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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

Move to Expose Internet Predators Heads to Hollywood

Aired May 10, 2006 - 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, CNN ANCHOR: The Denise Richards-Heather Locklear divorce feud. Is it ever okay to date your best friend`s ex? I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN ANCHOR: And the scientific proof, yes scientific proof, that you don`t like Tom Cruise as much anymore. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT starts right now.

HAMMER: On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT -- blowing the lid of the dark world of sex sickos. Tonight, how Hollywood is joining the fight and going after internet sex predators.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

You just don`t really look like the kind of guy who likes to meet girls over the internet.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The dramatic way TV shows and movies are spreading the word about scary real-life perverts. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates.

And shooting stars. Tonight, a revealing look at the nasty and often ugly battle between the paparazzi and Hollywood.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

There`s a $10,000 picture, and it`s just a question of knowing where it is and being there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: The startling ways many photographers will do just about anything to get that must-have celeb shot. Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the sometimes dangerous cat and mouse camera game.

Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York City.

ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. We`re going to start tonight with something that is downright disgusting. A.J., sex predators lurking on the internet.

HAMMER: It is hideous, Brooke, and we`ve been hearing an awful lot about this lately. Now Hollywood paying a lot of attention too in a very big way. It used to be that just advocacy groups were the only ones who were warning us about the online sickos. But now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is here to tell you we`ve noticed a trend. Television shows and movies ripping a page from the headlines to help get the word out.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

A minor shooting kiddie porn. That`s a new one.

HAMMER: Teenagers selling themselves online. The plot of last night`s episode of "Law & Order: SVU." It featured a teen who ran his own porn site, where he did unspeakable acts, where pedophiles paid him to watch online.

The web cam was a window into his bedroom and his pedophile subscribers paid for the privilege of looking in.

HAMMER: If you think this disgusting and shocking stuff was dreamed up by some Hollywood writer, think again. It`s based on a true story, and it`s the latest example of how TV and movies are shining a light on a frightening real-life trend -- kids being exploited, or worse, by adults they meet online.

JUSTIN BERRY: I was the king of my own universe. All I had to do in exchange was strip and masturbate while alone in my room.

HAMMER: Just last month California teenager Justin Berry shocked Capitol Hill, shocked America for that matter, with a real-life story more disgusting than anything you`d see on a TV police drama. He talked about how he had used a web cam and his computer to set up porn websites. For a fee Berry allowed pedophiles to watch him as he performed live sex acts in his own room, right under his mother`s nose.

BERRY: For five years, beginning when I was 13 years old, I operated a pornographic website featuring images of myself loaded onto the internet by web cams. Paid by more than 1,000 men to strip naked, masturbate, and even have sex with female prostitutes while on camera.

HAMMER: One in five teenagers who often use the internet are sexually solicited online. Most of them don`t tell their parents. At one time it was a problem that not many people talked about at all.

I used to think when kids were at home they were safe.

HAMMER: Now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that Hollywood is all over this story. And not just on TV shows like "Law & Order: SVU."

You just don`t really look like the kind of guy who likes to meet girls over the internet.

HAMMER: The recent movie thriller "Hard Candy" centers around a 32- year-old man whose online seduction of a 14-year-old girl turns into torture.

This is actually sick.

HAMMER: Even news shows are getting in on the act. Check this out.

Is this some kind of setup or something?

HAMMER: "Dateline NBC" is running a controversial series where reporter Chris Hansen confronts suspected child predators who thought they were meeting up with youngsters that they`ve been chatting with online.

I don`t want to be on the news, dog.

HAMMER: These hidden camera encounters usually end with the reluctant interviewees being nabbed by the police.

Get on the ground.

So you like older guys but you`re afraid it`ll hurt. I can show you how so it doesn`t hurt and it`s great.

HAMMER: Whether it`s on TV shows, news programs, or in the movies, child predators prowling for prey online is a problem that`s ignored no longer.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

HAMMER: Well, now that it has gotten our attention, we`ve got a couple of guests tonight sure to get your attention too. Marc Klaas is the president of beyondmissing.com. He`s with us tonight from San Francisco. And in Washington, D.C. tonight Ernie Allen. He`s the CEO and president of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Two organizations doing a lot of good work. Gentlemen, thank you for being with us tonight.

Thank you, A.J.

HAMMER: Marc, this is unbelievable. You know, we look at some of the footage that we just showed. Particularly from that "Dateline" special. And in the "Dateline" special the predators actually admit to having seen these sting operations before. That one guy said is this a setup? Sort of knowingly. Yet still they solicit these kids online, they show up to meet them. Help me understand what`s going on in the minds of these sickos.

