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Showbiz Tonight
Top 3 Stories That Created Incredible Hype; Interview with `Major Crimes` Creator James Duff and Consultant Mike Berchem; Elton John: `Miley Headed for a Meltdown`; Beyonce Grabbed by Audience Member; Jaden Smith Under Fire for `Drop Out of School` Tweet; Ben Affleck Faces Backlash for Batman Casting; Miss America Targeted by Racist Attacks; Did Snoop Lion Post Pic of Massive Bag of Weed?; Billboard Asks Youth to Pull Up Pants
Aired September 17, 2013 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Tonight on the SHOWBIZ Countdown, today`s top five "Celebrities Under Attack." A music icon goes after Miley Cyrus, saying she`s headed for a meltdown.
Which legend is trying to tame the Miley madness?
Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you behind the yellow tape in our explosive series, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You recorded my private conversation without my consent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, please, suddenly Mr. I-Make-Reality-Cop-Shows doesn`t remember that there`s no right to privacy in a police station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The real-life chase scenes, the true stories straight from the detectives. Tonight, two of the creative powerhouses between TNT`s "Major Crimes" reveals just how real to life it all is.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.
Hello and thank you for watching, I`m A.J. Hammer.
Wow. What a dangerous day to be a celebrity. And which is why tonight we are counting town the top five "Celebrities Under Attack" today.
Let`s get to it at No. 5, kicking it off with Miley Cyrus under attack by, of all people, Elton John. That`s right. Elton is taking off on Miley. And here`s what he`s saying a newspaper in Australia.
"I look at Miley Cyrus and I see a meltdown waiting to happen." He goes on to say "and she`s so young, but she`s got two records in the Top 20 so who is going to stop her?"
Sir Elton obviously reacting to Miley`s wild-child behavior including, of course, that controversial dirty dance with Robin Thicke at the MTV VMAs last month.
Is Miley really in danger of becoming, to quote one of Sir Elton`s famous songs, a candle in the wind?
Well, with me from Hollywood, the great actress Sheryl Lee Ralph, who stars on Showtime`s "Ray Donovan," and wow, how great was she in the last episode? She`s also on the new Nick at Night show "Instant Mom." That premieres on Sunday, September 29.
And Sheryl, perhaps most importantly to her, is the founder of the Diva Foundation. Their Divas Simply Singing show to benefit HIV/AIDS awareness happens on October 12.
OK, Sheryl. Let`s get to this now. Here`s our "SHOWBIZ Countdown" question right at you. Is Elton John right? Is Miley Cyrus, in your mind, a meltdown waiting to happen?
SHERYL LEE RALPH, ACTRESS: A meltdown waiting to happen? Honey, in her latest video the girl is naked and licking a sledgehammer. Whoa. It has gotten hot in here, and she has taken off all of her clothes. Meltdown has already happened. Someone needs to help her.
HAMMER: All right. So Sheryl says meltdown in progress.
Well, in addition to that, let`s run down some of Miley`s recent behavior to perhaps prove Elton`s point here. Twerk-gate, of course, happened with Robin Thicke at the MTV VMAs. She did just confirm that she and actor Liam Hemsworth have broken off their engagement. And recently, she has been admitting to some recreational drug use.
I`m going to bring in Ana Ortiz. She, of course, is the star of Lifetime`s "Devious Maids," which airs its season finale on Sunday.
Great to have you here, Ana.
She has this great new partnership, too, with Campbell`s. It`s called the Wisest Kid in the Whole World.
So Ana, what do you think. Are you with Elton? Are you with Sheryl? Is Miley a meltdown waiting to happen, or perhaps already in progress?
ANA ORTIZ, ACTRESS: I think Sheryl is probably right. I think the meltdown is in progress. I have high hopes that she can pull out of it.
She was definitely too young to get married, so I think that`s a good sign. You know, they were only 20, and getting married at that age, in my opinion, is a little young. So, you know, hopefully, she can pull out of it.
HAMMER: We`ll see about that.
But the thing is, a lot of people have said along the way, "You know what? She`s just expressing her art, and she`s doing what she knows sells."
