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JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL

Pranksters Pretending to Be Missing Girl Arrested; Pediatrician Arrested, Charged with Waterboarding 11-Year-Old Daughter; Rihanna Speaks Out

Aired August 16, 2012 - 19:00:00   ET

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


JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN HOST: Tonight, cops release fake calls to 911 in the search for missing Isabel Celis. We`re going to play those calls for you in just a moment.

Too young, and I mean young, sisters pull a prank and pretend to be the missing Arizona 6-year-old. They`re arrested. But are police any closer to finding out what really happened to little Isabel?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL (voice-over): Tonight, more horrifying water boarding allegations. Cops now suspect a nationally known pediatrician experimented on his 11-year-old daughter as part of research on near death experiences. You`ll hear the gut-wrenching details in the arrest warrant.

Plus, superstar Rihanna breaks down in tears over former lover Chris Brown while talking with TV legend Oprah. Why is she defending the singer who brutally assaulted her three years ago saying she was more concerned about him? Is Rihanna a classic co-dependent? We`ll analyze.

Then, movie star Halle Berry say she and her daughter must move to France immediately because the American paparazzi`s a threat to her safety. You won`t believe who she dragged in to help argue her case. What does fellow glamour queen Selma Hayek have to do with any of this? We`ll talk to somebody who was inside court. And I`m taking your calls.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We love you. And we miss you so much.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Isabel was last seen in this home by her parents.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They have been interviewed extensively.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are cooperating to the fullest extent.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We`re labeling it as suspicious circumstances and the possible abduction.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: New details about what may have happened that Saturday morning.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I remember briefly waking up and hearing male voices outside my bedroom window.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We are here today to plea --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: And we will never give up. We will never give up looking for you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, a jaw-dropping twist in the disappearance of beautiful little Isabel Celis who vanished from her Tucson home. Tonight, cops say two other little girls from the very same town made a series of fake calls to 911 pretending to be Isabel. We`re going to play those calls for you in just a second.

You`ll remember 6-year-old Isabel vanished from her Tucson, Arizona, home four long months ago. Her dad reported her missing on the morning of April 21st after her mother had left for work as a nurse. Here`s the 911 call.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

REGIS CELIS, ISABEL CELIS` MOTHER: I went to work this morning at 7:00. And I didn`t even check on her. I should have come to check on her.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Just take a deep breath.

REGIS CELIS: No. I can`t even (INAUDIBLE) --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Does your daughter have any medical condition?

REGIS CELIS: No. She has nothing.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: I`m sorry. She has what?

REGIS CELIS: She has nothing. There`s no medical conditions. She`s healthy.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: OK.

REGIS CELIS: No allergies. No medical conditions.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: OK. And you --

REGIS CELIS: She`s got brown hair.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: OK. Didn`t hear anything any at all?

REGIS CELIS: No, I didn`t hear anything at all.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Police say the bedroom window to Isabel`s room was open and the screen was removed. Blood was found in her bedroom.

Sex offenders in the neighborhood and Isabel`s family were questioned. But after four long months still no sign of Isabel. Recently however police thought they`d gotten a huge break in the case. 911 dispatchers got three calls from the same number, a child identifying herself as Isabel. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911, what is the emergency? Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: This is 911. How may I help you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: He`s coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Who`s coming?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: He`s coming. Help me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911. What is the emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911, what is the emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Isabel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What are you reporting? 911.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What are you reporting?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: I`m kidnapped.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Do you have a police, fire or medical emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: I`ve said enough.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What address are you at? What other cross street?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: I don`t know.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: And are you reporting a kidnapping? Or have you been kidnapped?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911. What is the emergency? 911.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Hello. Can I help you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: He`s coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: He`s coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What address are you at? Do you know what address you`re at? Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Hello.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: What address are you at? What street are you on?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Chilling, chilling calls. Cops spent $5,000 investigating these calls. They were frantic to trace them down. And they finally did to a Tucson home where they found two sisters ages nine and 11. The sisters admitted making the prank calls. Nobody knows why they decided to do that.