MARC KLAAS, BEYONDMISSING.COM: Well, I`m not going to pretend for a second that I`m in the minds of these sickos. Certainly you would want to talk to a profiler about that. But they obviously have compulsions that they are unable to control. Uncontrollable compulsions. And they`re willing to seemingly risk anything to get their hands on these young children. And I think that kind of illustrates the problem here. These people are unwilling to -- these people are -- I`m hearing feedback. But these individuals are going after these kids, and they`re basically willing to stop at nothing to get their hands on them.

HAMMER: And they don`t seem like they feel like they`re going to get caught. Ernie, another thing that the "Dateline" special has are these guys showing up and once they realize they`ve been set up, they actually have a story at the ready to sort of explain what they`re doing there. They actually think they`re getting away with this.

ERNIE ALLEN, CENTER FOR MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN: Well, they really do, A.J. And I think what we`ve learned is that the sheer numbers of the people willing to do this are far greater than any of us thought. And I think there`s a calculation. The sense is the risk of being caught is not very great, law enforcement is not as present in cyberspace as it needs to be, and therefore they think they can get away with it.

HAMMER: And you mentioned that the numbers are rising. Marc, we`re seeing these shows like "Dateline," like "Law & Order" dealing with these sick predators. The adults getting on the internet and preying on the kids. It seems like it`s now exploding. Is that the truth, or is it just that we`re hearing more about it now?

KLAAS: Well, I think it`s a little bit of both. I mean, the internet has created an anonymous environment that allows anybody to seemingly do whatever they want. And anybody that has these compulsions, anybody that has these kinds of desires are using these opportunities to pursue those desires, oftentimes with catastrophic results. Occasionally they`re being busted by law enforcement. And I think we`re seeing more and more decoy activity on TV or on the internet now and we`re starting to see more and more of these guys get reeled in. The doctors, the lawyers, the teachers, the physicians, the rabbis. It`s very disturbing stuff, though.

HAMMER: And some of the stuff that`s going out there on these websites or that the kids are creating themselves, I`ve heard have just been unbelievable. Things like girls posting half-naked pictures of themselves on Myspace. We just heard a young boy`s performing sex acts online, adults paying for them. This is going on right under the parents` nose. Ernie, help me understand how it is able to just take place right there.

ALLEN: Well, there are millions of parents who have a false sense of security, who know far less about the technology than their kids, and just frankly don`t pay attention. So we say to these families you`ve got to put that computer in a public area. You`ve got to put it in the family room. You`ve got to get involved with your kids` life. You have to talk to them and learn what they`re doing and set limits and monitor their activity. And for these kids they`ve got to understand that whoever they`re interacting with may not be who or how they describe themselves.

HAMMER: And perhaps a little regulation, Marc, from the websites themselves. I know there`s a push for some of these spaces or websites like Myspace to raise the minimum age to 18 because it`s often younger as low as 14 in some cases. Is that even realistic? And will it at all help solve the problem?

KLAAS: Well, I don`t know that one would be able to verify the age of a child on Myspace. But what I can tell you, having been to Myspace and toured the facility, they`re doing -- they are taking steps to try to protect their clientele. Every image that goes on Myspace goes through five different filters, human filters, before it`s allowed to be posted on the site itself. They do something -- several million images a day. But I think that this issue is beyond bringing the home computer into a public space.

What we have to realize in the 21st century is that we`re in a wireless technology, that numerous children have their own wireless handheld devices, cell phones, blackberries, etcetera. They`ve also got wireless notebook computers that they`re able to boot up virtually anywhere. So absolutely, we have to be able to -- we have to be able to talk to our children and make them aware of what`s going on. But as far as monitoring their activity, that becomes really problematic.

HAMMER: That becomes very problematic. Hopefully the parents will get involved and hopefully talking about it will bring the attention that`s needed. Marc Klaas, Ernie Allen, thank you so much for joining us tonight.

Thank you.

ANDERSON: Helen Reddy saddled with an illness and an abusive husband. Tonight a revealing look at the highs and lows of the star who sang "I Am Woman." It`s the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

Plus we`ve also got this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Every day there`s a $10,000 picture and it`s just a question of knowing where it is and being there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s a high-stakes game of camera cat and mouse. The paparazzi versus the stars. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the sometimes dangerous world of celebrity photographers.

