Return to Transcripts main page
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT
Britney After Her hospitalization; A Shocking Seinfeld Lawsuit; Tom Cruise Under Attack and Fights Back; A Look at Celebrities in Rehab
Aired January 8, 2008 - 23:00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: A shocking Seinfeld suit. Why someone`s coming after Jerry over his jokes and some recipes? . I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: And a revealing and controversial look at stars in rehab. What they really go through. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another Britney Spears` break down. But it`s not what you think. Did she cause some serious road rage? Plus, "Tears for Spears." No, not these guys. Britney Spears` family. Her teen sister pregnant. Her dad startling battle with addiction. Her aunt`s shocking death. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks, should we actually feel sorry for the Spears?
A mind blowing Tom Cruise Scientology controversy. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT looks into the outrageous claims Cruise says are lies. That he may not be little Suri`s daddy, that he is the second in command of the Church of Scientology and that Nicole Kidman feared she would never see her children again. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates, Tom Cruise on the attack.
(MUSIC)
Hello, I`m A.J. Hammer broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you from Hollywood. And yes, we know it is a controversial question but we are going to ask it. Should we be feeling sorry for Britney Spears` family? A heated debate coming up.
HAMMER: But first tonight, there she goes again. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained dramatic and disturbing video of Britney Spears on the loose again seemingly back to her old ways just days after being dragged off to a hospital locked down in a stretcher. Britney hit the road and I do mean hit the road which has some people asking if she should be getting forced to get some serious help.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(voice over): Police called to Britney Spears` house during a tense standoff involving her children. The world watches as an unhinged-looking Britney is carted away in an ambulance and taken to a hospital. The country`s biggest TV psychologist, Dr. Phil, tries to counsel her as her friends and family worry about her fragile mental state.
DAVID CAPLAN, "PEOPLE MAGAZINE": Sources tell "People" they think Britney suffers from bipolar disorder.
HAMMER: Just days after the shocking meltdown, how is Britney dealing with the very public problems? She is going out driving, of course. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained this video from "TMZ.com" of Britney Spears` wild night out. It`s just after 7:00 p.m. and her latest breakdown, a flat tire she suffered in one of the aimless nighttime drives around L.A.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Britney, you don`t want us to change the tire?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You`ve got a flat tire. You`ve got a flat tire.
HAMMER: The paparazzi entourage that constantly follows Brit tries to help her out and in true if you can`t beat them, join them fashion, she eventually lets one of them give her a ride. And days after Britney herself was impounded, we see the same thing happening to her abandoned vehicle. And four hours later, she`s still going as we see in this "Hollywood.tv" video. She gets into another car and heads out into the night once again.
KATIE DARYL, "TMZ TV": In the world of Britney, it is so normal just to drive around kind of aimlessly all night.
HAMMER: Katie Daryl of "TMZ TV" tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT for months now, there`s been nothing Britney has liked to do more than drive, drive and drive some more. All in full view of the paparazzi, of course.
DARYL: It seems like more often than not the paparazzi obviously is always on her tail. But they`re saving her in some sort of shape or form, you know, whether it`s telling her, "Hey, by the way, you hit another car. Oh, watch out. You ran over someone`s foot."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED PAPARAZZO: Oh! Oh.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
DARYL: Or, "Hey, you have a flat tire. Can we help you out?"
HAMMER: But now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you the only thing more disturbing than Britney`s scary meltdown is watching her carry on like nothing`s happened.
DARYL: Ever since Britney was hospitalized and taken away on a gurney strapped down, you know, it`s not funny anymore. Now, it`s actually - you know, there`s this concern involved and, you know, there`s a mental illness perhaps involved here. You know, could she be bipolar. We are concerned, you know. She should be at home. She should be taking care of herself. She should be seeking medical attention, not driving around late at night.
HAMMER: Some Hollywood stars tell SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that watching Britney`s meltdown has them worried, too.
CHRISTY TURLINGTON, MODEL: She needs some help. And I don`t think it`s helping the situation - obsessive behavior around her.
MELORA HARDIN, JAN ON NBC`S "THE OFFICE": I just hope somebody comes into her life that says, "That`s it." Because, you know, the next step is she`s going to kill herself, and that just really makes me sad. I cannot see where else she could go from here.
HAMMER: And as life apparently gets back to normal for Britney, whatever that means, there`s a nagging suspicion that we may not have seen Britney`s last breakdown, automotive or otherwise.
DARYL: There`s a concern that Britney isn`t taking last week and the incident of her being hospitalized seriously. There`s always worry. There`s always concern, that, you know, she could relapse and that things could actually get worse instead of getting better for her right now.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
HAMMER: Well, look at what I`ve got right here. It is a rare piece of good news for Britney Spears. Police are saying she will not likely be ticketed for leaving the car, blocking traffic on L.A.`s Sunset Boulevard. After all, her car was disabled at the time. Cops are making her pay to get her car out of the impound lot. I think she can afford it.
ANDERSON: So are we witnessing another public Britney breakdown and should she be forced to go back to hospital? With us tonight in Hollywood, Ken Baker, "Us Magazine`s" west coast editor. And in New York, clinical psychologist Dr. Judy Kuriansky. Dr. Judy, Ken, I want you to take a look at this video once again.