Now, even though these girls are just nine and 11, they were arrested on suspicion of false reporting to authorities and taken to the juvenile jail. Should they be prosecuted? What do you think?

Call me. 1-877-JVMSAYS. 1-877-586-7297.

Straight out to former prosecutor Wendy Murphy.

Wendy, they`re nine and 11 years old. They should be reprimanded. They should not be allowed to use cell phones for a very long time. But prosecuted? They`re nine and 11.

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: No. I mean, of course they`re not going to be prosecuted. I don`t think that`s a serious risk. But I`ll tell you why I think it`s terrific that they`ve been taken into custody. And I suspect this is why law enforcement did it. Separate them from their family so they can ask them the really important questions. Did someone put you up to this? Because maybe it isn`t, you know, just a child`s prank. And what I worry about in a case like this is that someone has an interest in distracting the public into thinking that Isabel is still out there somewhere which could create false leads, waste of resource, red herring strategy that might ultimately help the real perpetrator if this case gets to trial. And, you know, the jury is thinking, well, what about that 911 call where the girl called and said it was really her, oh, reasonable doubt.

So, I worry that someone put these kids up to this. And that`s why I`m glad they`ve been taken into custody. And I hope they`re asking them questions about their well-being, who do they know? Are they connected in any way to Isabel`s family or friends? You know, what`s the back story here?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I know. Well, I don`t have such a conspiratorial theory. My theory is, and by the way, prosecutors are reportedly deciding this week whether charges will be filed against the nine and 11-year-old sisters.

My theory is and I`m going to forensic psychologist Cheryl Arutt on this one, they`re kids. They`ve been hearing about this in the news. Their imaginations are running wild. When I was nine and 11, I was sailing down across current down the county which was my whole life. I was on a barge which was my father`s shirt box. They don`t know the difference between fiction and reality. They`re nine and 11, Cheryl.

CHERYL ARUTT, FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGIST: You know something, Jane, the very first phone call one of my children made when she was almost one was to 911 by mistake. And the police came and they forgave her. She was a little baby.

But I have to tell you Kids, they do play. They have imaginations. They can be doing this because they want to see what will happen. They can be doing it because they want to engage in a dramatic play.

But I think Wendy`s also making a very good point because sometimes kids play act things that mirror something that might be going on in their lives. So whether it`s someone putting them up to it or whether there is something going on in their lives that they are trying to have some sort of a call for help, those things really should be ruled out in order to look at this as kids playing and just making an example that this isn`t the way to play because of what it does for the community.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let`s go to the phone lines and see what our viewers are saying about this.

Angela, North Carolina, your question or thought, Angela?

ANGELA, CALLER, NORTH CAROLINA: Hi. My question is, where were the parents at? Because I mean, this is pretty serious situation. Can they get in trouble for what they did?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, yes, apparently the mother was home. But these kids had cell phones. I`ll be the first to admit, when I was a kid, actually like a twin, I did prank calls. They weren`t about anything serious. They were like fake surveys and things like that. But kids do this kind of stuff.

John Lieberman, HLN contributor, investigative journalist, here`s my thought. This could be an investigative tool for police. Because let`s say hypothetically speaking one key character knows, and I don`t want to be correct about this, but hypothetically if the child were deceased and somebody were aware of that and police go to them, which they did go to certain people and say, hey, we got a call from Isabel, wouldn`t the reaction of those individuals be very telling?

JOHN LIEBERMAN, HLN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, absolutely. And, Jane, I think that is the point here. We`re missing the point. The point is, number one, I believe an 11-year-old knows right from wrong.

But second of all, the point is, can you imagine the false hope that this might give anybody who loves Isabel Celis? The false hope that she is alive, that is really what this is about. This is about false hope for anybody who loves this little girl and who now they might believe that this little girl is definitively alive based on these 911 calls.