We have another music star who`s actually defending her today: Britney Spears. Of course, Britney made her own headlines back in 2003: a very racy MTV VMA performance with Madonna. And she told "Good Morning, America" this morning she`s all for Miley`s VMA antics. Look at this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER: I think any time you do a performance that is that memorable you`re going to have criticism. I think she`s doing her thing. She`s like being -- she`s being herself. So I give props to her.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: So you get your detractors, and you get your defenders. Let`s see what happens.
Let`s move on to No. 4 on our "SHOWBIZ Countdown," "Celebrities Under Attack," Beyonce making worldwide news today after a fan in Brazil actually grabbed her during a concert and tried to drag her off the stage. Imagine this.
It`s not the first time that a fan got too up close and personal with Beyonce at a show.
Here`s CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): It`s normal for Beyonce fans to get carried away. Here`s a guy who tried to carry away Beyonce.
Fans at this concert in Brazil used their cell phones to capture the shirtless guy snatching Beyonce from every angle. After her security grabbed her back, she did what she always does: kept singing and even came to the guy`s rescue.
BEYONCE, SINGER: Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey! It`s all right. Calm. Calm. Calm. He just got excited. It`s all right.
MOOS: Fans are always getting overexcited at Beyonce`s concerts. Remember the guy who slapped her butt as she walked away?
BEYONCE: Now I will have you escorted out right now, all right?
MOOS: The butt slap was below the belt. Beyonce never seems to freak out. She invites her fans to sing with her. She touches them. This guy at a concert in Nashville became known as the fan who caught the holy ghost. He described it to the British paper "Metro" as an out-of-body experience. She even hugged him.
And moments later he fainted. He told "Metro" he framed the T-shirt Beyonce had pressed against.
(on camera): At a concert this summer, a fan even grabbed Beyonce`s hair. In this case we are talking about the kind of fan that blows air.
(voice-over): Her security had to extricate her locks.
As for the Brazilian guy who lunged at her, he loves her, she loves him.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I love you.
BEYONCE: I love you, too.
MOOS: Since he wasn`t wearing a T-shirt to frame, he`ll just have to keep watching the GIF someone made of him, sweeping Beyonce off her feet, again and again.
How do you say "attempted kidnapping" in Portuguese?
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: It`s crazy to me how close Beyonce lets people get to her and touch her onstage. And I don`t want to be a buzz kill here, but you know, this actually could be a dangerous situation. So, Sheryl, let me throw this "Countdown" question at you: Should Beyonce perhaps be a bit more careful about getting so close to her fans when she`s performing?
RALPH: Listen, this woman is the consummate diva, and she lets them get as close as she possibly can. But she does not need to fuss, cut, fight, anything. Because she can just have you escorted out. Keep doing you, Mrs. Carter. Love her.
HAMMER: Ooh. That`s great. I mean, what a performer. For somebody, though, who was so protective about so much of her life, that she gets so close to so many people kind of freaks me out a little bit.
All right. Let`s get to our big reveal. The No. 3 "Celebrity Under Attack" is Jaden Smith.
You`ve heard of the Stay in School campaigns, of course. Well, Will Smith`s movie-star son is getting slammed today for waging a drop-out-of- school campaign.
All of this has to do with what the 15-year-old tweeted to his four-and-a- half million followers. He wrote this: "School is the tool to brainwash the youth." And he also wrote: "If everybody in the world dropped out of school, we would have a much more intelligent society."
Oh, boy. Nice going, Jaden.
Not surprisingly, he`s just getting slammed for those tweets today, a bit harder than the critics slammed his summer movie flop, "After Earth." Listen to how Wendy Williams just went after Jaden. This happened this morning.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
WENDY WILLIAMS, TALK SHOW HOST: This boy needs a spanking.
It`s easy to say "drop out of school" when you are an entitled rich kid from Hollywood, you know. But what about the rest of everybody else out here in the street, trying to make a way?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Well said, Wendy. Well, said.
All right, Ana. Let me throw this "Countdown" question at you. Jaden`s anti-school tweets: musings from a thoughtful kid or musings from a spoiled rich kid?
ORTIZ: I definitely think it`s musings from a spoiled rich kid.
HAMMER: Yes.
ORTIZ: I think Wendy`s absolutely right. It`s so easy to be so flip about it, but knowledge is power. Education is the key. And especially children of color. It`s a real, real shame that he`s telling these kids that school is a waste of time.