ANDERSON: And it`s one ugly celebrity catfight over guys with some pretty hot players. Denise Richards and Heather Locklear. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got to ask -- is it ever okay to date your best friend`s ex? We`ll get the answer for you. Hang out.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Thank you Danny. Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. We are TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. Got to take some time out now for a story today that made us say "that`s ridiculous." Listen to this. Cute college grad seeks donors for new boobs. Yes, that`s an actual posting on the online bulletin board Craig`s List. Apparently, this young woman wants to be a TV reporter and she apparently thinks that bigger breasts will make her more attractive and help her get a job on the air. So she wants $3,000 to help her "fruitful career along." The quest for a bigger bust has gone bust itself. Craig`s List took the listing down. So for this titillating tale -- that`s right, I said for this titillating tale, we`ve got to say "that`s ridiculous."

And now let`s move on to a story -- some people think that the tabloids themselves are ridiculous when it comes to spreading celeb rumors. But they got this one right about Britney Spears. She finally has confirmed what they`ve been saying for weeks, that she is in fact pregnant with her second child. But why are we so obsessed with Britney Spears? Joining us here in New York is the woman who is the head honcho -- or maybe I should call her the head honcha at "Star Magazine", Bonnie Fuller. Is honcha good for you? I don`t know if that`s the female version.

BONNIE FULLER, STAR MAGAZINE: Sounds good to me.

HAMMER: So help me understand this. Britney Spears has not had a hit in her career, or hasn`t really done anything professionally in some time now. Yet the paparazzi and the tabloids, and all of the celebrity magazines follow her around like she is the number one star on the planet. Why the obsession?

FULLER: We are obsessed with Britney because we grew up with Britney. She`s like our kid sister. I mean, she was a musketeer. And then she was so adorable and she had all these hits. I mean, how can we not care about Britney? We feel like she`s part of the family. And you know, we`ve been very concerned about her with her marriage with Kevin Federline. It`s definitely had its downs as well as its ups. And now baby number two.

HAMMER: Is part of the deal, though, the Kevin Federline part of the formula? I mean, if he were a businessman or a Wall Street entrepreneur, a successful movie star in his own right, would we be as interested? The fact is a lot of people think he`s kind of a moocher adult. I`ve heard that said. And it`s kind of like a car wreck watching these two. Is that part of it?

FULLER: Oh it`s definitely part of it. Because we all wonder. Our readers wonder at "Star" how could she have married this guy? She could have picked anyone. And yet she picked an unemployed dancer who had a pregnant girlfriend and a child and another on its way before he hooked up with Britney. And now he`s done the same thing with her. She is with child -- with multiple child.

HAMMER: And is it the fact that she is having another baby that has us so interested? Or is it just that everybody is going nuts over celeb babies right now?

FULLER: It is the year of the baby. Absolutely. The Tom Kitten, the Brangelina baby. I mean there, has been a confluence of fertility in Hollywood. And you know what, there is a confluence of fertility in America. So it makes sense that we would care about this. But I think because it is somewhat of a train wreck, we were ready to see Britney make her comeback, we`ve wanted her to make a comeback, and now she has to delay that.

HAMMER: I have to ask you very quickly, in your book "The Joys of Much Too Much" you say women can have it all, the career, the family. As an adviser to Britney Spears what would you tell young Britney to do?

FULLER: First of all be a great mom. That`s her most important job. Secondly, she doesn`t have to put her career on hold. I know she cares about it, she loves her career. So get going, Britney. Work on it. You can do both at the same time.

HAMMER: And get it in motion. All right, Bonnie, well, thank you very much for joining us and giving us your Britney insight. Bonnie Fuller from "Star" magazine and you can pick up a copy of this week`s "Star" magazine on newsstands Friday.

ANDERSON: All right. Everybody knows the song "I Am Woman" by Helen Reddy. You know it, you love it I`m sure. It hit number one on the charts in December of 1972, and it went on to become the unofficial anthem of the women`s movement. In 1973 Helen Reddy became the first Australian to win a Grammy for best female vocal performance. She also got a primetime variety show on NBC and had three number one hit singles. We`re hearing that song now. I love it. But those highs were also met with some very low lows, all of which Helen speaks about in her new memoir "The Woman I Am." And Helen is here with me in Hollywood now. Great to see you. Thanks for being here.

HELEN REDDY, SINGER: Thank you, Brooke. It`s nice to be here.

ANDERSON: And congratulations on this book.

REDDY: Thank you.

