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Showbiz Tonight

James Gandolfini Dead at 51; Prancercise Creator`s 15 Minutes Extended

Aired June 19, 2013 - 23:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

VINNIE POLITAN, HLN ANCHOR: Carlos Diaz and the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT team will join us shortly.

But first, breaking news tonight. Actor James Gandolfini has died. The man known best for his role as New Jersey mob boss Tony Soprano died on vacation in Rome today, possibly of a heart attack.

Gandolfini, just 51, went from character actor to superstar playing mob boss Tony Soprano.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JAMES GANDOLFINI, ACTOR: "To my husband, you`re not just a funny, smart, loveable good-looking guy. You`re mine."

Thank you, baby.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Happy birthday.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Gendarme (ph), Anthony.

GANDOLFINI: Oh, wait a minute. All right. To have my health. To being in this beautiful spot with people that I love. I couldn`t ask for more. Salud (ph).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

POLITAN: HBO released this statement a short time ago: "We`re all in shock and feeling immeasurable sadness at the loss of a beloved member of our family. He was a special man, a great talent, but more importantly a gentle and loving person who treated everyone, no matter their title or position, with equal respect. He touched so many of us over the years with his humor, his warmth and his humility. Our hearts go out to his wife and children during this terrible time. He will be deeply missed by all of us."

Gandolfini kicked off his acting career in 1987. After several mob-related rolls over the years, he got his big break in 1999, starring in HBO`s "The Sopranos." In that role, he won three Emmy awards.

Let`s bring in Dr. Sanjay Gupta and Dr. Drew. Guys, thanks so much for joining us.

And Dr. Sanjay Gupta, let`s start first here with what we know about how James Gandolfini died.

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, you know, obviously, there`s a lot of speculation at this point. You`d have to think about some sort of heart problem. When people talk about heart attacks specifically, obviously young, 51 years old, average age of first heart attack is usually somewhere in the mid-60s.

You know, a lot of people have commented, other risk factors can obviously make that first heart attack occur earlier in life: your -- obviously your weight, cholesterol, whether or not he was a smoker, previous drug use. All those types of things. And those are things that, you know, the doctors and medical examiners may be trying to sort out.

But you know, I think you`d have to put that at the top of the list. It`s a little bit hard to say, obviously, right now, but when you look at his overall medical history, that`s what I think people will be thinking about.

POLITAN: Yes, Dr. Drew, obviously this man, a great actor. Iconic performances. Everything else. But it leads to, you know, a life in the fast lane, in some respects.

DR. DREW PINSKY, HLN ANCHOR: Perhaps, perhaps. But again, the independent risk factors for heart disease are high blood pressure, hyper cholesterol, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), early family history of heart disease. The obesity and the weight issue is only really significant if there`s high-blood pressure and those sorts of ancillary -- diabetes phenomenon associated with it.

So although we all look at weight as being not healthy, which it isn`t, it`s the blood pressure and diabetic issues that contribute to the heart disease.

The one thing I keep hearing about what happened is it was a sudden death. They are not confirming, I`m hearing, as with a cardiac death. When we talk about sudden cardiac death, we`re usually talking about an artery that gets blocked, that kills the muscle to the heart, that causes a sudden rhythm disturbance.

But I`d like to, as Dr. Gupta has explained, there are also sudden neurological deaths: anarhythmic (ph) bleeds, stroke, these sorts of things, as well. And again, it`s high blood pressure, diabetes, those sorts of phenomena that put people at risk for that. And as some had mentioned, substances, which we have no knowledge of whether that`s the case or not here.

POLITAN: Yes. And Dr. Gupta, along those lines, talking about sudden death, maybe no indication that something was going to happen and nothing that could have been done?

GUPTA: Yes, I mean, I think that`s right. And you know, we`ve been hearing a little bit tonight about whether anybody had noticed that he had had any recent health problems, you know, even in the last few weeks. Or we obviously don`t know what was going on with him in the hours before this all happened. Yes, that would be relevant.

But Dr. Drew makes a very important point in that you, again, when we think about heart disease specifically, many heart attacks don`t lead to sudden cardiac death. What happens in a situation like that is that the lack of blood flow to the heart causes the electrical signals in the heart to sort of beat, cause the heart to beat erratically, and that can cause a lack of blood flow to the other parts of the body, including the brain. So you could have a couple things going on simultaneously.

But that suddenness, again, of this probably points to something like that most likely being the culprit.