Britney out last night driving around in her Mercedes. She has a flat tire, then catches a ride home with one of the paparazzi instead of police officers that are on sight near the scene. Dr. Judy, it seems to me that Britney is back to the old manic behavior.
JUDY KURIANSKY, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Yes, indeed, and I`m really concerned for where she is going to go now. This drive, drive, drive behavior of hers could lead to a physical accident in a car. And that may be, god forbid, the only way that she gets into a hospital and gets to stay there.
It is outrageous that she was in on Friday night and out of Cedars- Sinai Hospital. Seventy-two hours hold means you get an evaluation. I have spent many years doing psych evaluations on emergency patients. It takes a long time before you do an interview, get a proper differential diagnosis because hers is so complicated, and then have a case examination and a case conference. So it is totally inappropriate for her to have been in that revolving door.
ANDERSON: Yes. It doesn`t seem like it should be a quick process. It seems like it should be a long-term treatment. Ken, again, looking at this, how concerned should we be?
KURIANSKY: Very concerned.
KEN BAKER, WEST COAST EDITOR, "US MAGAZINE": Well, I agree with her, actually. I think that like we say on the cover this week of "Us Weekly," time bomb. I mean, it literally is a ticking time bomb. It doesn`t get any better for her.
You know, it is interesting. We can safely assume, I think it`s fair to say and been widely reported that Britney has not tested positive for drugs or alcohol in about two months. OK? There`s no evidence of that. So what we are seeing is this manic behavior, this sort of dissociative behavior and really sort of just erratic behavior nightly by her.
Most people are going to be on something. If they`re out at night going from - she hit two hotels last night after her car was impounded. By the way, it`s still impounded. We just checked. She hasn`t gone to get her car. Who knows if she`ll ever go and get the car? It`s a $200,000 Mercedes convertible. It really is a situation where Britney obviously - I agree with Dr. Phil on this point. She needs intervention.
KURIANSKY: Yes. For sure she doesn`t - Ken, you`re saying so she hasn`t tested for drugs in the past two months. It doesn`t matter. She`s been on drugs way before. The brain chemistry is already off. And put that on top of all the other narcissism and the borderline activity and the other psychiatric problems that she has, including a manic behavior, and you`ve got a very potent cocktail that already has changed her brain chemistry.
BAKER: Can I just say, though -
ANDERSON: Yes. It doesn`t seem like she`s thinking rationally. Go ahead, Ken.
BAKER: Well, Brooke, I wanted to say that - what I`m trying to say is that I think it`s safe if we can just say drugs and alcohol is not the impetus. It is not the stimulus right now for her behavior that she`s exhibiting at night. She is just someone who is biochemically - there`s something going on in her brain chemistry that is making her do all this stuff and it seems to be out of control.
ANDERSON: I want to say, you know, because of patient confidentiality, the hospital didn`t reveal any of its test results, whether drugs, alcohol or from the psychological evaluation. I just want to put that out there but time and time again, we do see Britney putting herself in these outrageous situations just like last night, playing cat-and-mouse with the paparazzi, getting a flat tire. Ken, she seems to be addicted to this crazy behavior. And I know it`s not her fault she got a flat tire but then she hopped in a car with a paparazzi.
BAKER: Well, you know, it is interesting. It is sort of like you said - in the intro piece, you said, you know, if you can`t beat them, join them. But she is taking it to another level. If you can`t beat them, date them. If you can`t beat them, hitch a ride with them. I mean she really - this has become her life, this entire spectacle.
She once was really resistant from the paparazzi and would always hide from them. She hated them. They have taken over her life. They have taken over control and she has courted it. She`s done so many things just to get attention, to get those photos taken of her.
You know, I think when it comes down to it, this is the point that everyone has to remember is that Britney Spears is obviously a sick person. And it is not funny anymore. And it is time for her to get help and I know her family has tried to get through to her but so far, it`s been unsuccessful.
ANDERSON: Yes.
KURIANSKY: Well, the amazing thing is -
ANDERSON: Very troublesome all the way around. And I`m sorry to cut you off there, Dr. Judy, but we do have to end it there. We`ll talk more about this. Ken Baker, Judy Kuriansky, thank you both.
BAKER: Thanks.
ANDERSON: And now we want to hear from you. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day, "Tears for Spears: Do you feel sorry for Britney Spears` family?"
Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Do it from your desktop, your laptop, even your Blackberry or cellphone. Just tell us what`s on your mind.
ANDERSON: You know, Brooke, I`ve got to tell you I actually do feel badly for Britney Spears. She`s obviously going through a lot right now with her own drama. She also has her teen sister who is pregnant. Her dad, his startling battle with addiction. Her aunt`s shocking death. The list kind of goes on. I`ve got to ask, should we feel sorry for the Spears` family? Well, coming up at 30 minutes past the hour, you will not want to miss a revealing showbiz special report "Tears for Spears."