And to your point, absolutely this is an investigative tool. If they have somebody they`re keeping an eye on, this is the first thing they`re going to go to that person and say, look, we got a call from Isabel. Tell us about that.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. And on the other side of the break we`re going to hear about the latest, latest developments with the family of Isabel. What`s going on there? Stay right there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SERGIO CELIS, ISABEL CELIS` FATHER: We`re looking for you, Isa. We love you. We miss you so much. And we will never give up. We will never give up looking for you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That was Isabel`s dad who went before the cameras and cried begging for his child to come home. But he was much less emotional in his first 911 call immediately after Isabel disappeared. And even seemed to laugh when talking to police. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Is mom there also?

SERGIO CELIS: She just left for work. I just called her and told her to get her butt home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: After his daughter, Isabel, went missing, dad Sergio Celis who is a volunteer a group with child protective services to stay away from his two sons, one is 14 and ten, we must stress he`s not considered a suspect. We still don`t know why, however, he was asked to stay away from his boys. However, we`ve got new information on that from our producer, Selin Darkaistanian. What do you know, Celine?

SELIN DARKAISTANIAN, HLN PRODUCER: Jane, I just got off the phone with the two neighbors that live down the street from Isabel`s family and are friends and their kids played with Isabel`s older brothers. And they said that remember when this first happened child protective services stepped in and said the dad can have no contact with the two brothers. And in fact, he wasn`t even living with them. He was staying at another location.

But they say things are back to normal. They are living at the house. They are walking down the street. You know, he`s been seen walking down the street with his kids, to the grandparents` house. And it seems like he`s able to have contact with the two sons now. They showed a united front. They showed up to the prayer vigil. You know, the family is definitely united and the dad is living back at the house at Isabel`s house now. And he is allowed to have contact with his two older sons. But they said it seems like everything`s back to normal. It`s really quiet aside from a few Isabel posters in and around the streets.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s listen again to a little bit of these fake 911 calls where the two young sisters ages nine and 11 pretend to be Isabel. It`s a prank.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911, what is the emergency? Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Hello?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: This is 911. How may I help you?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: He`s coming.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: Who`s coming?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Coming. Help me.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911, what is the emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: It`s Isabel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE DISPATCHER: 911, what is the emergency?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Isabel.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Imagine the dispatcher who stayed calm but knowing this case obviously and hearing that how terrifying. Cheryl Arutt, forensic psychologist. That had to be to the 911 operator.

ARUTT: Absolutely. This really must have stirred up all kinds of hope that maybe they could actually find her alive. And I know that this is devastating for everybody in that community that`s been really hoping to find her. And I know that an 11-year-old can tell the difference between right and wrong, but I don`t know that they were sophisticated enough to fully comprehend the impact and ripple effect of pulling this prank.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let`s go out to the phone lines.

Sandra, Missouri, your question or thought, Sandra?

SANDRA, CALLER, MISSOURI: Yes. My question is, OK, when I was 11 years old -- I`m just going to bring you back keep it real fast for you, when I was 11 years old me and my cousin stayed at home. My aunt and family went out to a party. It was me. So, I got on the phone decide to do prank calls calling the police station, the fire truck, telling them there was a fire that other stuff that was going on when it really never happened. So when they finally came to my aunt`s house, my aunt had to go to court. They were getting ready to lock her up, pay all kinds of fines - -

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sandra, you`re make ago great point. And I want to get last word, Wendy Murphy, should the parents of these sisters be punished?

MURPHY: No. Look, unless there`s a lot more to the story, I don`t think the parents should be punished and I don`t think these girls can or should or will be punished. I do think cops want to know, if kids are pulling a prank and they just call and go, there`s a monster in my house, click, they don`t call and do something as serious as pretending to be Isabel. That`s why I`m very disturbed by this. That`s why I think there might be a connection to the case. But these kids do not deserved to be punished.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, they`ve got to keep investigating. Still no leads as to where little Isabel is.