ANDERSON: You`ve had a remarkable, remarkable life. First I want to begin with those lyrics that are now iconic. "I am woman, hear me roar." I just want to speak a little bit deeper when I say that. They were originally misinterpreted. You write in the book that you weren`t talking about a woman roaring as a feminist. You were talking about the roar of a crowd. Explain that to me.

REDDY: Well, the completion of the sentence is I am woman hear me roar in numbers too big to ignore.

ANDERSON: But it became the unofficial anthem of women everywhere. How do you feel about the impact you made with that song?

REDDY: Well, what`s impressed me the most is the fact that the lyrics are now in modern American history high school textbooks.

ANDERSON: Right.

REDDY: And that I cried for three days when I found out about that.

ANDERSON: New generation.

REDDY: Just that one does not expect to be in the history books.

ANDERSON: And there you are. You won a Grammy. As we mentioned, the first Australian to win that best female pop vocal performance Grammy. In your acceptance speech you thanked God because "She makes everything possible." That was pretty unheard of, of people to say things like that back then. Did you experience any backlash?

REDDY: Not really. There were a couple of crank letters. But in general, no. I got a great deal of, you know, yeah from women.

ANDERSON: Yeah, you go girl.

REDDY: Yeah, exactly.

ANDERSON: All the way around. You know you speak your mind, and as we said --

REDDY: And I still do.

ANDERSON: You still do. You had those highs. You`ve had those lows. Ironically, they came about around the same time, a lot of them. Early `70s you won the Grammy. You had a TV variety show. Number one hit singles. But also around the same time you lost your parents, you lost your aunt, your best friend died as well. You were diagnosed with Addison`s disease. How did you get through all of that?

REDDY: Sometimes a second at a time. You know, they say take it a day at a time. Sometimes you`ve got to take it a second at a time. But you do get through it.

ANDERSON: Is there somewhere where you would pull the strength? How did you get the strength to overcome?

REDDY: Well, I have a deep faith. And I don`t know, I -- I think you have to keep going. There is no choice.

ANDERSON: You bounced back impressively well from all that you have been through. And you write that you were able to overcome. But you`re also very open about the fact that your husband at the time wasn`t able to cope with a lot of things and that he developed a cocaine problem. You write that you found part of his nose on your pillow. Things got pretty bad there.

REDDY: It`s not fun to live with an addict, no.

ANDERSON: How did you handle it?

REDDY: I left.

ANDERSON: And what did the experience teach you about life and moving forward?

REDDY: Well, I -- I don`t know.

ANDERSON: You`re very candid about all of it in the book.

REDDY: I can`t sum it up in a sentence.

ANDERSON: Okay. And now from the roller coaster life you`re living a quiet life in Australia from what I understand.

REDDY: I`m now living, yes, back in Sydney, Australia. I practice part-time as a clinical hypnotherapist. I`m on the board of directors of the Royal Hospital for Women Foundation. And I have a nice, quiet life. I really enjoy it. I gave up show business several years ago. You know, I had been working for 55 years. I thought it was time.

ANDERSON: Well, a very different life you`re leading now.

REDDY: Yeah, very different life. And a very happy one.

ANDERSON: Well, good for you. Congratulations on all of your successes. Helen Reddy, it was a pleasure. And the book and the compilation CD, both called "The Woman I Am," are in stores now.

HAMMER: We have got the very first pictures of Brooke Shields` baby and the surprising connection her new daughter has to Tom Cruise. That`s next.

Plus we have this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

The company keeps a database of both license plates and addresses as well as tail numbers of airplanes.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: I mean you won`t believe the shocking things some celebrity photographers will do to get that money shot. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT digs into the down and sometimes dirty world of the paparazzi.

HAMMER: Speaking of down and dirty, what`s that saying? Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned? Well, tonight charges of husband stealing. Denise Richards-Heather Locklear melee over their men.

ANDERSON: But first we`ve just got to ask you what`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Heather and Denise feud, is it ever okay to date your friend`s ex? Go to cnn.com/showbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. There`s the address. Showbiztonight@cnn.com.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Tomorrow mommy hottest. Hollywood is filled with hot moms. Now there`s a handbook for any mom who refuses to check her sense of style at the white picket fence. We`re going to talk to the woman who wrote "The Hot Mom`s Handbook", tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

ANDERSON: Speaking of hot moms, we`ve got your first look at Brooke Shields` new baby, and she says this birth was nothing like the last one, when she battled postpartum depression. In an interview with "People" magazine the 42-year-old actress says she was prepared to ask for another prescription of the anti-depressant Paxil when her daughter Grier was born on April 18th, but she says she didn`t need it.