We will also have this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CELEBRITY: I`ve been to hell and back and I`ve been blessed with fame. But with the blessing came the curse by the name of cocaine.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: I`m sure that going through rehab for addiction is extremely difficult and extremely painful process. I can only imagine what it`s like when you`re a big star doing it. Tonight, I`ve got a startling, controversial look at celebrity rehab. Just exactly what do the stars go through? Coming up.
HAMMER: And wait until you hear this, a mind blowing Tom Cruise Scientology shocker. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is looking into the outrageous claims that Cruise insists are ridiculous lies. Now, I`ve got to tell you, I can`t believe some of these - claims that he may not be little Suri`s daddy, that he`s the second in command of the Church of Scientology. Cruise is on the attack and that is coming up next on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: And welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. And tonight, Tom Cruise is absolutely outraged over a sensational new book making unbelievable claims about him and Katie Holmes, including the suggestion that Tom is not even the father of their baby daughter Suri. And wait until you hear the book says may be the baby`s daddy. I`ve got to tell you this is pretty wild.
With us tonight from Hollywood, Kareen Wynter, CNN entertainment correspondent. Also, Tia Brown, "In Touch Weekly`s" senior editor. Tia, Kareen, I appreciate you being here.
Now this book, "Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography," is written by Andrew Morton. You might remember he`s the guy who famously wrote about Princess Diana in her biography. Morton says there are some in the Church of Scientology who actually believe the church`s late founder, L. Ron Hubbard is the father.
Listen to what he writes, "Some sect members sincerely believe that Katie Holmes was carrying the baby who would be vessel for L. Ron Hubbard`s spirit when he returned around the galaxy."
All right, Kareen. Cruise and his attorney, they are just furious about this, aren`t they?
KAREEN WYNTER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT: They`re fighting mad, A.J. And you wonder, you know, these claims - these allegations are so outrageous. You wonder, why didn`t Tom Cruise just ignore them? Just not comment at all.
But you know what? He has a lot at stake here in terms of that public image. You know, he`s had a rough two years in terms of negative press from the Oprah couch jumping incident to the public spat with, you know, Brooke Shields. And there`s still a lot that`s he`s trying to do here in terms of mending that battered public image. So to just ignore this hoping it will go away is probably not something that he wanted to do.
HAMMER: Yes. Yes. It makes sense that he is being kind of proactive about this. And it`s not just Tom who`s angry about it. The book is claiming that Tom Cruise is basically in effect the number two man in his religion, the Church of Scientology. The church denies that. Tia, let me go to you on this. The church is really known for not taking these types of things lightly, right?
TIA BROWN, SENIOR EDITOR, "IN TOUCH WEEKLY": Definitely. Scientology Church does have a lot of power and not in a bad way. I`m just saying monetarily able to sue and they`re very upset. It also alleges that the church actually bullied Nicole Kidman when she divorced Tom Cruise. So there are a lot of things that portray the church in the negative light, and they are not going to like it at all.
HAMMER: And we know that Tom wasn`t always open about talking about the Church of Scientology. He used to be very private about it. And now, at least we`ve seen in recent years he is very public about it. He`s very proud of his religion. What do you think, Kareen? Do you think part of the reason he`s so teed off about this whole thing, not just his public image, but also, it`s making claims about his beloved religion.
WYNTER: Absolutely. There are two things that Tom Cruise just protects fiercely, his family and his beloved religion as you said. He`s very passionate about them. And you know, he`s not just teed off. He probably would love to take this Morton guy on in the ring, go full, you know, 20 rounds, gloves off.
But, you know, that probably wouldn`t be the smartest thing. So what is he doing? He`s using the team here to really release these statements and say it`s not true and it`s not OK.
HAMMER: Yes. I think he is handling it as appropriately as one can. Fortunately, he is not appearing on TV jumping up and down on couches saying, "You`re bad. Don`t say these things about me."
Now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did reach out to Tom`s reps. I want to read to you the statement that they gave us and this pretty much sums it all up, "The book is false, vicious and a bigoted attack on a man, his religion, his family, and even his young children. Even though Tom Cruise has been a top star for the past 25 years, the author never interviewed anyone close to Tom including his business partners, his agents, actors, directors, studio executive, friends, family members, the list could go on."
Now, Tia, we know that Tom Cruise has sued over false stories about him in the past. We`ve seen it several times. So he is really the kind of guy not away to sic his team and lawyers on the people that write these false things about him, is he?
BROWN: Yes. He`s definitely ready to go the distance. We`re already hearing from his attorney, Burt Fields. There`s a possibility of a suit. It`s rumored at maybe up to $100 million. And let`s remember that Tom did sue in the past when someone stole pictures from his wedding and he won.
HAMMER: Yes.
BROWN: So he is not afraid to do this. So Andrew Morton has definite reason to be concerned.
HAMMER: Well, and not just because of Tom. And I should point out that Andrew Morton, the author of the book, claims to have done research on it for two years. But Kareen, if you were Andrew Morton and you had Tom Cruise and the very powerful Church of Scientology breathing down your neck, I have to imagine you`d be pretty scared right about now.