Our people of color -- I mean, the brown kids, the black kids, every -- we need to stay in school; we need to get an education. And it`s just appalling, and it`s a bit infuriating that he`s going to tell us that we need to drop out of school. Where are we going to go then?
HAMMER: Yes. Well, and everybody should stay in school. You have to imagine Papa Will Smith not all that happy with his son right now. That`s just my guess.
All right. Stay where you are, because another "Celebrity Under Attack" is the new Miss America. This is such a shame. Former Miss Rhode Island, Claudia Jordan, is right here. She`s going to help explain exactly what it`s like to go from winning the crown to facing a backlash.
But will this top our "SHOWBIZ Countdown"? Well, from the shocking racial backlash against the new Miss America to superstar and super-mom Gwyneth Paltrow. Tonight, her stunning talk about crack to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GWYNETH PALTROW, ACTRESS: We drink wine; we shop. We smoke crack. We -- and you know -- we have sex.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: All right. Why Gwyneth is talking to us about sex and drugs.
Plus, the secrets of TNT`s hit show "Major Crimes" revealed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MARY MCDONNELL, ACTRESS: What could be worse than a four-hour window for time of death?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The victim is three months` pregnant. So double homicide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: This is going to be great. It`s the SHOWBIZ special series, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows." We take you behind the police tape, and tonight we do it with two of the creative geniuses behind "Major Crimes." They are about to make some major revelations.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
And we are down to top two in our countdown of the top "Celebrities Under Attack" today.
And here we have Ben Affleck responding the very first time to all that backlash over his casting as the next Batman. Well, Ben stopped by "Late Night with Jimmy Fallon," and he talked about his new role as the Caped Crusader, opposite Henry Cavill`s Superman in his sequel to "Man of Steel."
But Ben was really funny. He talked about how the studio heads warned him that there probably was going to be a backlash, and you`ve got to hear how he responded.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BEN AFFLECK, ACTOR: They said, "Just don`t use the Internet for a couple of days."
And I said, "I don`t -- this is not -- I handle (EXPLETIVE DELETED). I`m from..."
JIMMY FALLON, HOST, "THE LATE SHOW WITH JIMMY FALLON": You`re tough.
AFFLECK: I`m very tough. So I see the announcement, I look at this thing and I clicked on the first comment, which is like "Ben Affleck is going to be Batman." The first one just goes "noooo!"
FALLON: Get off the Internet. Throw out that computer for a bit.
AFFLECK: Going to be Luddites for a while.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: They tell you that stay off the Internet for a while, the studio that`s putting you in this position, Ben, it`s probably a pretty good idea to listen to them.
And not surprisingly, despite the backlash, Affleck does say he is super excited to be Batman. And I, for the record, I`ve always said I think he will be terrific.
Time now for our big reveal. It is a new celebrity facing a much uglier backlash topping our countdown of "Celebrities Under Attack."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ANNOUNCER: Miss New York!
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: That is the new Miss America, Nina Davuluri. And she is riding the high, being the first Indian-American to ever be crowned Miss America but is also the subject of a disturbing racist backlash. It erupted on Twitter, literally the second she was crowned.
Listen to what one person tweeted: "Do you not have to be American to win Miss America anymore?" With the hash tag whatisthis. By the way, Nina is a native-born American.
And another really ignorant tweet read, "I am literarily so mad right now a ARAB won Miss America." I guess he meant to write "literally." And by the way, Davuluri is Indian-American, not Arab.
Obviously, really hideous behavior from some idiots hiding behind their keyboards.
Joining me for a special "News Maker" interview, someone who personally knows about what Davuluri is experiencing right now, Claudia Jordan, former Miss Rhode Island, the second African-American to hold that title. She also placed in the top ten of the Miss USA pageant.
It`s good to see you, Claudia.
CLAUDIA JOHNSON, FORMER MISS RHODE ISLAND: Good to see you, too, A.J.
HAMMER: All right. So what we`re seeing with Miss America today is actually something you went through during your pageant days. What did you experience?
JOHNSON: I was in the Miss Teen USA pageant in Biloxi, Mississippi. And one day we had to ride around the city and, you know, wave to all the people that came out to see all the girls in the pageant. And it was like "`N` word go home" and all that kind of stuff. And I`m like I`m here in this pageant. I`m 17 years old. I`m representing my state. I`m super proud, and I`m away from my family. And here you are being racist and ignorant when this pageant is bringing millions of dollars into your city.