Tom Cruise slammed Shields for using the drug after having daughter Rowan three years ago. Talk about coincidence, Shields says she didn`t even know that just as Grier was arriving on the same floor of the same hospital, Cruise`s fianc'e Katie Holmes was having her baby Suri. Read more about it in this week`s "People" magazine. It is on newsstands Friday.

HAMMER: So you don`t buy all the talk about Tom Cruise`s popularity plummeting? Well, we`ve got the cold, hard scientific research that could make Tom terrified. That`s next.

Plus we`ve got this --

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

Every day there`s a $10,000 picture and it`s just a question of knowing where it is and being there.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: It`s a high-stakes game of camera cat and mouse. The paparazzi versus the stars. Tonight SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you inside the sometimes dangerous world of celebrity photographers.

HAMMER: And it`s an ugly celebrity cat fight over guys. Some pretty hot players. Denise Richards and Heather Locklear. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT`s got to ask, is it ever okay to date your best friend`s ex?

SOPHIA CHOI: Hi. I`m Sophia Choi with your headline prime news break.

Well, the house has passed a $70 billion tax cut bill that extends tax relief for investors. The measure also keeps millions of middle income families from being hit by the alternative minimum tax. The senate is expected to approve the bill on Thursday for President Bush`s signature.

The man responsible for a deadly nightclub fire in Rhode Island in 2003 is now headed to prison. On Wednesday a judge sentenced former great white manager Daniel Biechele to four years in prison plus an 11-year suspended sentence and three years probation. Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter.

And Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday said it`s ridiculous for countries with nuclear arsenals of their own to criticize Iran. He claimed again his country`s nuclear program is peaceful, and he said he`s ready to engage in dialogue with anyone. And that`s a look at the news. I`m Sophia Choi.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

A.J. HAMMER, CNN CO-ANCHOR: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. For a Wednesday night, it is 30 minutes past the hour. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CNN CO-ANCHOR: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And this is TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour.

HAMMER: Brooke, just before "Mission Impossible 3" came out there was this pervasive sentiment around that perhaps Tom Cruise not as popular as he once was.

ANDERSON: No.

HAMMER: And the movie came out to lower than anticipated numbers, now there`s some cold hard data to set the record straight. We`re going to get into that and how does Nicole Kidman, Tom`s ex, feel about her ex-husband five years since their divorce? We have that for you as well.

ANDERSON: It`s interesting the disparity between what each of them had to say about the other.

Also, A.J., it`s been considered taboo for a long time, dating your friend`s ex. It happens all the time, though. Take Heather Locklear and Denise Richards right now. Denise dating Heather`s ex. Coming up, we find out if it ever is really OK to do that. And if a friendship can survive a situation like that.

HAMMER: It is touchy territory, indeed.

But first tonight, it is certainly one of the longest-running battles in Hollywood -- celebrities versus the paparazzi. With photos going for unbelievable sums of money. It really is a high-stakes game. Sometimes the players go to extreme lengths to get the shot.

Here`s CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, taking an inside look at how the paparazzi track their prey.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There`s something that happened. There`s going to be an event.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: On Melrose or Beverly?

OK, I`ll see you over there.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Frank got a tip that there`s this kind of store opening and Jennifer Aniston is supposed to be there. And if she shows up with Vince, that`s all the more better for us.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Before tracking down Angelina, our Photographer Ben, is hot on the trail of Brad`s ex, Jen.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s up?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nothing. Nothing`s happening. No guests have arrived yet.

PHILLIPS: Paparazzi are willing to wait hours, even days for the perfect shot.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We can park and wait in our car on La Brea. And one can sit in the back.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: OK.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a bit like police work. It`s a lot of boredom which is then interspersed with some intense activity.

FRANK GRIFFIN, CO-OWNER OF BAUER-GRIFFIN: Every day there`s a $10,000 picture and it`s just a question of knowing where it is and being there.

PHILLIPS: But no $10,000 picture for Ben tonight.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So Aniston didn`t show up. Whether it was a case of the information wasn`t good or just the subject decided not to go, we`ll never know.

GRIFFIN : Hello, Hello.

You bumped into the Jude Law. The fellow`s at the Bel-Aire, is he? Doing what?

PHILLIPS: While Ben gives up his hunt for Jen...