WYNTER: The church, not so much. Tom Cruise, absolutely. I mean, did you see him in "Mission: Impossible"? Did you see the way he manhandled Matt Lauer? I don`t want him breathing down my back. And you know what? He is still quite powerful in Hollywood. So if there`s a window here in terms of a legal opportunity, you know he`s going to go after Morton.
HAMMER: Absolutely. Kareen Wynter, Tia Brown, I thank you both for being here tonight.
WYNTER: Sure.
BROWN: Thanks for having me.
ANDERSON: Well, Madonna is continuing her do-good kick. First, she adopted Kabbalah(ph), Jewish mysticism, adopted an orphaned African boy and now, Madonna is checking out some of the poorest neighborhoods in India.
She`s been on an extended new year`s break in that country and took a walk through the slums of Mumbai. Her tour guide is a convicted robber, Gregory David Roberts who lived in the slums during the 1980s. His book about his experiences there, "Shantaram," is being made into a movie starring Johnny Depp. It`s really something in Mumbai. These makeshift huts are located right next to million dollar apartments.
HAMMER: All right, Brooke, a question for you. Were you a fan of the `80s group Tears for Fears? These guys - show the picture.
ANDERSON: Absolutely. I remember "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World."
HAMMER: Lest we forget, "Head Over Heels." Coming up, we`re not doing them. We`re doing "Tears for Spears." I have a very controversial question to ask tonight. Britney Spears` breakdown, the teen sister, Jamie Lynn pregnant, the dad`s battle with addiction. Should we actually feel sorry for the Spears family? It is a not-to-be-missed showbiz special report. We`ll get into all of it. And that is coming up at 30 minutes past the hour.
Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BRIGITTE NIELSEN, ACTRESS: I realized I could die from this.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Brigitte Nielsen, Sylvester Stallone`s former wife, one of the stars going through a painful process of rehab. Tonight, I`ve got the disturbing and controversial inside look at just what happens while battling addiction. Coming up.
HAMMER: All right. Jerry Seinfeld is being sued not over stolen vodka(ph), and remember you can`t beat a vodka(ph). He`s being sued over some jokes and get this, some recipes, as well. I am totally serious. You absolutely have to stick around for that.
And now, you can watch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT any time at all by simply downloading our podcast which happens to be absolutely free. And if it`s for free, it`s for me. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast on our Web site which is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Always new ones being added there. You can also download it on iTunes; just type "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" right into the search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Well, the stars are all fired up over the cancellation of this Sunday`s Golden Globe Awards due to the two-month-old writers` strike. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT was right there at the Critics` Choice Awards in Los Angeles.
We got the reaction from big names when they heard the news that the Globes, the boozy award show that kicks off Hollywood`s award season was going bye-bye. Screen Actors` Guild members refused to cross picket lines and that meant no stars were going to show up to present or accept awards.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE REPORTER: Will you cross the picket line to go to the Globes?
GEORGE CLOONEY, ACTOR: No. I mean, of course, I belong to six unions, you know. I wouldn`t cross a picket line.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE REPORTER: What about parties? What about going to parties after the ceremony?
CLOONEY: You know, it`s a funny thing. All the questions - and I understand them, are easily answered by just saying, you know, I never and would never cross a picket line.
ADAM SHANKMAN, DIRECTOR OF "HAIR SPRAY": And the fact that people who achieve these things in (UNINTELLIGIBLE) times and get to go up and enjoy that moment of achievement I think is ridiculous.
J.K. SIMMONS, STARS IN "BEST PICTURE" NOMINEE, "JUNO": There`s a lot of people out of work right now because of this. And hopefully we can get the two of them together soon and get back to work.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Now, there will be a news conference announcing the Golden Globe winners on Sunday but the Writers Guild may picket that, too. So it`s unlikely that actors would cross that line as well. Now there`s a lot of people worrying will the Oscars be canceled next? Well, we spoke to them and they would not comment on that.
HAMMER: And you know, Brooke, if they cancel those Oscars, there will be tears. But here`s a question. Should we be shedding any tears for Britney Spears? Of course her meltdown, teen sister Jamie Lynn pregnant, her dad`s battle with addiction. Now, hear me out for a second on this. Should we feel sorry for the Spears family? It`s a showbiz special report "Tears for Spears." Also this -
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JESSICA SIERRA, "AMERICAN IDOL" FINALIST: I hated drugs. I hated her for doing drugs, for leaving us.
DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST, "CELEBRITY REHAB": And yet?
SIERRA: And yet I did them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That`s former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra, just one of the many stars going through a painful battle with addiction. Tonight, I`m taking you inside "Celebrity Rehab." You`ve never seen anything like this before. You`ve got to see it. Straight ahead.
HAMMER: And I can`t believe this. One of my favorite guys in the biz, Jerry Seinfeld, sued not only for jokes and but for some recipes, as well. Does this possibly have a chance of holding up or will a actually judge tell this lady, "No suit for you?" That`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
(NEWS BREAK)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "Tears for Spears." A family in crisis. One sister seemingly spiraling out of control. The other sister pregnant at 16. And these are not the only issues that Britney and Jamie Lynn`s parents are dealing with. Can the family ever recover? Tonight, a SHOWBIZ TONIGHT special report, "Tears for Spears."