And let`s keep in mind, this is America. And we are so quick to claim we are the melting pot. Unless you are a Native American, which I am part Native American, no one has room here to talk. Every single person here has family from somewhere else.
And I find that ridiculous that it`s like certain nationalities are OK, and that`s American. And others are not. And I think that`s -- it`s ridiculous. It`s absolutely -- it`s embarrassing.
HAMMER: It`s ridiculous the ignorance that still is around here in 2013. I imagine you were happy that Twitter wasn`t around when you were competing in the pageants.
JOHNSON: You know, I love Twitter for some things, but for other things, it gives too many cowards too much of this courage to be keyboard gangsters and say these ignorant and hurtful things to people.
And just because you see someone on television, you put your thoughts in a tweet, it still gets to them. It still hurts them. And it`s really -- it`s embarrassing. You`re just putting this negativity out.
This woman, she`s the first Indian-American woman to win. And it should be a proud moment, and I think we should embrace any time that these, you know, milestones are made.
HAMMER: Yes.
JOHNSON: She`s a beautiful women. She`s assertive. She`s intelligent, hard working. She`s a wonderful representative to be Miss America.
HAMMER: I couldn`t -- I couldn`t agree with you more, and I was so happy to hear that she`s just ignoring all the haters.
Claudia Jordan, always good to see you. Thanks so much.
JOHNSON: You, too. Thank you so much.
HAMMER: All right. We`re moving on now to Snoop Lion`s jackpot. Well, Snoop is showing off this, his big bad of winnings from the Floyd Mayweather fight. It looks like his weed wager sure paid off. But did the champ of rasta rapping finally take his ganja obsession maybe a bit too far?
And get ready for our must-see SHOWBIZ special series, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You recorded my private conversation without my consent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, please. Suddenly Mr. I-Make-Reality-Cop-Shows doesn`t remember there is no right to privacy in a police station.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: TNT`s "Major Crimes" is getting major ratings. And tonight, I am so excited to get the real truth behind the hit. Two of the crime show`s creative forces are in the "SHOWBIZ Hot Seat." And I`m going to make them squirm.
It`s time now for the "SHOWBIZ Buzz List." Here`s what the SHOWBIZ staff is buzzing all about.
You can thank us for sharing "Thanks for Sharing" with you. Gwyneth Paltrow and Mark Ruffalo`s brilliant new romantic comedy will be in theaters on Friday.
Well, it`s the end of an era. The series finale of "Dexter" is on Sunday. You better say your good-bye to TV`s favorite serial killer before it`s too late.
Well, fashion is here, and it`s all about Prada. The sequel to the sensational best-seller, "The Devil Wears Prada" is in bookstores. You can get your copy of "Revenge Wears Prada" with that new fall sweater.
Mega-DJ Avici just dropped his debut studio album today. I can tell you it is a masterpiece you will definitely want to hear.
And a zombie Apocalypse now on Blu-Ray and DVD with "World War Z" and Brad Pitt, on disk today.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRAD PITT, ACTOR: Can`t help you. I can`t leave my family.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Take a look around you, Mr. Lane. Each and every one of these people are here because they serve a purpose. There`s no room here for nonessential personnel. You want to help your family? Let`s figure out how we stop this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
COOPER: Drop it like it`s hot. Well, there you have Snoop Lion. He`s showing off his big bag of winnings from Floyd Mayweather`s big fight. That`s not money in there.
It is time for "SHOWBIZ Quick Hits." This is where we take on the day`s biggest buzz makers at lightning speed.
And first off, what the heck is Snoop Lion holding in that photo? Well, the rapper just shared the shot on Instagram. He`s holding this bag that seems to suggest it`s a pound of marijuana, his big win from the big Mayweather fight.
Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Snoop`s reps to confirm that this is actually pot, but not surprisingly, we haven`t heard back by our deadline.
But let me bring in TV and radio host Michael Billy.
Michael, hey, some wager that Snoop Lion won; Snoop Dogg, whatever you want to call him these days. Put up the picture again, Charles. We`ve got to look at him. He`s wearing this Captain America T-shirt. He`s holding what looks like a big garbage bag.