POLITAN: Dr. Drew, do you think in a death like this, do you think there will be some sort of investigation? I`m not talking about criminal investigation, just trying to figure out medically what happened here?

PINSKY: I -- listen, I suspect they knew in the emergency room what was going on. I mean, these things are usually pretty apparent to guys like Sanjay and I that do these evaluations. You kind of know what`s going on based on the routine kinds of data that we collect.

If not, you end up to needing an autopsy, and I hope it doesn`t get to that in this case.

Again, another reminder. As all we`re talking about heart disease and strokes: cigarettes, guys, cigarettes; high blood pressure; high cholesterol. These are things either treatable, preventable causes of significant disease in this country. It is a sad reminder of those things.

POLITAN: It really is a sad night. Dr. Drew, I really do appreciate it, and Dr. Sanjay Gupta, thank you, as well.

I want to bring in now one of James Gandolfini`s co-stars and friends from that legendary program, "The Sopranos." Frank Vincent, who played Phil Leotardo on that program. Actor and musician Frank Vincent joins us by phone.

Frank, thanks so much for joining us, and first of all, my condolences in the loss of your friend. What was the first thing that came into your mind when you got word that your friend, James Gandolfini, had passed away?

FRANK VINCENT, ACTOR/MUSICIAN (via phone): Well, obviously -- obviously, the shock of it all. I mean, not thinking that he was -- he was -- that that could possibly happen to him. I mean, he`s a very robust guy, and he`s a very hardy guy.

And I got a call from one of the other people -- one of the actors that they said "Jimmy died."

I said, "Get out of here." I can`t belief it. It`s a sad, sad time for us.

POLITAN: Frank, you guys worked together. And the camaraderie on the set, as I`ve heard, was -- was really great. Tell us what happened when they stopped rolling the film and it`s time, where you know, he`s not Tony Soprano; you`re not Phil Leotardo. It`s just Frank and his friend Jimmy on the set. What was -- what was James Gandolfini like?

VINCENT: Well, like I said, he was a very robust guy, and it was actually a boys` club. And, you know, when the cameras stopped, everybody was joking and doing what people -- what guys do and just, you know, talking about each other and throwing little digs to each other, just comedic things. And you know, just hanging out. And then, it was -- you couldn`t wait to go to -- you couldn`t wait to go to work the next day. If you were working the next day, it was just, you could not wait to work. It was fun. It was a fun thing to do.

It was a tough show to do, because it was a very serious show to do. But the writing was so brilliant. And the camaraderie was so great, that you just couldn`t wait to go, and you hated to see it end.

POLITAN: You know, Frank, you`ve been part of many legendary productions, including "Raging Bull" and "The Sopranos." Put in perspective the character that James Gandolfini portrayed, Tony Soprano, and what you think the legacy of that character will be?

VINCENT: Well, I think it`s going to be part of American culture as far as -- I know that it was decided that it was the best show ever written by the Writer`s Guild. And the whole time, I think it will go down in history as one of the greatest shows ever. And that`s going to be part of the whole - - the whole American, you know, like Elvis Presley and whoever, that`s going to be part of it.

And Jim will live forever. He`ll live forever with this show. I mean, he died young, but he`ll live forever. He`ll always be young. It`s just sad.

POLITAN: It is really sad. And everyone obviously thinking about his family tonight. Two children, one young daughter, a wife. What are your thoughts for the family tonight, Frank?

VINCENT: You know, our hearts go out to them, and you know, that means, when somebody dies like this, it`s a shock. I lost my father at a young age. But he was in a car accident. But I mean, when somebody is all of a sudden not there anymore, you miss them more, and you can`t understand why they were taken. You know?

I mean, if someone had said who`s going to die? I mean, that`s the last person you think about, him. Jimmy was just a -- he was a friend; he was - - he`d do anything for you. You know, I mean, he had no celebrity. He didn`t care about being a movie star or a star. He was just a down-to- earth guy, and he did me a couple of favors. He wrote the foreword to my book. And you know, I mean he was always approachable for anything and the charities and the -- again, like I said, I can`t say enough times, it was a tragedy and it`s a shock.

POLITAN: Frank Vincent, thank you for joining us tonight, and I know it`s a difficult time, really do appreciate it.

Frank Vincent played Phil Leotardo, a friend of James Gandolfini.

Once again, if you`re just joining us, the news is that James Gandolfini, the actor who played the legendary Tony Soprano on "The Sopranos," has passed away. He died, we believe, of heart-related issues in Rome, Italy. And tonight, the world remembers a great, great actor and a great man.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CARLOS DIAZ, HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Geico`s 15 Minutes of Fame."