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE CELEBRITY: I`ve been to hell and back and I`ve been blessed with fame. But with the blessing came a curse by the name of cocaine.
SIERRA: I hated drugs. It hated her for doing drugs, for leaving us.
PINSKY: And yet?
SIERRA: And yet I did them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
HAMMER: Inside "Celebrity Rehab." A former "American Idol" finalist in deep, deep trouble in the show that follows her and other stars as they try to get off drugs and alcohol. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the firestorm over "Celebrity Rehab."
(MUSIC)
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. It is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. This is TV`s most provocative entertainment news show.
HAMMER: Well, tonight, it is a showbiz special report. We are calling it "Tears for Spears." Britney Spears isn`t the only one who`s going through major drama these days. Her entire family is. That includes Britney`s also famous 16-year-old sister Jamie Lynn, she`s pregnant. Britney`s mom Lynn has had her hands full certainly with her two daughters in crisis. And she`s also still mourning the death of her sister who died less than a year ago of breast cancer.
And then there`s Britney`s dad, Jamie, who`s been left to deal with the brunt of Britney`s meltdown. Not only that, he`s had problems with substance abuse himself. And that all leads to our showbiz special report, "Tears for Spears."
Joining me tonight, in New York, "True TV" anchor Lisa Bloom. Tonight in Hollywood, west coast editor of "Us Magazine," Ken Baker. And also in Hollywood tonight, psychiatrist and addiction expert Reef Kareem(ph). I appreciate you all being here, gang.
And I want to start off with Mama Spears. Talking about having your hands full. Man, I wouldn`t want to be in her shoes. Ken Baker, should we at all feel sorry for her, or as many have suggested, is she to blame for what`s happened to her kids?
BAKER: Well, I think that Lynn Spears would be the first one to tell you that she is ultimately responsible for her children. And she does take responsibility for it.
Now, at the same time, you know, should we feel sorry for her? I`m not so sure about that. I mean, she did a reported $1 million deal with "OK" magazine to sell the rights to Jamie Lynn`s story. Jamie Lynn, of course, is 16 and pregnant. And she made a lot of money off of Britney as being sort of a manager for her throughout her career. So I don`t know if feeling sorry is really the right term for it.
I think it`s all - I think they`re very sympathetic to the point it`s very sad. Now if you look back to Lynn`s family, we did a big cover story at "Us Weekly" on this two weeks ago, all right?
This family had death, disease, dysfunction and divorce. What does that equal - disaster. It is a complete disaster to begin with so they`re all dealing with their own issues in their own way. And I think that it was just - you look at what Britney is doing today and it is no shock because you know where she came from.
HAMMER: Well, and it`s interesting because whenever celebrities having it hard, people don`t often feel sorry for them because of the very fact they are celebrities that may have money and things that most people just dream of. What do you think, Lisa Bloom? I mean, at a minimum, I at least have compassion for a woman who`s certainly dealing with a lot of real life drama here.
LISA BLOOM, ANCHOR, "REAL TV": I think we should all have compassion for her just like we would for any mother who`s facing a lot of difficulties in her family. But, by the way, Britney is not a child. She`s 26 years old. She probably is bipolar. I mean every mental health expert who`s talked about her has said she probably has a mental illness. That`s not her mother`s fault. That`s not her father`s fault. That`s a chemical problem.
As to Jamie, the 16-year-old, I mean what do we know? She had sex either with birth control that failed or she didn`t use birth control. That`s true of about 99 percent of the population. I don`t think that`s her mother`s fault either. That`s a choice she made and then made a choice to keep the child. Her mother seems to be very supportive. I don`t know on earth we would be attacking this mother.
BAKER: Lisa, Lisa, Britney is not a child now. She`s 26. But she was a child when Lynn Spears put her in show business.
BLOOM: And you know what? When she was a - Well, Britney was dying to go into show business since she was three. That`s what she`s always said. And when she was in her mother`s care, up until about 18, she was a very wholesome, nice girl.
HAMMER: Let me pull in Dr. Reef because that`s a point that a lot of people have made. Yes, Britney was very enthusiastic about getting into show business herself. But at the same time, Lynn as her mom of a very young child could have made the decision to keep her away from that. So what do you think, Dr. Reef? Was it a mistake for Lynn to put Britney into showbiz in the first place?
DR. REEF KAREEM, PSYCHIATRIST AND ADDICTION EXPERT: Well, here`s the thing. Bipolar disorder, if she does have that and appears that she does based on the behavior, comes out between about 18 and 25 years old. So Lynn was not going to know that her daughter had this hereditary mental health disorder growing up.
Now, most kids that go through the whole entertainment industry, Hollywood thing, a lot of them have problems because they don`t have identify formation. They didn`t develop an identity of their own. They don`t know who they are. They don`t know what they stand for because they`re a product. And in life, we don`t want to be products. We want to be human beings that have to deal with stress, that have coping skills and are able to do all these things.
HAMMER: Well, we`re looking at the drama that the entire Spears family is up against. I want to move on now to Britney`s dad, Jamie. He is divorced from Lynn. He was right there at the hospital the night of Britney`s big meltdown and he kept his vigil during Britney`s stay there. "People.com" is reporting that he broke down after Britney was discharged on Saturday morning.