MICHAEL BILLY, TV AND RADIO HOST: A very fitted Captain America T-shirt, as it is.
HAMMER: But what`s more surprising to you? The apparent pot wager or the fact that he actually would post a pic like this?
BILLY: I`m not surprised that he`s posting a picture like this. But let`s be -- this is a massive amount of weed. I haven`t seen a massive amount of weed like that since last week when I was cleaning out my own bedroom.
You can`t pass that along in Washington Square Park. That is a professional job. Good for him. It`s what you would suspect -- expect from Snoop Lion. So you know, I`m not surprised. It`s Instagram. Can you take it so seriously?
HAMMER: It still seems like the cops could show up at any moment.
BILLY: Exactly. The cops or anybody else...
HAMMER: Well, yes.
BILLY: ... in the world.
HAMMER: Others may be interested.
BILLY: There you go.
HAMMER: Let`s move on to our next "Quick Hit." We are traveling to a billboard. It is hanging on a street corner in Memphis, Tennessee. Look at this thing, the message reading, "Show Your Mind. Not Your Behind," and it highlights a young man wearing his pants below his waistline. And look on the other side: there`s a young man with a diploma in his hand.
The ad was paid for by civil rights activist, a long-time insurance agent who lives in the area. He wants young black men to pull up their pants.
Michael, do you think this billboard should become a national campaign? Thirty seconds.
BILLY: OK. All kidding aside, I`m a teacher and an instructor, as well. And I`ve got to say let`s take the race out of it. Droopy pants and sloppy clothing is something that transcends all races. So make it a general campaign for everybody, and I`m on board.
HAMMER: Yes, I`m going to agree with you right there, because this is something we certainly see from all kinds of people. Fortunately, you`re not showing up here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with this kind of a look, Michael Billy. I don`t think it`s a good look on you. But after you find a bag of pot in your closet like the one that Snoop Lion had, anything would be possible.
All right, Mike. Great to see you.
BILLY: Great to see you.
HAMMER: All right. Just like super saggy jeans, here`s something a lot of people are screaming that they don`t want to see. I think it`s pretty nice. This is 57-year-old Mama Kardashian in this Instagram pick. It`s Kris Jenner as a bikini babe. We`ve got a big debate tonight about this. Is it good for her or, some people are saying, total overexposure?
Plus, why is Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow talking to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about crack and sex?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALTROW: We drink wine. We shop. We smoke crack. We, you know -- we have sex.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The queen of Hollywood healthy living giving her take on addiction. You have got to stick around, because I need to show you exactly what the heck Gwyneth is trying to say here.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, on HLN.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
PALTROW: We drink wine. We shop. We smoke crack. We you know -- we have sex.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Right now, Gwyneth`s addictions? Gwyneth Paltrow has really kind of become the star that people love to hate because of her healthy lifestyle. So what`s up with her talking about crack?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCDONNELL: What could be worse than a four-hour window for time of death?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The victim was three months` pregnant. So double homicide.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: "Secrets of TV Crime Shows." The wild police chases, the gritty stories. Tonight, the real truth behind TNT`s drama "Major Crimes." The show`s creator, James Duff, is right here; plus former Los Angeles detective and show consultant Mike Kerchem joins us to break down fact and fiction.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT continues right now.
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thank you so much for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer.
And tonight on the SHOWBIZ countdown, we`re counting down the top three stories today that created incredible hype. I`m talking supersonic hype. Kicking it off at No. 3, Britney Spears. It really was a pretty incredible moment when Britney dropped down from a helicopter. It was early this morning. She did it to greet thousands of her fans in the middle of the Mojave Desert. This all happened live on "Good Morning America." They bussed in more than 1,300 young girls, all dressed as Britney. Now, that is some serious hype. Britney revealed that she is going to perform for the next two years at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas doing 50 shows a year. Listen to this, she will reportedly be making over 300 grand a show, and she will be releasing her eighth studio album this December. Busy lady.
This morning Britney also revealed to GMA`s Sam Champion that some of her new songs are in fact inspired by her breakup with fiance Jason Trollick (ph). Watch this.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRITNEY SPEARS: Doing this album I had a breakup with Jason that I went through that I wrote a lot about.
SAM CHAMPION, GMA: I think everyone can relate to that, you know, and I think to them, they want to know that a superstar goes through the same process in a breakup as they do.
