrupted the first lady right in the middle of her speech in order to protest how the LGBT community isn`t protected from workplace discrimination. You`ve got to listen closely to what went down here.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MICHELLE OBAMA: We have an obligation to stand up for those kids. And I don`t care what you believe in - we don`t - no-no - one of the things I - one of the things that I don`t do well, is this.
(CHEERS)
OBAMA: One of the things ...
(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Mrs. Obama shut the heckler down. Clearly the crowd going nuts there. They love how the first lady handled things. But even she said right there, I don`t do hecklers well. So was it the right move for her to take the heckler on? David, your turn. 30 seconds.
DAVID BEGNAUD, HOST, NEWSBREAKER ON ORA TV: Absolutely. Look, Mrs. Obama owns this heckler. And I don`t even get it, A.J. This person was for gay rights. Mrs. Obama is for gay rights. Who goes to an event like this and starts heckling the first lady? It`s poor judgment, it`s in bad taste. And again, the first lady owns this gal. She literally said to her, look, you can either shut up and have the mic and you can talk or I`ll keep talking and you can go and they yanked her butt out and they should have.
BUTEAU: Yes. It did seem like a strange place for that heckler to be doing all that.
BEGNAUD: Yes.
HAMMER: OK, next on the SHOWBIZ "Quick Hits" tonight. It`s a shocker from Senator`s wife: warning women to stay away from her men, Heather McGill, wife of Alabama State Senator Shadrack McGill says that she is fed up with women using Facebook to pursue her husband, sending him notes and pictures. So McGill took to her husband`s Facebook writing, no more, warning the women back off. You`ve got to watch how she explained it all this morning on "Good Morning America."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HEATHER MCGILL: I have looked on my husband`s Facebook yesterday and again there was another picture. And another email. And being that we have daughters, I guess, just irratious (ph) anger rose up in me over that just to protect them and to protect my family.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Senator`s wife stepping in there, Michelle. What do you think?
BUTEAU: Yes, you go, girl. I love what she`s doing. I wish I had my man`s password to Facebook.
HAMMER: Love it.
BUTEAU: I mean look, if you`re the wife or girls who have a politician, athlete or actor, you need to know what is happening, you don`t need a love child popping up somewhere. She is taking charge. And more women need to do this for their man. And be like hello, helpers? Leave my man alone!
HAMMER: Michelle wanted to get right in there. Let me start the clock, all right, Michelle, David, thank you both.
BUTEAU: Sorry.
HAMMER: So much.
BUTEAU: I love you.
HAMMER: Love you too.
The senator hasn`t gotten caught doing anything wrong yet. Let`s hope it never does happen and it`s never caught on tape.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
REESE WITHERSPOON: Are you kidding me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope.
WITHERSPOON: I`m an American citizen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I told you to get in the car and stay in there, didn`t I?
WITHERSPOON: This is beyond -- this is beyond.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Reese Witherspoon going bonkers after DUI arrest. Oh, and that`s just one of the most outrageous star arrests caught on camera. The best of the worst is next.
Speaking of caught on tape, Kim Kardashian plays paparazzo opening trail by a paparazzo.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN: He is holding his hand up so he is driving with one hand and videoing with the other. So unsafe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Kim case scary and ridiculous close encounter. Plus, wait until you see what we named as our moment of "SHOWBIZ Awesomeness." This is SBT. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. So, all this week HLN is highlighting the stories of men and women in the prison system with "America Behind Bars." We are taking you inside life behind prison walls. And as we all know, stars sometimes end up behind bars. Right now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is bringing you star arrests caught on camera from Reese Witherspoon mouthing off at cops to Josh Brolin getting frisky with a fellow actor in the back of a police car. You won`t believe the things that stars say in the moments before they get locked up. And it`s often caught on camera.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You have the right to remain silent.
HAMMER: If there`s one thing stars behind bars tend to have in common, they all seem to wonder whether their arrest is one big joke.
WITHERSPOON: Are you kidding me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you kidding me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Are you (expletive) kidding me?
HAMMER: It turns out the cops often aren`t kidding, with more and more police cars equipped with dash board mounted cameras, chances are that when a star gets busted we get to see how it all went down. How stars go from in their cars ....
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ma`am, don`t get out!
HAMMER: ... to behind bars.
WITHERSPOON: I`m now being arrested and handcuffed?
HAMMER: When Reese Witherspoon got busted, from mounting off at a police officer, police video caught everything from the mouthing off that got Reese arrested.
WITHERSPOON: I`m a U.S. citizen. I`m allowed to stand on American ground.
HAMMER: ... to her ill advised "do you know who I am" moment.
WITHERSPOON: Do you know my name, sir?
HAMMER: We even got to hear her awkward conversation with her ticked-off husband Jim Toth as they sat in the back of the police car.
JIM TOTH: You kept getting out of the car. And now you`ve turned it into national news.
HAMMER: And we even hear their ride to the police station where Reese is eager to answer the call of nature.
WITHERSPOON: It just comes on you like a ton of bricks and you just have to go the restroom.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Ill tell you what I can do for you right now to help you ...
WITHERSPOON: Yes, sir.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I`ll try to miss every bump I can, OK?
WITHERSPOON: OK.
HAMMER: While Reese was cranky during her arrest, Josh Brolin was absolutely giddy during his.
JOSH BROLIN: It`s all good. It`s all good.
HAMMER: As he and fellow actor Jeffrey Wright sat in the back of a police car after being busted at a Shreveport, Louisiana bar in 2008, we see Wright`s irate.
JEFFREY WRIGHT: You gotta be (censored) kidding me, man.
HAMMER: But Brolin was feeling affectionate.
BROLIN: Wanna kissy?
HAMMER: He even joked about how his then wife, actress Diane Lane would react to his arrest.