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOANNA ROHRBACK, CREATOR OF PRANCERCISE: Hello, I`m Joanna Rohrback of Prancercise LLC. And by now, you know the form of Prancercise. However, what about a prance to romance to?

So what about Romancercising to John Mayer`s "Paper Doll"?

(MUSIC: JOHN MAYER`S "PAPER DOLL")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: That is Joanna Rohrback, the Prancercise lady, doing her thing in John Mayer`s brand-new music video for "Paper Doll." She`s prancing right into her 15 minutes of fame. (on camera): I love this lady already; I love her. Her prancing moves were just made for John Mayer`s new song, or did John get the idea from the song watching Joanna`s video? We are about to find out. Because that`s right: Joanna Rohrback, the creator of Prancercise and star of John`s new video, joins me right now.

Joanna, thank you so much for joining us. So, tell me...

ROHRBACK: Thank you.

DIAZ: ... how did all of this come about? Did John seek you out, Joanna?

ROHRBACK: Well, yes, he did. Well, actually, his producer did. And what I believe happened, from what I heard, is that he was watching my video when it was going viral, and he happened to be working on his song. And when he turned down the volume on my video, the song synchronized with my movements really well, so he thought this would be like a really innovative thing, I guess, to produce a video similar.

DIAZ: So did you...

ROHRBACK: ... for the song.

DIAZ: Did you speak to John directly? Did you say yes right away?

ROHRBACK: No I didn`t speak to him directly. I, you know, looked over the agreement with my legal assistant and whatnot. And we came to, you know, terms and it was fine by me; I was excited. I thought it was a great opportunity. And I enjoyed what I do. So it was not a struggle.

DIAZ: Now, when you agreed to terms did you begin prancing immediately?

ROHRBACK: What is that? I`m sorry, when I agreed to the terms what?

DIAZ: Did you begin prancing immediately?

ROHRBACK: No, we scheduled, you know, according to weather and location and everything. And then it didn`t take us a whole lot of time. It was very expedient. It was probably a couple of hours, and that was it.

DIAZ: Now were you a fan of John Mayer before all this?

ROHRBACK: Yes, I was, actually. I loved his song, "Your Body is Wonderful [SIC]" and I really didn`t start delving into all the tremendous success and artistic talent he has until, of course, I had this situation presented to me.

DIAZ: So, now that your Prancercising is in John Mayer`s video, has your phone been ringing off the hook? Anything else in the pipeline coming up?

ROHRBACK: I`ve had a lot of proposals, but you know, they`ve been, you know, pretty consistent all along. There`s a lot more traffic, of course, in the video. And on my Web site. And I had some things in the works, you know, before the video got released, and those things are still getting worked on. And probably some other things, too.

DIAZ: Well, Joanna, I`ve got to say, it`s a pleasure talking to you. And I love watching your prancing going on right there. Joanna Rohrback, thank you so much.

And Joanna`s Prancercise moves in John Mayer`s new video aren`t the only thing people are picking up on today. Some are saying that John Mayer`s new song is in response to a Taylor Swift song that slams John. That controversy still ahead.

You know that French lady out in New York Harbor? Somebody wants her deported. Are you kidding me?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Name please?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Liberty?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Full name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Statue of Liberty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I see your entry papers?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t have any. I came here in some crates by boat.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Find out why there`s a massive movement to ship the Statue of Liberty back home.

Meanwhile, we cannot wait to meet the newest American celebrity, Kim Kardashian`s daughter. How will she be introduced to the world? In a magazine for a big paycheck? Or on her Mama`s realty show? Tonight, SHOWBIZ asks: "What Would Sherri Do?" "The View" co-host Sherri Shepherd is the queen of the SHOWBIZ universe tonight, and what she says goes. Wait until you hear Sherri`s advice for Kim K.`s big reveal.

This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DIAZ: She is an icon of freedom, but is Lady Liberty an illegal immigrant? Uh-huh. There`s a movement going on to make an example of her, to send the Statue of Liberty packing back to her homeland. Are you kidding me?

Here to explain is CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): You know that French lady out in New York Harbor? Somebody wants her deported.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Bonjour.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No habla espanol.

MOOS: In fact she`s getting grilled by immigration.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you speak English?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Of course. I was just saying hello.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Name, please.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Liberty.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Full name?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Statue of Liberty.