SPEARS: They suck, breakups suck, man.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: The stars are just like us. Well, Britney says her show is going to feel kind of like a theater and a club. Her fans can actually get up and dance along with her.
Let me go to Sheryl Lee Ralph. she is about to star on the new Nick Mom series, "Instant Mom," it premieres on September 29. And Sheryl, I think if anybody can live up to all of the hype, there is so much going on with her, it is Britney Spears, don`t you think?
SHERYL LEE RALPH: I love Britney Spears. She has got an incredible spirit. She looks great. But Britney has been through a lot. Lest we forget, this woman went into a public place, shaved off all of her hair, and had to figure out where she was. She has been through a lot mentally and physically. This next schedule that she is talking about would be a lot for a very healthy person. All I want is for her to think about herself first, because she really matters. And not everybody can take the pressure. And this is about a lot of pressure she is about to walk into. I love the diva that she is. But take care of yourself.
HAMMER: Great advice, Sheryl, from someone who knows. I think she is in a good place now. She is 31 years old, she has been performing since she was really, really young. She also revealed this morning to GMA`s Sam Champion that she never expected her career to actually go on this long.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SPEARS: When I first started out, I always just wanted to just make enough money to buy a beautiful home in Louisiana and to have kids and do that. I never thought I was going to continue to do what I do.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Do we have the picture? Go ahead and put this up. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s executive producer, Dave Levine (ph), his hair color has never changed, he`s there with Britney Spears back in 1999. She was just around 17 years old then. Hardly a household name, and I am happy to say they have both come a long way from that point. Hyla is with us and he is an entertainment journalist. Hyla, what do you think? Britney`s success is certainly a lot more than hype at this point. It is factually the real deal.
HYLA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: Check the scoreboard. She sold over 100 million albums worldwide. A couple of Grammys in her pocket. She was one of the most, highest paid stars, musicians of all time. Female musicians. I mean, there is no doubt that she is a musician and a very successful one. One of the most successful we have ever seen.
Now, anything outside of that, when she does a little "X Factor," she can`t really bring the heat there, but this Vegas show, this is right in her wheelhouse. And I actually think it`s a good thing she is going to be grinding it out. I think it`s when she is chilling, not doing anything, that is what can prompt her into getting into trouble. When she is on a routine, when she`s doing music, when she is making music, performing, that is when she is at her best.
HAMMER: That`s right. And I think being in Vegas and having a set show like that also gives her that element of stability, which we have found works for her as well.
So let`s move from Britney`s big gig that we all approve of, to Dennis Rodman`s new gig with some nuts. This is No. 2 on the SHOWBIZ countdown of today`s top three stories that created such incredible hype.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DENNIS RODMAN: The secret to world peace is pistachios.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Dennis Rodman does it because he`s nuts. Wonderful pistachios. Get cracking.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Is it wrong that I laughed when Dennis Rodman blew up? What`s going on here? We know Dennis Rodman is very tight with the North Korean dictator, Kim Jong-Un. I guess he didn`t mind having an impersonator of his friend blowing him up for that ad for pistachios, but Sheryl, I look at this thing and I say it is just nuts.
RALPH: It is absolutely nuts. And I hope that life is not imitating art and they press the red button on all of us because he is the leader of peace up there in North Korea. Oh, my God. He gives me hope for what Khloe`s husband, him, Odom, he gives me hope, he gives me hope for Lamar. He does, absolutely. Oh dear God, and did you see the green hair? Oh heavens.
(CROSSTALK)
HAMMER: Listen, good for the pistachio people who put that together but are they selling nuts because that ad is on TV?
Let`s get to No. 1 on our SHOWBIZ countdown of today`s top three stories that created such incredible hype today. This ad from Thai communications provider, True Move H (ph). I think you will agree the hype over this ad is for a great reason. The ad sends a really powerful message about being kind without expecting something in return.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: If that did not give you chills, please check your pulse. Absolutely amazing.
All right, as we move on tonight, I can`t wait to bring this to you, it is a blockbuster SHOWBIZ event. We have secrets of TV crime shows, and tonight we pull back the curtain on "Major Crimes."
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You recorded my private conversation without my consent.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, please, suddenly Mr. I make reality cop shows doesn`t remember that there is no right to privacy in a police station.