GRIFFIN: Hayden Christiansen. George Michael, Nicolette Sheridan.

PHILLIPS: ...his boss, Frank Griffin, works the phones for tips.

GRIFFIN: Brad and Angelina did not fly into Nice today. I think they`re going to fly into England on the 24th.

PHILLIPS: Griffin`s been snapping pics of rock stars and celebrities since the early `80s. He now co-owns one of the world`s most prominent paparazzi agencies, Bauer-Griffin.

Just last year Griffin`s team went to incredible lengths trying to get a shot of the Rock Star Seal`s wedding in Mexico.

GRIFFIN: The boat we chartered would only do five knots. The guy spent seven hours on that boat to get to the place where he got married. He arrived five minutes late. Cost an absolute fortune. All we got was the empty canopy with the wind blowing the flowers away, you know?

PHILLIPS: Kevin Mazur would never hunt down a celebrity.

KEVIN MAZUR, MUSIC AND CELEBRITY PHOTOGRAPHER: I don`t consider myself a paparazzi. Those guys are behind the line. I`m on the carpet. I`m the one running around with the talent. I`m in the dressing room with the talent. I go on tour with talent. I`m different than those guys.

PHILLIPS: Mazur is a photographer with an all-access pass here at the Billboard Music Awards Show in Las Vegas. The stars never dodge him.

ASHLEE SIMPSON: Kevin is amazing. You can, you say simply you know, oh, not right now or whatever it may be, and I think that`s amazing because then you feel comfortable with somebody taking pictures.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I would definitely call Kevin and I have called Kevin many times, and anytime I see him, I want him to take my picture because I know he`ll do his best to capture a good moment.

PHILLIPS: While celebrity photographers like Mazur are given VIP status, the paparazzis fight for shots behind the velvet rope. The word "paparazzi" was coined from the name of the photographer who chased the rich and famous in Federico Fellini`s 1960 classic "La Dolce Vita."

The paparazzi these days use high-tech measures to track down celebrities.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The company keeps a database of both license plates and addresses as well as tail numbers of airplanes.

PHILLIPS: And on the paparazzi payroll? Well placed sources, including valets, waiters, coat checks, and hotel clerks.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They also pay people that you would never even think of. Like people in the California Department of Motor Vehicles, people in the airline industry. I mean, I would have thought it was pretty hard to get a passenger manifest after September the 11th. But if you know the right people, you pay the right money, you can get it.

GRIFFIN: This is the front of the hotel.

PHILLIPS: A series of tips helped Bauer-Griffin land big money shots of Jennifer Aniston with Actor Vince Vaughn. The exclusive set of photos was the first confirmation that the two were an item.

GRIFFIN: Luck sometimes plays a part, and sure enough our photographer, when he was looking down from all the high-rises surrounding the hotel, they happened to walk out on the deck at the very minute that he was looking down.

PHILLIPS: Kevin Mazur doesn`t rely on tips for his photos. In fact, many times he lets the stars call the shots.

MAZUR: And I`ve had celebrities call up, hey, you know, I really didn`t like that picture. You know, it`s like, hey, you know, fine. I`ll kill the picture. I don`t care. You know, just remember me next time.

PHILLIPS: And the stars do remember Mazur. He started out as a fan, sneaking backstage at rock shows with his camera. Later he snapped the iconic photo of Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love with their new baby.

Mazur now helps run WireImage, one of the top celebrity photo agencies in the business.

Mazur knew early on he was not paparazzi material. He made his decision while on a movie set with Actor Robert de Niro.

MAZUR: When he comes walking my way, and I lift up my camera and I start taking pictures. And he walks right up to me with his bodyguard and pushes me up against the trailer like this and said, don`t ever, ever take an (explicative deleted) picture without asking, and walked away.

PHILLIPS: Now Mazur always asks before he points and shoots.

MAZUR: Thanks so much.

PHILLIPS: But some paparazzi call Mazur a sellout, catering to the stars and their handlers.

MAZUR: All the photographers out there hate me and they think that like I`m in bed with publicists, that I`ll do anything for a publicist, that I`m a kiss-ass and all that. But you know what? It`s a business. And I have a job to do.

PHILLIPS: Backstage at the Billboard Awards, Mazur`s assistant uploads his digital photos to the WireImage site, where they`ll be available within minutes to all media at the same price.

Frank Griffin has other ideas for his photos. With glossies battling it out weekly for the best pics, paparazzis sell their shots to magazines that ante up the cash.