On the other side, a story you will not believe. A horror show.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: First a shocking accusations of water boarding. This time not against a terror suspect, but an 11-year-old child.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: An 11-year-old girl is accusing her father, who happens to be a pediatrician, of doing just that.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Police say all the while mom stood by and watched.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Gut wrenching new details released tonight of famous doctor accused of water boarding his stepdaughter hauled into court today. The 11-year-old girl told cops her step dad would perform water boarding on her. The interrogation technique that simulates drowning has been deemed torture by critics. Court documents revealed the dad would allegedly hold her face under running water, cause the water to go up her nose and all over her face. That he told her he was going to wrap her in a blanket so she could not move. She said she was scared all the time because her dad told her he would quote "do it whenever he felt like it," and she never understood what she was being punished for.

The child says she would cry and her step dad, Dr. Morse, would hold her nose and mouth with her hand and tell her she was lucky he didn`t use duct tape. And then not let go until she lost feeling and collapse to the ground.

She says this would happen about once a month. This is the pediatrician who became famous for his research on children`s near death experiences and went on Oprah and LARRY KING LIVE.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DOCTOR MELVIN MORSE, PEDIATRICIAN: I have interviewed well over a hundred children who have a lack of oxygen to the brain, who are treated with all kinds of medicines, who also are mechanically ventilated and in scary intensive care units but were not near death.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Straight out to WBOC reporter Michael Lopardi, you were in court today. We want to know what happened in court. And what about police saying this alleged water boarding may have been Dr. Morse experimenting doing research on his own stepdaughter.

MICHAEL LOPARDI, WBOC REPORTER (voice-over): Hi, Jane. Seems to suggest that in an affidavit for a search warrant they filed to go search Dr. Morse`s Georgetown home.

In court today Dr. Morse told the associated press he hadn`t performed any sort of near death research in about 15 years. And he denied those accusations. Dr. Morse was in court today for what we call a preliminary hearing. It was a very short appearance. He waived the hearing and appeared out front with his attorney. His attorney had some interesting and colorful comments. He went as far to say that his client has been "dragged through the mud like a medical Osama bin Laden" in an interview with me on Friday.

The attorney seemed to suggest that the accusations here were in some way maybe misinterpreted or may have been exaggerated. But he said and we quote "whatever it was it isn`t water boarding."

So Doctor Morse was in court today. The next step will likely be an arraignment. So, he goes from one court to another to sort of restart the process here. But certainly, some pretty shocking accusations to say the least. But for his part and from his attorney, they seem to deny the accusations.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Yes. They are denying the accusations. Thank you for that excellent report. Michael, unbelievable.

Now, we`re going to go Nancy Grace. Nancy, what`s coming up later tonight?

NANCY GRACE, HLN HOST, NANCY GRACE SHOW: Jane, on the radar tracking crime and justice live to the Columbus suburbs.

A mother of two just days from giving birth to a baby girl found dead in the backseat of her ford Taurus. The backseat, Jane. New evidence emerges tonight in the investigation.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rihanna`s brand new confessions to Oprah Winfrey about Chris brown.

RIHANNA, SINGER: It`s amazing how lonely you can feel.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oprah Winfrey`s out pushing her blockbuster Rihanna tell-all that will air this coming Sunday on her network, own.

RIHANNA: It was embarrassing. It was humiliating. I lost my best friend.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Rihanna and Chris brown definitely have a relationship. I think Rihanna will be truthful about it.

RIHANNA: It became a circus. And I felt protect him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We all want to hear what Rihanna has to say especially about her ex-boyfriend, Chris brown.

RIHANNA: He made that mistake because he needed help. And who`s going to help him?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight, superstar Rihanna confronts her past. But, is she protecting her abuser? The top star causing a new uproar by coming to the defense of her attacker, Chris Brown. It was three years ago when this photo showed Rihanna visibly beaten to a pulp and her own boyfriend singer Chris Brown was arrested and charged with assault.