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HAMMER: The high stakes cases, the high speed chases. Is everything based on real life? "Major Crimes" creator James Duff is here, plus former Los Angeles detective and show consultant Mike Berchem with the real truth behind TNT`s hit show.
Kris Jenner, what is going on with this bikini babe? Yes, the matriarch of the Kardashian Jenner bunch and grandmother of three rocking her two-piece on Instagram. Do you love it or should we leave it?
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
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UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stand up.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Why?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sofa pulls out.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Explain the smell.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do not scream.
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HAMMER: Come on, you knew she was going to scream.
That is TNT`s "Major Crimes" with some major drama, and tonight we are taking you inside that drama for an up-close look at the secrets of making this hit TV crime show so addictive. And tonight, we are revealing all as part of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s week-long special series, "Secrets of TV Crime Shows."
Tonight, I am so thrilled about this. We are getting the real truth behind TNT`s hit drama "Major Crimes" with these two dudes. Two of the creative forces from the show. With us tonight from Hollywood, James Duff is here. He`s the show`s creator and executive producer, also the guy who brought us "The Closer." Thank you for that. James is here with Mike Berchem. Mike is a former LAPD detective who has been a technical adviser on both shows. It is thrilling to have you here. Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Thank you for having us.
HAMMER: Absolutely. Let`s get into it, because "Major Crimes" is just one of these shows that is always keeping us on the edges of our seats. Like in this scene, where a reporter rides along with cops to get the story. Roll it.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Detective Sanchez, if it`s safety first, shouldn`t you be wearing your seatbelt?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No. Clear. Clear.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s like the law, though, right?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Someone shoots at us I want to get out of the car and maybe jump out of the way. Seatbelts can get you killed.
Don`t do that.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Why not?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If you hurt yourself through a crash, we have liability insurance.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But if you get shot, we are off the hook because you signed a release.
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HAMMER: That`s one of the show`s typically great scenes, but I have never understood for all the years I`ve been doing this, how it`s done, James. Please reveal this first secret to me. Are your wild police chases shot in a studio? It sure doesn`t look like it.
JAMES DUFF, CREATOR, "MAJOR CRIMES": No. There is not one green screen shot in that car chase. And everything you saw was done on live streets of Los Angeles on a Sunday. We shot it all on Sunday. But we wanted a car chase like one that you didn`t usually see on television, and we worked really hard to make it look right. And part of the reason why everything looks right is my friend here, Detective Mike Berchem, who was a detective on LAPD`s robbery homicide division for almost 20 years, I think, in that one division.
HAMMER: That gives the show such incredible depth and all of these amazing and fascinating plot lines like the one in particular where murderer gets rid of a body and acts as if he doesn`t have a care in the world. Let`s look at that one.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You don`t mind the couch, even though you kicked me off yours. Sorry. That a girl. Sleep tight, princess.
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HAMMER: Everything`s normal. Nothing happens here. That`s probably a pretty normal scenario. So the next secret we need for you to reveal, Mike, this is to you, how much of your real-life experience makes its way into these scripts?
MIKE BERCHEM, FORMER LAPD DETECTIVE: A lot of the stories, especially when we started on "The Closer" and now transitioning into "Major Crimes" are based on a lot of my cases. Just not the complete story, but little pieces from those stories, or a lot of times when you are working a case and you`re two weeks into it and nothing`s happening and you start looking back, thinking maybe this is why, and those are all those little twists we try to throw into the story. I mean, my head is 28 years of murder and mayhem in L.A. in there. And this man here --
(CROSSTALK)
DUFF: He is being very modest. We have some cases -- some details that you just wouldn`t get on any other show, and that`s because Mike brings all that experience with him. And we have a commitment to authenticity. We have a meeting before we shoot every script that`s called the Mike Berchem meeting, where everybody comes in. Our prop person comes in and our designers and our directors and the writer, and everybody sits down, and we make sure that everything we do is by the book.
HAMMER: Guys, really so cool to get an understanding of how this all really comes together. James, Mike, terrific having you here, thanks again.
DUFF: Thank you for having us.
HAMMER: A new season of "Major Crimes" gets underway November 25th on TNT, and be sure not to miss SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s week-long series of "Secrets of TV Crime Shows."