GRIFFIN: The big sets like the Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn, they don`t sell themselves. It`s almost an auction. You put them out to the highest bidder.

HAMMER: That was CNN`s Kyra Phillips for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

You can see more as part of a special "CNN PRESENTS: CJASING ANGELINA, PAPARAZZI AND OBSESSION." Paparazzi sets its sights on Angelina Jolie, and you are along for the ride. That`s this Saturday and Sunday night at 8:00 Eastern time on CNN.

ANDERSON: About 2,000 cheering fans were along for the ride in Aberdeen, Washington, when Tom Cruise showed up and gave them a surprise. He brought along Fiancee Katie Holmes. Now, Tom was in town for a "Mission Impossible 3" event, a private screening at the mall with a local man who won an e-mail contest. Not everyone in town was so psyched that Tom was cruising in. Listen to this, one woman told the "Aberdeen Daily World" newspaper that she couldn`t care less. She said she liked his movies but quote, "everything else, he seems to be such a jerk."

HAMMER: Well, apparently, she`s not the only one who is just tired of Cruise`s recent behavior, Brooke. In fact, there`s a new "USA Today" Gallup poll that`s out. It`s giving actual hard numbers on this. So listen carefully and prepare yourself.

Tom Cruise`s appeal with women seems to be waning. Look at this. The poll showed that just 35 percent of women have a favorable opinion of Cruise. Now, last year that number was 56 percent. The poll was coming out just as we`re learning more about Tom and Katie`s relationship.

In the June issue of -- excuse me. I`ll say that again. In the June issue of "Good Housekeeping" magazine, Tom says when he met Katie, he knew after just a couple of hours that he would marry her, and he says that his 13-year-old daughter Isabella also chimed in saying quote, "don`t let this one go. She`s the one." He also said that he didn`t think his previous wives Mimi Rogers and Nicole Kidman would really mind how public he was about his love for Katie. He tells "Good Housekeeping," quote, "I mean, look, they`re ex-wives." He has a point there.

ANDERSON: A.J., one of those exes, Nicole Kidman, is talking about the divorce in another magazine, the June issue of "Ladies` Home Journal." She says the divorce came as a major shock, but that quote "he was lovely to me and I loved him. I still love him."

Cruise filed for divorce in 2001 after 10 years of marriage. Kidman says she always had a feeling that the rug would be ripped out from underneath her at some point. And after her mother fought breast cancer, she really worried about her own health, but didn`t expect her marriage to fall apart. Quote, "I knew I was going to get hit with something. But I think a divorce, and the demise of what your family is, is a little death in itself."

HAMMER: Nice to know there were no sour grapes there.

Well, Tori Spelling didn`t invite any guests to her wedding. Not one. But a photographer was there. We`re going to show you the very first pictures coming up next.

We`ll also have this...

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It may hurt a little bit or there may be a jealousy factor, but the fact is, you know, you should be able to date whoever you want.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: The word on the street on dating your friend`s ex.

Denise Richards is making headlines for hanging out with Heather Locklear`s ex. But is it a total taboo or kind of OK? We`re going to look into it next.

HAMMER: Plus from screen to stage, Julia Roberts is on Broadway and so is the lovely and talented Julianna Margulies. I asked her about the lure of live theater. Her answer is coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news hour. I`m A.J. Hammer.

You might be thinking, what could possibly be ridiculous about cookies? But it`s another story today that made us say, that`s ridiculous. Listen to this. A woman in Maine has been charged with baking cookies for her daughter`s teacher. That sounds innocent enough. The problem was the main ingredient happened to be Ex-Lax.

Now, police say that the woman helped her teenage daughter and some friends bake up a nice big batch of laxative cookies. Now, the girls haven`t been charged in the incident. The mom is pleading not guilty to misdemeanor assault.

We`ve got to say, not such a smooth move, mom, and that`s ridiculous.

But, Brooke, who among us hasn`t really thought this one up ourselves?

ANDERSON: Oh, I think that`s horrible, A.J. Teachers overworked, underpaid. This is the thanks they get? Can you tell my mom`s a teacher?

HAMMER: Mmm. Cookies.

ANDERSON: And you know, four students got sick here, A.J. It`s not just ridiculous. It`s terrible.

HAMMER: It`s no good. I know it.

ANDERSON: OK, no good. But, A.J., I`ve got one for you. Is it OK to ever date your friend`s ex?

HAMMER: Not going to answer.

ANDERSON: What do you think? You don`t want to answer?

HAMMER: No.