He`s had a rocky relationship with Britney over the years. Lisa, I think it was terrific he was there. But what do you think? A little too late in terms of an attempt to patch things up?
BLOOM: It`s never too late if you`re a parent and you have a child that`s in distress. I don`t care what your history is. You should reach out to that child. I say, good for him for going to the hospital. Apparently, he was the one who tried to get the Dr. Phil involved.
I mean, this is a guy who was trying. I just don`t think we should be attacking this family because they`re clearly in crisis and these are people who are trying. You know, there is no good answer here. If you have a child who`s bipolar or is a substance abuse addict. There is really no good answer but I think they`re doing their best.
HAMMER: And substance abuse was, as I mentioned, was an issue that Britney`s dad, Jamie, had to deal with. Ken, it really seems like this family has been troubled for a long time, not just these recent events.
BAKER: Yes. Actually, sources tell "Us Weekly" that Jamie Spears actually feels a lot of responsibility, particularly for, like Lisa said, the substance abuse issues because alcoholism does run in his family. He himself is a recovering alcoholic and is doing very well in a program. And I think he really wants to see Britney go on that same road to health and recovery.
KAREEM: You know, I think that substance abuse is so hot right now, the whole rehab craze and all of that. And look, I work in rehab as well as mental health. I think it`s a really important problem here in this case.
But I think we`re overlooking the primary problem. The primary problem here appears to be a mental health problem. And then you see it`s called comorbidity where you have two diagnoses together. And that`s what we`re seeing here. We`re seeing about 60 to 70 percent of bipolar patients also have a substance problem. So the problem here is not an intervention that we have to do from an addiction standpoint. It`s proper medical care and medical treatment for a mental health problem.
HAMMER: I want to move on to the final major piece of drama that this family is dealing with right now because we have already talked about Mama Lynn, Daddy Jamie and now Jamie Lynn herself. She is 16 years old. She`s pregnant. She`s a teen icon on what is a squeaky clean hit show, "Zoey 101." And until now, it really seemed that Lynn was the only one left who is drama-free.
Ken, let me start with you on this. It`s got to add to the pain that this family is dealing with right now.
BAKER: Yes. But interesting enough, we did a lot of discussion when she got pregnant on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about how is this going to affect her career. Guess what? Ratings are up on "Zoey 101," on the Nickelodeon show, OK? So I think that she is going to be fine. She has a whole career. She`s a beautiful girl. She`s very talented and I think this was a mistake. She admits to that and she`s taken responsibility for it.
I think it`s really unfortunate. I think she`s been a victim of a lot of circumstances and unfortunate thing here and the way I feel sorry for her is she didn`t seem to have learned from her older sister. In that sense I feel sorry for her. But ultimately, she`s the one who has the brightest future of anyone in the family.
HAMMER: Well, let me jump in on that real quickly because I`m going to throw it to you, Lisa Bloom. There are those who have suggested, as outlandish as this may sound, that Jamie Lynn got herself into the mess in the first place because of everything she sees Britney doing. What do you think?
BLOOM: Yes, yes. She is the first 16-year-old that`s ever had sex. Nobody else has done it. So that must be - come on.
HAMMER: No, no. Seriously, Lisa. Seriously.
BLOOM: She`s a 16-year-old. She`s got a cute boyfriend. They had sex. Either without birth control or with birth control, it failed. This is a very typical story. She chose to keep the baby. That`s what`s different. If she snuck out and had an abortion, we wouldn`t be talking about it.
(CROSS TALK)
She`s keeping the baby. Her mom stands by her. This can be OK. This doesn`t have to be a tragedy.
HAMMER: And Lisa Bloom is getting the last word right there because we are out of time. Reef Kareem, Ken Baker, Lisa Bloom, a lot of fun having you here. I appreciate your time tonight.
BLOOM: Thanks.
BAKER: Thanks.
KAREEM: Thank you.
HAMMER: Well, we have been asking you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we want to know tonight, "Tears for Spears: Do you feel sorry fro Britney`s family?"
Let us know at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. Our E-mail address if you have more to say showbiztonight@cnn.com from whatever device you use, whether it be a desktop or a laptop or a cellphone or a Blackberry or a Treo, or perhaps even a pot and pan from your kitchen. I don`t know. Tell us what`s on your mind.
ANDERSON: Hey, bad news tonight for a former "American Idol" finalist, Jessica Sierra.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIERRA: I hated drugs. I hated her for doing drugs, for leaving us.
PINSKY: And yet?
SIERRA: And yet I did them.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Shocking new details about Jessica`s sentence on drug charges just as a controversial new show is about the hit the air waves featuring Jessica and other celebrities trying to get off drugs and alcohol. Coming up, we are taking you inside "Celebrity Rehab."
HAMMER: Also, the Seinfelds have been sued. No laughing matter here. I`m going to tell you exactly why. A woman is suing Jerry Seinfeld and his wife over claims of everything from plagiarism to defamation of character.