Rihanna never opened up about the assault until now fighting back tears. She spoke to Oprah in a highly emotional no-rules interview. It airs Sunday on OWN. But clips have already leaked out. Watch this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: He made that mistake because he needed help. And who`s going to help him? Nobody`s going to say he needs help. Everybody`s going to say he`s a monster without looking at the source.

OPRAH WINFREY, TV HOST: Yes.

RIHANNA: And I was more concerned about him.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Incredible. She says that she was more concerned about Chris Brown, her abuser, and about Chris getting the help he needs. She seemed much less bothered by her own brutalized condition.

Was she so desperate to hold on to this relationship even to the point of being self-destructive or possibly masochistic? Is Rihanna being classically co-dependent? Call me. 1-877-JVM-SAYS, 1-877-586-7297. We called Rihanna, did not hear back from her.

Straight out to psychosexual, relationship therapist Simone Bienne; Simone thanks for joining us. What do you make of Rihanna defending Chris Brown to Oprah?

SIMONE BIENNE, PSYCHOSEXUAL AND RELATIONSHIP THERAPIST: I think, Jane, it`s actually quite usual behavior of co-dependency. Because what a co-dependent does is they obsess about somebody else`s behavior. They try to fix somebody else`s behavior at the expense of their own needs. And they become so affected by what their abuser is doing that they forget themselves.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: I agree with you. As soon as I heard this I thought co-dependent -- an exaggerated sense of responsibility for the actions of other people, a rescue mentality; a desperation to hold onto a relationship even to the point of being masochistic.

And I have to raise this other point -- this is hardly the first time that Rihanna has raised eyebrows when it comes to the issue of domestic violence. A lot of people were very, well, perplexed over the lyrics in her song S&M. You watch and decide for yourself.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(RIHANNA` MTV, "S&M")

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Blog Xilla senior entertainment editor, GlobalGrind.com; she`s saying "sticks and stones break my bones but chains and whips excite me". Look, she`s incredibly talented. She`s incredibly beautiful. Her songs rock. But the lyrics, not so long after she is beaten by Chris Brown -- why is she doing songs about whips and chains?

BLOG XILLA, SENIOR ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR, GLOBALGRIND.COM: Hey, rough loving is pretty good loving if you ask me. I think Rihanna sort of understands what`s going on and that pushes the boundaries for her and she likes to push the boundaries. There`s nothing wrong with that if you ask me. Sticks and stones may break her bones, but chains and whips excite her. Excites me too.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Ok. I got to go to Wendy Murphy, former prosecutor. There`s nothing I have -- do whatever you want in your bedroom between consenting adults. I think that`s fine. But this was a victim of a beating. Her face was pummelled by Chris Brown. And in very short order she`s singing songs that have a sadomasochistic -- it`s called "S&M."

WENDY MURPHY, FORMER PROSECUTOR: Well, look, I`m going to disagree with you a little bit about do whatever you want in your bedroom because if you`re being beaten and whipped in your bedroom, that`s a crime too. Just because we can`t see it doesn`t mean it isn`t a crime. And we sometimes forget that about sexual violence. Sure you the visible bruises, we all go, "Oh, you know, isn`t that terrible."

If you`re being beaten behind closed doors just because some cuckoo nut sex fiend things it`s titillating and jazzy doesn`t make it right. And too many women I think partly because they`re subjected to pornography -- and I feel bad for men because are completely manipulated by pornography into thinking that violent sex is pleasurable. It isn`t. End of discussion.

And I say this -- she needs a tune-up as does your former guest. Because if you think a relationship with a human being should be violent, you are not fit to live in civilized society and Rihanna should be ashamed of herself for singing about this.

Look, the judge gave Chris Brown counseling, the judge should have sentenced her to mandatory counseling. She clearly doesn`t get it. She`s singing songs that are influencing young girls. She should be ashamed of herself. Forget going on Oprah. You know, go to therapy.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let`s open it up. Let`s have a little debate here. Blog Xilla, Simone. Give Simone the next shot at this issue.