Tomorrow, we`ll blow the lid off the CBS show "Person of Interest." Thursday, wait until you see our special SHOWBIZ countdown, the top 5 crime show mythbusters. Happens all week right here, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
We move on to Gwyneth Paltrow`s deviant confessions?
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GWYNETH PALTROW: We drink wine, we shop, we smoke crack, you know, we have sex.
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HAMMER: What is she talking about here? Gwyneth is usually the poster child for all things uber healthy, right? Why the heck is the Oscar winner talking about smoking crack and sex addiction? The answer is next. And wait until you see tonight what we named our moment of SHOWBIZ awesomeness.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
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HAMMER: Here we go, time for SHOWBIZ hot flashes. This is where we take on the hottest stories of the day. First up, Kris Jenner, bikini babe? 57-year-old mama Kardashian is flipping the script on her own daughters. Look at this photo that she posted, how steamy, her in a bikini, it is making serious waves, it is sparking a huge debate tonight. And now SHOWBIZ dares to ask, good for her or is it total overexposure? We are bringing back entertainment reporter Hyla, who is in Hollywood tonight. So, Hyla, look at Kris` life, it has been an open book for all to see for all of these years. What do you make of this bikini pic? Is it good for her or is it just over the top even for Kris?
HYLA: Come on, she`s just in a bikini. What`s the big deal? She`s knocking on 60. She is looking amazing. If I have anything near that, I`ll be in a speedo on my Instagram, and I hope you guys show that on SHOWBIZ. She is almost 60, she is a mother, she`s doing amazing, and she needs some distractions from the Lamar business. So I think this is a fantastic move on her part.
HAMMER: I don`t disagree with you. But I`m putting it in context here. It comes right after her own daughter, Kendall, who is 17, posted a new bikini photograph of herself from a modeling job. Does it feel a little like Kris has something to prove here. Although you never know what motivates a Kardashian.
HYLA: Yes, exactly. I don`t follow Kendall`s Instagram for that reason. There is a lot of racy photos on there that my friends seem to think that I`m interested in, they are the creepy old men, not me. But yes, that has got to be a little intimidating when you have all these beautiful women around you. They are your kids. You want to step your game up a little bit. I think this is only a good thing.
HAMMER: And you look great, Chris, you do.
Let`s move on to our next hot flash. It`s Gwyneth talking sex and crack. She is starring in a controversial new movie about sex addiction. But you have got to see what she just told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about what she thinks is the true reason behind all addictions.
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PALTROW: So many of us are in so much pain, and we don`t know how to be with it and expand ourselves -- use it as a tool to expand ourselves and become more aware, and so we self-mediate in lots of ways. We drink wine, we shop, we smoke crack, we have, and you know, we have sex. You know, people use sex as a way to soothe themselves, and it`s self medication. If you are a sex addict, it`s self-medication. It`s a way to get through the pain of life.
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HAMMER: Hyla, I am betting a lot of people will identify with what she is talking about there.
HYLA: Absolutely. There seems like there is a drug for everything. Whatever happened to I`m just going to deal with it on my own. I appreciate the fact that Gwyneth is speaking out about that.
HAMMER: Terrific. Thank you so much, Hyla. My addiction, seeing what is out there and caught on tape. And tonight we have uncovered this particular caught on tape prank. You`re going to wish it happened to you.
Tonight SHOWBIZ awesomeness gives all new meaning to cold beer on tap.
This is SBT, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN.
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HAMMER: It`s time for SHOWBIZ awesomeness. This is when we reveal the most awesome story of the day, and tonight it is the beer prank perhaps to end all beer pranks. Imagine this: You come home one day from a hard day of work, and instead of water, you have got beer flowing from every single faucet in your house. A dream come true to me. This happened to a guy in New Zealand. Of course the guys behind this plumbing heist also set up dozens of cameras to catch the home owner`s reaction.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What the hell. Whoa. It`s like cold beer too, look.
Oh, my gosh.
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UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (EXPLETIVE DELETED). It`s like ten kegs of beer under this.
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HAMMER: I want that house. This is on its way to becoming an instant viral classic. That was the whole plan. It`s believed to be a viral campaign by a beer company in New Zealand.
Thanks for watching, I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. You can catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Monday through Thursday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. HLN continues right now.
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