ANDERSON: And at least one guy out there doesn`t think Victoria Beckham`s fashion sense is very posh. Mr. Blackwell is out with his annual list of the worst dressed celebrities. We`re going to tell you who else is on the list and the surprising reason why Britney Spears isn`t.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
SIERRA: Are you serious? Like, that affected me all the time seeing my mother`s mug shot that she just got arrested for prostitution and drugs or whatever the case may be. My mom`s in prison. My mom`s jail for prostitution or drugs or whatever.
DANIEL BALDWIN, ACTOR: I wasn`t a prostitute. I wasn`t in prison. So -
SIERRA: But you have been arrested.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: That was former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra from VH1`s "Celebrity Rehab" with Dr. Drew Pinsky. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.
Tonight, we are taking you deep inside a controversial new show that gives us a shocking perspective on what life is really like for celebrities going through rehab. And I can tell you it is not a pretty sight.
Here with us from New York, Dr. Drew Pinsky host of this revealing new show. Dr. Drew, good to see you. And before we get into the new show, I quickly want your thoughts on Britney Spears who clearly has struggled. Today, we saw video of her out again back to her old ways, chased by the paparazzi, this just four days after being carted off to the hospital.
PINSKY: Right.
ANDERSON: Dr. Drew, from your perspective, what does she need?
PINSKY: She - listen. All we know at this point, looking from afar, is that she was on a hold, which is a 5150, meaning she is as acutely psychiatrically ill as a person can be. So we know she has severe mental illness issues. We know she`s an addict because she`s been in addiction treatment. As was discussed in your last segment, she`s what you called poly-diagnosed or dual diagnosed.
She needs a sustained structured treatment with physicians, with doctors managing her around the clock and nurses for at least two to four weeks, followed by a sustained residential program very much like the show you and I are about to talk about, for at least a year. Her survival is really in question here. And even with good treatment, it is going to be 50/50 whether she really has a sustained positive response. Her parents, who you were talking about in the last segment must be suffering greatly.
ANDERSON: I`m sure they are. And you know, someone did try to help her from the outside and there`s been criticism about this, Dr. Phil paying an unannounced visit to Britney while she was in the hospital. Do you think the criticism is unfair? Very quickly.
PINSKY: I`m sure it`s well intentioned, but I`d be concerned. Is he on staff with that hospital? Was he interfering with the affairs and care of another doctor`s patient? That`s the kind of stuff you worry about. I`m sure it was well-meaning but it just didn`t look good.
ANDERSON: Yes. He has faced a lot of criticism about that and he actually canceled plans to do a show about Britney Spears and her family. Well, Dr. Drew, there are a lot of people who believe that no matter what, people need to deal with these issues in private and not on a TV show. What do you say?
PINSKY: Well, what I say is, look, we are all watching publicly someone unravel here and with a life threatening illness. Everyone wonders what she needs. We`re merely showing it. We`re documenting what happens in treatment. This will end the conversation or at least the argument that rehab is some sort of a vacation that celebrities go on or that their behavior is some sort of publicity stunt.
These are people with severe medical problems; require intensive treatment and hard work. These courageous nine people stood up and allowed us to document their care. Their care was intensive. It was good. The outcomes are actually pretty good.
Jessica has obviously had a problem recently. But we just got her out of jail yesterday and she is now required to complete one year of treatment which is what she needs.
ANDERSON: Well, you actually testified for her in court. What did you say to the judge?
PINSKY: I said that she, you know, she is very much - I didn`t use these words but she is, in fact, very much like Britney Spears in that she had multiple diagnoses. She has mental health issues, post-traumatic stress disorder, character and logic problems, medical problems. She`s pregnant. There are other things going on here.
She has severe, severe addiction and she needs long-term treatment. And the fact that the court threw the book at her, the judge was very unkind. I agree with everything he said though. She has to follow the letter of what we ask her to do in treatment or she is going to prison. And that leverage - that`s the kind of leverage Britney needs that allow us to help this person. Here`s one`s that`s doing something she should be doing. Britney needs this.
ANDERSON: Well, I just want to give our audience some perspective. We are talking about former "American Idol" finalist Jessica Sierra. She went back to rehab following her arrest in December for disorderly intoxication and obstruction of an officer. But the judge is prohibiting her from doing anymore television during rehab, right?
PINSKY: Absolutely. He said, "If I see you on TV, you`re going to prison." Now, we have to tell them they`re going to see this. This thing has already been taped. But yes, she`s going to be a regular citizen in treatment getting what she needs.
ANDERSON: Well, hopefully she will. And you also have Daniel Baldwin on the show. He has been in and out of rehab for years, Dr. Drew.
PINSKY: Yes.
ANDERSON: Is he a classic example of how difficult it can be or it is to beat an addiction?
PINSKY: Sure. Addiction is a chronic medical problem. The hallmark is progression and relapses. It`s not that treatment is a failure. Would we call diabetes treatment a failure because once in while, a person needs to come in the hospital to have their blood sugar adjusted?
It`s a similar model in addiction. The recurrences are common, they`re frequent and need to keep people on the track. You are looking at Jeff Conway attacking Daniel there. Daniel had been sober for a while. He was very helpful in treatment for some of the other patients.