BIENNE: I think she does absolutely need therapy actually. But it is quite usual. Quite usual if you come from an abusive background to express this kind of side of you, this familiarity, this abuse when you`re older. So Rihanna seeks out these bad boy behaviors because she doesn`t value herself.

And from that aspect she already has enough shame. She doesn`t need us to shame her. We need to support her and say, yes, go and get therapy because that`s how she can heal so she values herself.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Let me get a little more on this interview with Oprah for a second.

(CROSSTALK)

MURPHY: Yes, but she`s got to stop singing -- she`s got to stop singing songs about violence as pleasure. That is not required of her. She should stop hurting all the young girls in this country. She should know better. Zip the lip until your tune-up is done, Rihanna.

XILLA: But just because she`s singing a song doesn`t mean she actually means it. It`s art imitating life. It`s just art. Just because she sings doesn`t mean it`s true. She doesn`t even write the songs. A lot of R&B singers do not write their songs.

(CROSSTALK)

MURPHY: She`s got a black eye. She obviously thinks it`s true. She was in a violent relationship.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, listen. Let`s take that into a debate where there are people who think that statues in Washington, D.C. or in Central Park need to be covered because they show naked individuals. I believe that art is meant to provoke and create discussion. So I don`t attack her art. I think she`s incredibly talented. But I look at it in the context of the beating she experienced. I`m going to give Simone the last word.

BIENNE: Yes, Jane, you are absolutely spot on. Because if you come from a background where you have been beaten and you`re in abusive relationships like that, yes, it`s almost like she`s crying for help. And she`s trying to publicly de-shame her. She does, Jane, as you said at the beginning, she needs our support. She needs our help. And in a sense, yes, she shouldn`t be singing about it, but it`s a cry for help.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Virginia, California, your question or thought. Weigh in, Virginia.

VIRGINIA, CALIFORNIA (via telephone): Hi, Jane. I love your show.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.

VIRGINIA: Thank you for taking my call.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Sure.

VIRGINIA: My question is, they talk about Rihanna and Chris Brown might get back together or they`ve been seeing each other. I thought that there was an order that he was to stay away from her? I have three sisters that are co-dependent on their abusive boyfriends. And I just don`t understand why they go back to them and why she would either.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Virginia, actually Chris Brown has been dating someone else for a considerable amount of time and is supposedly happy with that other person.

And Blog Xilla, the final word, could that be a factor that she harbors feelings but Chris has moved on?

XILLA: I definitely think they both have feelings for each other. It has been reported that they`ve been around. They`ve been in the same club numerous times in numerous different cities; once in L.A., once in New York. So there`s obviously conversation there. They sub tweet each other all the time. And I believe he got the stay away thing lifted. I believe that was lifted.

All right. Well, we`re going to continue to discuss this.

On the other side of the break, Halle Berry, she says it`s not safe for her in the United States. What?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And here`s your "Viral Video of the Day". Meet Bentley, the world`s largest therapy dog -- 190-pound Great Dane, 7-feet tall when he stands on his hind legs. And that is a whole lot of loving for the cancer patients he visits. We need to include animals in all aspects of our society. Stop keeping them out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The shocking custody battle between actress Halle Berry and ex-boyfriend Gabriel Aubrey it is really heating up.

HALLE BERRY, ACTRESS: We`re all struggling to find love. There are reasons why things happen. Usually they`re to prepare you for the next stage of life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Tonight the paparazzi called on the carpet in the bitter -- and I have to say a little kooky -- custody battle between Hollywood superstar Halle Berry and the father of her little girl, model Gabriel Aubrey. Halle wants to pack up her Oscar and her 4-year-old daughter, Nala, and head across the pond to Paris. But it`s not for the croissants. She told the judge she and Nala just aren`t safe in the United States because the paparazzi is putting them in extreme danger.