BROLIN: You know, my wife is going to be so happy.
HAMMER: Unfortunately country singer Randy Travis is also familiar with the back of a police car. He`s racked up a number of arrests in recent years, including this one for public intoxication in February of 2012. And cops found him in a parked car near a church in the middle of the night.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`re going to A jail for public intoxication.
RANDY TRAVIS: Really?
HAMMER: Despite his arrest experience, he is having a hard time processing what`s happening to him.
TRAVIS: Are you kidding me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, sir. No, I don`t kid you.
TRAVIS: You`re kidding me.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nope. I am being completely honest with you.
TRAVIS: Are you kidding me?
HAMMER: It`s always a shame when a star who has been out of the headlines for a while is back in the news with the police video.
DAVID CASSIDY: I do, however I had a wandering eye as a child.
HAMMER: In this video of David Cassidy`s 2010 DUI arrest in Florida, he appeared to blame eye troubles for the difficulty he was having with the field sobriety test.
CASSIDY: I have deformed muscles, which is associated with farsightedness.
HAMMER: And while Eric Carmen was a pop music staple in the `70s and `80s, his only mention on TMZ is for this caught on video DUI arrest when the hammered singer also had trouble with the field sobriety test. And he had some harsh words for the cops in the back of the police car.
ERIC CARMEN: You`re ruining my life. Thank you.
HAMMER: And that`s the sad thing when a star behind bars gets caught on camera while we get to see their highest moments, we get to see their lowest as well.
WITHERSPOON: OK. You`re about to find out who I am.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
WITHERSPOON: (inaudible) the entertaining. Our "Stars Behind Bars" coverage continues tomorrow with the secrets of star mugshots. You have got to hear the real story behind Michael Jackson`s 2004 arrest. It`s all part of our hour-long SHOWBIZ special, and what you got to see, " Stars Behind Bars" tomorrow 11:00 P.M. Eastern and Pacific.
xFacebook, you love it, you hate it, everybody has really strong feelings about it. But has Facebook ever made you so nuts that you wanted to break out in song?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Facebook, Facebook, got to check my Facebook ...
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE AND UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I got to take another look, nothing new.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALES: I am hooked. What to do, hit refresh.
Facebook, Facebook, I got to check my Facebook.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: OK. Here is your earworm alert, I bet you will not be able to get "Facebook", the musical, out of your head.
Coming up in tonight`s moment of SHOWBIZ awesomeness. This is HBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Well, we all know Kim Kardashian is never, ever camera shy. But lately she has been slamming the paparazzi for what she calls legalized stalking. You have got to see this. She just posted a wild new video online showing a paparazzo driving with one hand and shooting video of Kim, who is in a car behind him. This is just incredible stuff. Watch and listen to Kim as she is freaking out.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KIM KARDASHIAN: OK. I`m videoing this paparazzi in front of us. He`s going to hit the car because he`s not even paying attention.
He is driving and videotaping us from behind. Look. Go a little closer. He is holding his hand up, so he is driving with one hand and videoing with the other. So unsafe. I really don`t feel safe.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Yes. Totally unsafe and really, really scary. Right now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is counting down to the 40th annual daytime Emmy awards. They are coming up on June 16. I can`t wait. Of course, we want you right there with us. I am going to be live on the red carpet. Going to be kicking off the big extravaganza on that Sunday night. And then it`s on to what`s going to be a great awards show. We have got a star-studded lineup of presenters. One of the biggest showdowns of the night will certainly be the battle for the most outstanding entertaining daytime talk show. Take a look.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: There`s dancing. Prizes. Hot debates.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: And stars galore. It`s no wonder fans can`t get enough of daytime talk TV. Still, with so many new players in the game giving daytime viewers dozens and dozen of options to get their daily fix, only four would reign supreme in the ultimate showdown to be crowned the very best in outstanding talk show, entertainment. Going head-to-head this year --
ELLEN DEGENERES: Were you comfortable being naked before?
HAMMER: "The Ellen DeGeneres Show."
KELLY RIPA: Who is the birthday girl? Shut up.
HAMMER: "Live with Kelly and Michael."
SHARON OSBOURNE: But the most beautiful woman alive -- no, she`s got a good publicist, though.
HAMMER: "The Talk."
WHOOPI GOLDBERG: Hopefully the ad stays on and the boneheads lose.
HAMMER: And the ladies of The View. So who will walk away with top honors for top talk? So many great choices. It`s going to be a tough call. Either way, these daytime stars better get ready far a real showdown.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: What a battle. Can`t wait to see who comes out on top. And don`t forget, meet me right here on HLN for the daytime Emmys on Sunday night, June 16th. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s Live red carpet coverage will fire up at 7:30 Eastern, that is of course followed by the 40th annual daytime Emmy awards show at 8:00 p.m.
So are you or someone you know hooked on the Facebook? Well, now a brand new hilarious musical parody puts America`s big addiction on blast.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: This video is going to have you racing to post it on Facebook. It`s tonight`s moment of SHOWBIZ awesomeness next. This is HBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: It`s time for SHOWBIZ awesomeness, where we name the most awesome story of the day. And tonight, it`s the international addiction that there is no rehab, no cure for. It sucks. Millions of people into its web every day, and now there`s a really funny musical about it, it`s Facebook. Everybody seems to have kind of a love/hate relationship with the social media site. So now the folks over at AB Bite (ph) put that angst to music. You have got to watch this.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: I bet you`ll be singing that tomorrow or at the very least posting it on your Facebook page.
Coming up next on, "Dr. Drew on Call" and his behavior bureau, taking on the Brett Seacat trial. Did a former cop murder his wife to try to cover it up by burning down their house with her in it? "Dr. Drew" starts right now.
END