MOOS: The campaign is gathering momentum. Ship her back to France before she has an anchor baby.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Preserve American culture. Deport the statue.

MOOS: This reminds me of the glory days of "freedom fries."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can I see your entry papers?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t have any. I came here in some crates by boat.

MOOS (on camera): Give me your tired, your poor, your gullible?

ISHITA SRIVASTAVA, PRODUCER, BREAKTHROUGH: Our goal was never to trick people. It was really to do a spoof and use satire.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Do you have any education?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have over 120 years of experience in my field.

SRIVASTAVA: There were people like, "Oh, my God, I almost believed this."

MOOS: Ishita Srivastava is a producer for a human rights organization called breakthrough that`s trying to break through the immigration debate with humor. They created a fake campaign with fake Twitter accounts, and called themselves Legals for the Preservation of American Culture.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am an icon of American freedom.

MOOS: The campaign to deport the statue is really in favor of immigration reform. The statue`s grilling is supposed to represent what immigrants experience.

Cartoonist Mike Luckovich had the same idea last year. "She was here illegally and got deported back to France."

(on camera): But Lady Liberty could suffer a much worse fate than deportation.

(voice-over): How about decapitation? That`s happened to Liberty in movies ranging from "Cloverfield" to "Deep Impact," when she lost her head to a giant tsunami. Charlton Heston found her beached in "Planet of the Apes."

CHARLTON HESTON, ACTOR: You maniacs!

MOOS: After all of the liberties that have been taken with this lady, what`s a little fake deportation?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Can you prove that you are not taking a job away from an educated American statue?

MOOS: Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

DIAZ: Very clever. That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

All right. Coming up, Sheen`s showdown. Selma Blair talks smack about Charlie Sheen`s less-than-professional behavior on the set of "Anger Management," and she gets the boot. That`s not cool.

But it`s not worse than this. Katy Perry`s brand-new confession about Russell Brand sending her a text to divorce her. On New Year`s Eve.

Sherri Shepherd is here. She`s fired up. She is giving, Russell, Katy, and Charlie a piece of her mind. Tonight, SHOWBIZ asks, "What Would Sherri Do?" The always hysterical Sherri Shepherd is here, next.

Time now for "SHOWBIZ Say What?" That`s Sandra Bullock at the red-carpet premiere of "The Heat" in London. But what on earth is she doing? What do you think is really on Sandra`s mind? Tell us your thoughts. Share your thought bubble with us.

Head to HLNTV.com/SHOWBIZTONIGHT. Fill in the thought bubble. We`ll share our favorite answers tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DIAZ: Right now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "What Would Sherri Do?" "The View`s" Sherri Shepherd is our pop culture judge tonight. What would she do if she were at the center of today`s hottest stories?

I`m talking Kim K.`s baby dilemma. How should Kim reveal her new baby girl to the world? Katy Perry`s divorce drama. Katy just revealed that her ex, Russell Brand, actually sent her a text message telling her he`d filed for divorce. Classy.

So "What Would Sherri Do?" She`s right there. She`s going to tell us. And you may be surprised by her amazing answers.

SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Carlos Diaz in for A.J. Hammer. Tonight, what would Sherri do? "The View`s" Sherri Shepherd is in the Showbiz Driver`s seat tonight. And, Showbiz dares to ask, what would Sherri do if she was at the center of today`s hottest stories? Let`s kick things off with the big story that has everybody buzzing today.

Kim Kardashian`s baby has arrived and just hours after the baby was born, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s A.J. Hammer went one on one with Kris Jenner who squeeze out the new baby details. Here is what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

A.J. HAMMER, HOST OF SHOWBIZ TONIGHT: All right, I just have to ask you, how is Kim? How is Kanye? How is the baby? How are you?

KRIS JENNER, KIM KARDASHIAN`S MOTHER: We are all fine. We are all good and extremely happy and thrilled for the new baby, and she is doing great and she is beautiful. So very exciting.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: The baby is great. She is beautiful, but we have not heard anything more since then and fans around the world, including this guy want more. We are begging for more. So, let me bring you Sherri Shepherd in right now, who joins us from New York.

She has an amazing smile and even better earrings. Sherri`s new standup comedy special, Sherri Shepherd`s "It`s My Time To Talk" is at to its premier this week on the Epik Network. So, Sherri, it`s now your time to talk. Everybody is waiting to find out more about the Kanye` Baby. Kim could reveal the baby in a magazine. She could use her website to share those first pictures or she could reveal the baby on her reality shows. So, here we go. Sherry, you are Kim Kardashian, you just had a baby, the world is watching, waiting, what would Sherri do?