Check out Halle go postal on a photographer outside her daughter`s school.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BERRY: And that is because of your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) videos. You choose to do something else. I`m doing something honorable. I`m not harassing people. Get a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) life. You get a life. You get a life. Get an honorable life. You`re a piece of (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Stop. You`re invading her privacy. That`s why she`s mad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But of course it`s that passion that makes her such a great actress. And she is a great actress. Here`s the ex-husband. Gabriel wants to keep Nala stateside.

In a bizarre twist Halle has at least one supporter, her friend and fellow glamour queen and fellow actress Salma Hayek. Salma wrote a declaration telling the judge Nala will be much safer in Paris.

Straight out to editor-in-chief for Celebuzz, Dylan Howard; what the heck happened in court today, Dylan?

DYLAN HOWARD, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF FOR CELEBUZZ: Tears, tension and a tinsel town secret weapon, Jane. They were the three headlines on day one of this (inaudible) custody battle. And they were tears from Halle Berry not because there were any allegations that were leveled, because the judge barred her personal lawyer from staying inside the courtroom.

Her counsel Stephen Kolodny had wanted Halle Berry Berry`s personal lawyer to remain there in comfort. But according to Gabriel Aubrey`s team, legal team, that was not necessary and the judge agreed.

The pair crossed paths very briefly. Halle didn`t look at him reportedly. But of course as you mentioned there was that secret weapon, Salma Hayek providing a confidential court declaration in support of the fact that her child should be brought up and would be safer in Paris.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, Salma Hayek is an A-lister married to a billionaire. You`ve got to wonder if these people are out of touch. On the other side of the break we`re going to talk to a producer who goes in court and sees all these hardship cases and compare it to this absolutely bizarre custody battle. Stay there.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: And our "Pets of the Day". Jackson, look at you. You`re at the beach it looks like. Zoey having a lot of fun out in a park. Gucci, well, she`s making the scene; very, very chic. And Lincoln, what a face. We love our viewers` pets. Tiger, you rock.

Send them in.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said you made racial slurs. She said you pushed her while she had your daughter in her hands. Nothing to say about this?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s Halle`s gorgeous ex. They never got married, but a lot of controversy here.

And let`s remember, Halle Berry is a very, very sexy bombshell. Here she is, in this incredible movie from James Bond, of course. That`s James Bond.

All right. I tell you what. We were going to hear a clip. But it`s much better just to watch. Right Blog Xilla. Let me ask you a question. Halle Berry has a little bit of a rep as being somewhat zany like taking things -- there`s a lot of stars who live in Hollywood with their kids and they`re not saying it`s a danger for me to live here because of the paparazzi.

When a star becomes a target, it`s usually because of their eccentric behavior.

XILLA: That`s very true. But you don`t really see Halle Berry doing too much eccentric stuff. She`s normally just with her kid, goes out to eat. And every time I`ve been seeing her lately she has been getting in arguments with the paparazzi.

So can they be jerks? Yes. They can be jerks. Can it be aggravating? Yes. But is it dangerous? I don`t know so you think it`s dangerous.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But what about this racism argument that Gabriel Aubrey is racist and that whole side drama?

XILLA: Well, no one was there but I believe that argument came up a few times. And they said he said a racial slur. I mean no one was there so it was a he said, she said thing.

But he can`t be racist. He has a baby with a black woman. How could you be racist, right?

VELEZ-MITCHELL: That`s what I was saying. It doesn`t really make sense.

Now, here is the other thing. I want to go to Selin Darkalstanian, HLN senior producer. You go to court all the time, you see real hardship cases. People are struggling to get their kids, housing, et cetera. And you see these gorgeous people.

I mean let`s face it Halle Berry is one of the most beautiful women on the planet. She`s totally successful. She`s got the world at her feet. Is there a sense that, hey, move over and let the people who have some real problems have more time here in court?

SELIN DARKALSTANIAN, HLN PRODUCER: Exactly. I was sitting in L.A. Superior Court -- that is the courthouse that Halle Berry was at today in the Family Law Division. There are people trying to get restraining orders because their lives are in danger from their spouses or there`s people -- there are so many cases, the judge can`t hear all of them. He has to put them on a time limit on how long each person has to stand in front of the judge and argue their case.