You have to watch the episodes to see what happens with him. He eventually does have some issues in treatment. And, you know, he is doing very well and I`m very grateful he participated.
ANDERSON: Good. All right. And I`m relieved to hear you say that most of the outcomes on the show are positive. We will be watching. Dr. Drew, thank you so much.
PINSKY: My pleasure. Thank you.
ANDERSON: Dr. Drew Pinsky`s new show, "Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew premiers on vh1 January 10th.
HAMMER: Well, Jerry Seinfeld and his wife are being sued. Jessica Seinfeld has a cookbook out. It`s called "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food." But another writer, Missy Chase Lapine says Jessica stole the idea from her cookbook, the "The Sneaky Chefs: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy in Kids` Favorite Meals."
Now, when Lapine came out with the plagiarism claim, Jerry Seinfeld came to his wife`s defense. Publicly, he said, "When you`re a celebrity, wackos wait in the woodwork." Well, now, Lapine is suing for defamation over that and for copyright and trademark infringement over the book.
Lapine`s lawyer says the fact that Jerry Seinfeld is a rich comedian doesn`t make up for slander and plagiarism. The Seinfeld`s lawyer says there`s no merit to either one of those claims.
ANDERSON: All right. It`s that time again. The infamous Mr. Blackwell is out with the 48th annual list of the worst-dressed women. And there are a few surprises this year. Kelly Clarkson made the list. Mr. Blackwell says she has a heavenly voice, but, quote, "Those belly-bearing bums are hellish at best."
All right. Now we have Victoria Beckham. Mr. Blackwell takes issue with her, quote, "one skinny mini monstrosity after another." He also says Lindsay Lohan takes fashion to a new low and that Amy Winehouse`s beehive hairdo and fashion choices are a mess.
Well, a lot of people were expecting Britney Spears to be on the list. But here`s what Mr. Blackwell had to say about that. Quote, "I felt that it was inappropriate at this time to make a comment, when her personal life is in such upheaval. I hope 2008 is a better year for her."
HAMMER: Well, Katherine Heigl actually got a mention on Mr. Blackwell`s list. But I don`t think Katherine was upset with it. She was mentioned as one of the best dressed woman of 2007.
How`s that whole newly wed thing fitting her? Well, Katherine tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the one thing that she absolutely wishes went differently on her wedding day. You won`t want to miss what she has to say. That`s coming up next, so don`t go anywhere.
And now, you can take SHOWBIZ TONIGHT along with you by downloading our podcast which happens to be absolutely free. It`s such a deal. You can find the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT podcast by going over to our Web site, that is CNN.com/ShowbizTonight. New ones always being added. You can also download it on iTunes by typing "SHOWBIZ TONIGHT" right into that little search box. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT coming right back.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m Brooke Anderson. Katherine Heigl is telling SHOWBIZ TONIGHT about her wedding and whether or not she wants to start having children right away. Katherine married musician Josh Kelley just a few weeks ago in Park City, Utah.
These are the pictures from "OK" magazine. She looks absolutely stunning, so glamorous and seems very happy. "OK" reports that Katherine walked down the aisle to a song that Kelley wrote just for the occasion. Really sweet.
SHOWBIZ TONIGHT caught up with Katherine at the premier of her new romantic comedy, "27 Dresses." She told us the wedding was great, but it all went by too fast.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
KATHERINE HEIGL, ACTRESS: I just wish I could have - I could have the three days before it back and that day. Because it was all the preparation for it and going up to the mountains and being with friends and family and celebrating and everybody getting, like, anxious, nervous and excited and then the day itself. It goes by really fast.
And everybody always says that and they say slow down, enjoy it, be in the moment, but it`s almost impossible, like, you can`t - I just - I needed it to last another eight hours so that I could really get just all into it.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
ANDERSON: Katherine doesn`t plan to slow down any time soon. She told us she wants to start a family in about a year.
HAMMER: Well on Monday, we asked you to vote on the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. We were asking, "Britney Spears` meltdown: Should she have been released from the hospital?" You don`t think so. Nine percent of you said yes; 91 percent of you said no.
We`ve got a whole bunch of E-mails too including one from Sue in Texas. Sue writes, "They should have kept Britney in the hospital somehow. She`s very self-destructive. I fear for her future."
We also heard from Judi in New Mexico who writes, "Britney needs someone that cares about her enough to help her get medical attention. Is her family waiting for something more tragic to happen?"
ANDERSON: It`s time now to see what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Wednesday, a story that will warm your heart. I promise you it will. Hannah Montana tickets going for hundreds of dollars if you can get your hands on them. But one little girl is giving her tickets away to a classmate who`s been sick. We have 5-year-old Jada and her mother on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Wednesday. Don`t want to miss that.
Also Wednesday, Hollywood romances. Yes, that`s bro-mances. From Brad and George to Tom and Will, these are A-list friendships that have stood the test of time. Hollywood bro-mances, Wednesday on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.
HAMMER: Bro-mances. That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. The latest from "CNN HEADLINE NEWS" coming up next. Keep it here.
END