SHERRI SHEPHERD, HOST OF "THE VIEWS": That baby will be right on keeping up with the new baby. You can eek out like another six or seven specials just from that baby. I would be like, Kanye, you better sit down and go do yesus! Let me put my baby on T.V. So, put the baby on keeping up with the Kardashians. I want to see her.

DIAZ: OK. There you go. Even if Kim releases a picture and the baby`s name, do you think it will be enough to satisfy the Kardashians` loyal fans? Or will they want more?

SHEPHERD: No, we want more you have given us. This is the way you came to us. I have started watching you from the porno to now. You have given us everything. I want more. I am not satisfied. I want it all, Kim.

DIAZ: I don`t know what you are talking about porno. That was art. Let`s keep it rolling out with Katy Perry, and her bombshell. By the way, I cannot believe you are a Kim Kardashian fan.

SHEPHERD: Yes!

DIAZ: Her bombshell new interview in "Vogue" magazine. The pop singer opens up for the very first time about her stunning divorce from comedian Russell Brand, revealing how it really went down and what a jaw dropper it is. This is what Katy told "Vogue," quote, "He is a very smart man and I was in love with him when I married him. Let just say I have lot heard from him since he texted me saying he was divorcing me December 31, 2011."

Hold on, dump by text message on New Year`s Eve, Ouch and ouch, and she has kept that little nugget to herself since the breakup. Sherri, you are Katy Perry and you get the text message, what would Sherri do?

SHEPHERD: Sherri would go over to Russel Brand`s house and burn up all his stuff. I would burn up his car. I cut his hair. I would tear up everything in his house. How dare you, you nymphomaniac text me and tell me you want to break up with me. You don`t text me. Write a song about it, girl. Write a song about him.

Don`t let Russel Brand get away with that. You don`t text nobody. Who do you think you are? Sly Stallone! Stop that! If he is Sly Stallone, send a federal express letter. You don`t text people Russel Brand. We do not do that over here in the United States.

You may do that in England. You are over here in the states. You go on and be a man and you tell Katy Perry that you do not want to be with her. Tear up everything, girl. I will help you.

DIAZ: You are more fired up about that one than you were about the Kim Kardashian one.

SHEPHERD: I am.

DIAZ: Sherri left eye Shepherd there, Elizabeth. We have not heard from Russell Brand since Katy Perry`s stunning new revelations. But when the divorce was announced, Brand told Ellen Degeneres that he had nothing but love for Katy. Let`s watch.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RUSSELL BRAND, ENGLISH COMEDIAN ACTOR: I am all right, thank you -- because me and Katy got divorced. I still love her as a human being but sometimes in a relationship, I supposed it does not work out, does it? But, it does not mean that I regret it or anything. I was very happy to be married with her. She is such a beautiful human being and I just have only love and positivity for her.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: OK, now being loved and positivity, she is a beautiful human being and nothing but great things to say about Katy, Sherri, if what Katy said is true, should Russell Brand now explain himself?

SHEPHERD: Yes, what is all this, "I love her. It is nothing but positivity. I love her." What kind of BS is that? That is not what stuff they do in England. If you love her and it was nothing but positivity, why did you leave? What happened? They were so good together. There were sparks and flames and he made it known that he wanted to get with Katy Perry. That is all he kept talking about. You got her. Now don`t have buyer`s remorse, stay with her.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: Could you have sat on that story for two and a half years like Katy did?

SHEPHERD: I told you. I would have torn up everything that Russell Brand own. It would have own. No, I would have told everybody. I would have told my mama. She would freak out. She done left her Christian up bringing to get with Russell half the time when he talks you cannot understand what he is saying anyway because he is so on another level of deepness.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: All right. So, Katy went on in that new "Vogue" interview to talk about her latest love lost, John Mayer saying, "I am still madly in love with him. All I can say about that relationship is that he has a beautiful mind, tortured soul." John and Katy have been on and off again. What do you think, Sherri? Should she give John Mayer another shot? What would Sherri do?