L.A. Superior Court is overflowing; they have way too many cases. And then in the middle of all these real-life problems, Halle Berry comes in and says it`s a threat to live in L.A. and she has to move to Paris? I have no sympathy for her.

These celebrities need to get their money, they need to get their attorneys, they need to deal with it outside of the courthouse and not waste anyone`s time.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well said, Selin. And that`s why you`re one of my senior producers.

More on the other side.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

(inaudible)

BERRY: And that is because of your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) videos. You choose to do something else. I`m doing something honorable. I`m not harassing people. Get a (EXPLETIVE DELETED) life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You get a life.

BERRY: You get a life. (EXPLETIVE DELETED) Get an honorable life.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She said (EXPLETIVE DELETED). Stop. You`re invading her privacy. That`s why she`s mad.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Halle Berry, facing off against a paparazzo and her fellow actress, Salma Hayek, and good buddy came to her rescue writing a declaration saying the paparazzi are much more dangerous in the United States and Nala, Halle Berry`s daughter, would be safer in Paris.

Here is Salma, by the way, in her latest movie, "Savages".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I told you that they would come for me.

SALMA HAYEK, ACTRESS: Stop. Let me remind you that if I had to, I wouldn`t have a problem cutting both their throats.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Dylan Howard, editor-in-chief, Celebuzz, actresses are, by nature, dramatic and sometimes they can work overtime. It`s called professional deformation (ph) -- like I had a very loud voice and people are always saying use your indoor voice. Do you think maybe this is a little bit of a professional deformation here?

HOWARD: Well, let me tell you, there is one key consideration that the court must determine here. Whether or not this is about, as Halle Berry argues the paparazzi or, indeed, has she been overtly dramatic to try and persuade the court to make a decision when reality is she doesn`t like Gabriel Aubrey? She detests him. She doesn`t want him near Nala. He has a legal right to be near Nala. And that is what the court will determine in this particular instance.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: So essentially, Dylan, what you`re saying is she`s using the paparazzi as a cover in order to get her daughter away from the father of the child.

HOWARD: I`m not saying that. That`s what --

(CROSSTALK)

HOWARD: -- I`m saying that`s what this will come down to over the course of this custody trial. The court will make that determination.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: All right. Let`s go out to the phone lines.

Thank you for your patience, Shannon, Arizona; your question or thought, Shannon?

SHANNON, ARIZONA (via telephone): Yes ma`am thank you for taking my call. I just wanted to say that I think it`s a shame that Halle Berry needs to leave the country in order for her to deal with the situation because of the extreme invasiveness of the paparazzi. I understand that as a superstar she puts herself out there. But I do believe there is a line that, you know, her personal life needs to be personal.

Blog Xilla, senior entertainment editor at GlobalGrind.com. It does seem that when -- it crosses the line when kids are involved. I say if you want to take a picture of a star, well it comes with the territory. But leave the kids out of it.

XILLA: And that`s exactly the problem. Because when they`re there, they`re yelling all types of stuff and putting personal business out there and the kid is right there. You might not want your kid to hear any of that. But if she goes to Paris with her boyfriend, there`s the paparazzi is over there.

Kanye and Kim Kardashian were over there a couple of weeks ago and there are pictures of them every day. So no matter where she goes, she`s going to be subject to paparazzi.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: But Blog Xilla, or can I tell you Blog --

XILLA: As long as you call me.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: -- there are plenty of stars in Hollywood that do not have this problem. Quickly, what is it about Halle that there`s such hostility there?

XILLA: You`re absolutely right. Paparazzi are in L.A. and that`s it. They go outside of L.A., there`s no paparazzi there. But her kid`s school is there so they know where she`s going to be at every day at 5:00.

VELEZ-MITCHELL: Well, that`s why they have nannies. I`m just saying. Listen, I wish them all the best. I hope that little Nala -- her interests are the most important.

Nancy, next.

END