SHEPHERD: Katy, I would say, you walk in through a door of heartbreak, close that door. Put some nails in it. Bar it up like he is the walking dead. You see me talking about Jessica Simpson and saying she was napalmed. I don`t know what you are, girl. You better leave that boy alone. Anytime you say he is beautiful, but he has a torture soul, you are going to be in trouble. Red flag. If was your girlfriend, I would say, "You better get on somewhere. Let`s go to bar and get some drinks." You, stop. Don`t go further.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: I love the zombie reference, very nice. All right, from real life breakups to T.V. shakeups, Hollywood is buzzing today about Selma Blair`s abrupt exit from Charlie Sheen`s sitcom "Anger Management." Blair play a therapist on the show and they seemed to share a great chemistry. Take a look at this scene from the show of season finale.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHARLIE SHEEN, HOLLYWOOD ACTOR: Are you okay?

SELMA BLAIR, AMERICAN ACTRESS: I`m sorry. I don`t know what is wrong. This has never happened to me before.

SHEEN: That`s OK. It`s fine. It happens to a lot of women. We will try again in a little bit. Maybe you can take some water. You know, to wet your whistle.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: There are no clues that there was nothing not too well about that. But, some of our report, she claimed and complained about Sheen`s work ethic. She said, he`s work ethic was terrible and he apparently got her booted from the show because she was complaining about him. Sherri put yourself in Sheen`s shoes. If another actor complained about you and your work ethic on your show, what would Sherri do?

SHEPHERD: Well, first of all, if I was complaining about Charlie, I don`t care where I got to go, as long as you pay me. That is all I want. Give me my check. You can put me out of the show because I`m fine to go. But, first of all, you have to know, when you hanging with Charlie, Selma and you are a woman, you better be careful.

Look at Denise freaking Richards, she looks like she is scared all the time. Charlie, you came out of rehab. I don`t know what happens when you hang around Charlie. Some girl done got shot in the arm. I don`t know if it`s Charlie. But, I am just saying, when you hang around Charlie, you better be careful girl, because that one right there, he is crazy.

DIAZ: If anyone -- has anyone have ever complained about your work ethic at all, ever?

SHEPHERD: Have anybody -- no. I got a great working ethic.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: OK. Good! If I complain about your work ethic, would you get me fired?

SHEPHERD: As long as you paid me. As long as I get my pay check, I am fine. Let me tell you something. I will never walk off of a set as long as I am getting paid.

DIAZ: As long as you get paid. If the checks are clearing, you are fine.

SHEPHERD: Mama got to feed her baby.

DIAZ: All right, fine. You know what? Speaking of that, Sherri, stay right there. We are just getting started. We got to ask you your number one choice to fill the spot as the new co-host of "The View," who is going to get pay checks on "The View," coming -- don`t say anything right now, Sherri. We want to hear what you are going to say in just a minute. Plus, is John Mayer`s new single a slam in his ex, Taylor Swift.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

JOHN MAYER, MUSIC ARTIST: You are like 22 girls in one. And none of them know what they are running from --

(END AUDIO CLIP)

DIAZ: A lot of people think Taylor was blasting John Mayer in her hit "Dear John." Is this John Mayer`s pay back? I am going to let you decide. Plus, wait until you see what we have named as our moment of showbiz awesomeness. This is SBT,SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

VALERIE BERTINELLI, HOLLYWOOD ACTRESS: I made it very clear. No T.V. No processed sugar. Watch your language.

UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Crap.

BETTY WHITE, AMERICAN ACTRESS: That is us watching our language.

BERTINELLI: That`s it. You two are off the baby-sitting list, you are never watching Wilber again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: That is TV land`s fan favorite, Hot in Cleveland, starring Betty White. And, a 91 White is single and ready to mingle. Welcome back. I am Carlos Diaz in for A.J. Hammer tonight. That Betty White, she is a doll. She is a gem. A TV icon and for a few thousand bucks, you can have a date with Betty. I kid you not.

Betty White and the Morris animal foundation are auctioning off a date night with Betty White and get this, the current bid is $8,600. Not bad, Betty, not bad at all. With me tonight "The View`s" Sherri Shepherd who is in the Showbiz Driver`s seat. We are asking Sherri, what she would do if she was in the center of the today`s hottest stories.

Sherri`s new stand -- new one-hour stand up comedy special, Sherri Shepherd`s "It`s My Time To Talk." It is going to premier Friday night, on the Epik Network. So, Sherri it is your time to talk now.

Again, so, Sherri, Betty is raking in the big bucks. The bid started at $1500 and last I checked, they are up to $8600. The winner gets tickets to Los Angeles. A chance to join Betty at the Animal Foundation Gala dinner. Sherri, picture this, you are an average Joe, sitting in the presence of this TV icon, what would you do? What you say, Sherri on this date?

SHEPHERD: I don`t know. I would put up all my savings and my pension first of all to win the auction because I would want to be with Betty. And, first of all, if I spent all the money on Betty. We going to sleep together at the end of the day, me and Betty White. But, I mean she is like --

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: Really?

SHEPHERD: Yes, absolutely. She is an amazing woman. I would want to know everything about her life. I mean, you know, her relationships. How she feels about life. I mean, you know, Betty White is up there with Jesus. So -- I would want to sit at her feet.

DIAZ: And, by the way, if somebody is wondering how much would a date with Sherri Shepherd cost?

SHEPHERD: Oh, it ain`t going to take much. . You know, as long as you take me and my son out, we are good.

DIAZ: You`re good. There you go. It is like a little pizza, we will be fine. Little pizza and a movie, it will be great. OK, good. We have to move on and you are going to love this one, Sherri because everybody is buzzing about the big changes coming to The View. Two co-host seats, two that we know of, have to be filled. So, who gets hired? Who would Sherri hire to fill those seats?

SHEPHERD: Oh, that is such a hard one, Brook Shields is amazing. Jenny McCarthy is absolutely fearless and Margaret Cho came on and took it to another level this morning. So, we got those three ladies. I can`t, I don`t know, which is why i am glad I do not book the show. Because all three ladies are amazing, so I`m all about girl power.

DIAZ: Girl power. If you could pick anybody, like past, present, anybody at all. I know Brook Shields is great, Jenny McCarthy. Anybody at all, who -- on your wish list, who do you throw out there? The skies is the limit?

SHEPHERD: I think Michelle Obama is not doing anything in a couple of years. I think she would be great to take you know, to fit in Barbara chair.

DIAZ: Yes, that would be nice.

SHEPHERD: Yes. I think Michelle Obama would be like so awesome and then you just need somebody in there, you know, like I said, Margaret Cho and Jenny McCarthy. Those two mamas right there would make it a whole different show.

DIAZ: What makes them so great? What makes them so great?

SHEPHERD: You know, Margaret Cho -- I love Margaret Cho and Jenny, because they are not afraid to say something and they are not afraid to get in trouble. And, if you are on "The View," you got to not be afraid to take a risk and jump out there. That is what endears -- it endears people to you.

DIAZ: Well, I can`t wait for this Friday to see you taking some risk in your one-hour comedy special. Tell me about this special. What can we expect?

SHEPHERD: Oh, my Gosh! I just talk about everything from being on "The View" and all the behind the scenes stuff, when I talk -- when I said the earth was round -- I didn`t know if the Earth was round or flat. I will tell you about what happen in that brave fart moment when I got voted off "Dancing With The Stars" what happen there.

And, just life being a mother and dealing with my child. I don`t know where he is. I put him down, give him some water. I think he ran out the room somewhere, but it`s just life, and you know, everybody can relate to it.

DIAZ: For those who do not know, what is the feeling like when you are on the stage and you got the command of the audience where you are just owning a room?

SHEPHERD: Carlos have you ever had an orgasm?

DIAZ: No, never in my entire life.

SHEPHERD: Well, then you have never -- you will never know what it feels to be on stage. You got to have a really big orgasm. It feels orgasmic being on stage knowing that you are sharing and you are taking people on a journey and they can relate to what you are saying. So, it`s an amazing feeling and I love it and I`m addicting to doing stand up. Are you having an orgasm right now?

DIAZ: I think -- I think I am. I think something is happening to me right now. I don`t know what is going on.

SHEPHERD: Something is -- wait a minute. Don`t move, don`t move. Don`t move.

DIAZ: OK.

SHEPHERD: Something is coming through.

DIAZ: I want a sandwich for some reason, now. I don`t know. Sherri Shepherd, thank you so much. I hope any of this makes the show. Be sure to check out Sherri`s new one-hour stand-up comedy special, Sherri Shepherd, "It`s My Time To Talk" and do other things. Premiering Friday night on the Epik Network. Sherri, you are the best. She kissed me.

Moving on to John Mayer`s big pay check. He just dropped the new single that some people are saying it is all about his ex-Taylor Swift. Is it pay back for Taylor`s hit song "Dear John," that was supposed to be a big old swipe at Mayer. I got the brand new video for John song "Paper Doll."

And, I am going to let you decide for yourselves if it`s a Taylor Swift slam. Plus, Wait till you what we name as our moment of Showbiz Awesomeness. You got to see it. It is coming up. This is SBT,SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DIAZ: Are you ready for our Showbiz Quick Hits. We are taking on the busiest stories and buzziest stories at lightning speed. First off tonight, John Mayers` new song "Paper Dolls." Is it a dig at his ex Taylor Swift. Listen to this clue when we watch Youtube star and now music video star, the Prancercise Lady do her thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOHN MAYER: And, tie your ribbon behind your hair. Strap into some heels that hurt. You should have kept my undershirt --

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: What in the hell is that? With me now to decide for these deep thoughts with John Mayer is Michelle Buteau, who is a comedian and cast member of best week ever on VH1. Michelle --

MICHELLE: Hey, boo.

DIAZ: I am like mesmerized right now. Rolling Stone magazine is suggesting the song is about Taylor Swift because of that last lyric that you just heard, you are like 22 girls in one. Taylor has a song called "22" and the repeated use of the color red, which is the title of Taylor`s latest album. Michelle, you have 30 seconds here. I know you can fill it. Do you think John Mayer wrote the song about Taylor Swift, go!

MICHELLE BUTEAU, STAND-UP COMEDIAN: Of course, John Mayer wrote the song about Taylor Swift. But, the thing is it is like when you have two mediocre singer or song writers, doesn`t that at least come up to one decent song. I mean, come on. The girl is -- And john is so horny, he would have sex with a snake if it had two legs.

What I do love is that Taylor did put him out there, when she was kissing and telling on him, but what I`m more mad at is not the feud, that John Mayer made me look at four minutes with this grandma prancercising with her camel toe.

DIAZ: OK, there is so much to comment but I cannot. You have sissy said so. All right. From Prancercizing with John Mayer and camel toe to Cher`s rocking performance on the season finale of "The Voice." The 67-year-old icon performed woman`s world, the first single off of her up coming album of the same name and proved she can still rock the stage, listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHER: I`ve been broken heart. I`m strong enough to rock because in the woman`s world. This is a woman`s world. Tell the truth notes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Michelle, she is 67 years old and she does not age. I mean she defies logic and everything involved with it. She looks great. Cher is still shaking her money maker on stage, hot or not. You got 30 seconds, Michelle, go.

BUTEAU: You know, Cher is a four-letter word and that is a good thing. Home girl is 67 and she still looks like she needs a gator and a banana because she is getting tired but she is giving it to me in gypsy pants and her belly is showing. When I am 67 I just want to find Q adult diapers. Here is the deal, I love me some Cher, you do it girl. But, who ever choice that wig, stop it. It is pass of aggressive. It looks like a drag queen reject and just something out of mad mess.

(LAUGHTER)

DIAZ: Wow! OK, so you like the performance Michelle?

BUTEAU: You are keeping it spicy. I like you.

DIAZ: Well, Michelle, I love you and listen I will call you again, all right? But, just ease up on the text messages, OK? Michelle Buteau, thank you so much, boo.

BUTEAU: Anytime.

DIAZ: From John Mayer`s new burn song to a Michael Jackson classic that is burning up the internet. This brand new Youtube cover, you got to see this. It`s of the iconic hit "Billie Jean." It`s going crazy viral tonight.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HENRY: Billie Jean is not my lover. She is just a girl who claims that I am the one. But, the kid is not my son. She says that I am the one, but the kid is not my son.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: Did you see that? They are hitting all the high notes. They are playing the keyboards. They are playing the drums all at the same time and they are looking incredibly cool doing it all. I am telling you, this is Youtube gold and it`s our showbiz moment of awesomeness. This is SBT,SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

DIAZ: It is time for "Showbiz Awesomeness." We named the most awesome story of the day. Tonight, we got the what may be the best most awesome Youtube cover of a Michael Jackson cover ever, "Billie Jean."

This is unbelievable this cover. A couple of amazingly talented guys. Michael Henry and Justin Robinett are belting out the hit while they are both playing drums and keyboard at the same time. Say what? These guys are blowing my mind, watch and drink in the power.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MICHAEL HENRY: Billie jean is not my lover. She is just a girl who thinks that I am the one, but the kid is not my son. She says I am the one, but the kid is -- the kid is -- the kid is not my son

(END VIDEO CLIP)

DIAZ: That is insane. These college pals are youtube star vets. Their covers of Adele and the band Perry also went crazy viral last year. Next on Dr. Drew On Call, the burning bed, a brand new look at the bed a trust fund kid is accused of setting on fire to kill his girlfriend.

END