ANDERSON: You plead the fifth on that one? Well, the longstanding debate has once again made headlines. This time it`s starring two of Hollywood`s leading ladies. And while the story reads like a fictional script, make no mistake, people, these are real life roles.

(voice-over): Denise Richards and Heather Locklear. The ladies have a lot in common. They`re both gorgeous, talented actresses and proud mothers. And they`re both going through very public divorces. Denise from "Two and a Half Men" Star Charlie Sheen...

CHARLIE SHEEN, "TWO AND A HALF MEN": How did you get in my house?

ANDERSON: ...and Heather from Bon Jovi Band Member Richie Sambora.

HEATHER LOCKLEAR: Don`t even go there.

ANDERSON: But that`s where the similarities end and their differences begin.

Recent headlines involving the once good friends are now screaming betrayal, backstabbing, even war. "People" magazine broke the news after Denise was spotted kissing Sambora, Heather`s not yet ex.

And as SHOWBIZ TONIGHT found out when we hit the streets, it`s not just stars who have to deal with dating a friend`s ex.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s been done to me. It hurts more than anything in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It may hurt a little bit or there may be a jealousy factor, but the fact is, you know, you should be able to date whoever you want.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, it`s never OK. It`s a question of respect, I`d say.

ANDERSON: "Sex and the City" tackled the topic when Miranda took the ask first approach when dealing with her friend Carrie`s ex.

MIRANDA, "SEX AND THE CITY" How upset would you be if I went out with Jim?

CARRIE: Jim, old boyfriend Jim?

ANDERSON: There`s also the ex-factor on "Desperate Housewives," as Susan, Edie, and Susan`s ex-husband juggle a love triangle.

SUSAN, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": What are we going to do about Edie?

SUSAN`S EX-HUSBAND, "DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES": We can`t tell her.

SUSAN: She`d kill us both.

SUSAN`S EX-HUSBAND: It will be our little secret.

ANDERSON: And on "Friends," Chandler fell for Joey`s girlfriend.

CHANDLER, "FRIENDS": What happened? What happened?

JOEY, "FRIENDS": You kissed my girlfriend.

ANDERSON: But while these friends eventually worked it out, it doesn`t always work out that way in real life.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a lot of pain. So, I mean, if I have my best friend dating my ex-girlfriend who separated from me, I probably wouldn`t want to see them both.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s usually not a good idea. I don`t think that the friends are going to be friends anymore.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We wouldn`t be friends any longer.

ANDERSON: And joining us now from New York is Ian Kerner, author of "DSI: Date Scene Investigation."

Welcome, Ian.

IAN KERNER, AUTHOR, "DSI: DATE SCENE INVESTIGATION": Hey there.

ANDERSON: Love the name of your book. It is a jungle out there in the dating world.

KERNER: Thanks. Yes.

ANDERSON: OK, there are extremes to this, Ian. I can certainly understand not dating a friend`s ex if they just broke up. But is there ever an appropriate time? Does a certain amount of time need to pass? Six months, a year? What`s the rule?

KERNER: Well, you know, I don`t know if there`s an exact rule. But I do think you have to give it a period of time. Three months minimum, I would say. Because, you know, people do break up, make up, break up, make up. And you don`t want to be a catalyst for a break up. You really want to enter the situation when that relationship -- when the dust has really settled on that relationship.

ANDERSON: Well, let me talk about something that I observed. It seems like it`s kind of a guy-girl thing. With guys sometimes the guy says oh, you know, we broke up last week, go ahead, buddy, you can ask her out.

KERNER: Yes.

ANDERSON: But with girls we`re like, whoa, is this really happening? Is she doing this?

KERNER: Yes.

ANDERSON: What`s the difference between how the different sexes view this sort of thing?

KERNER: Well, I think that guys are less willing to really confront the emotions. But, you know, don`t get this wrong. I mean, guys get killed over this sort of thing. You know, the male ego, male self-esteem is very fragile. So I mean, even if he says it`s OK, he really might not be feeling that way and men have a really hard time voicing their emotions on this. So, I think men and women can both equally be really hurt and bruised by this type of situation.

ANDERSON: It can have a long-term, negative...

KERNER: You know, the locker room is brutal.

ANDERSON: Oh, yes, it is. No holding back in the locker room.

Let me ask you this. With the whole Denise/Heather situation. This thing has been explosive. What do you think really happened there?

KERNER: Well, you know, in any relationship, sexual attraction is going to wane, even if you are amongst Hollywood`s most beautiful. And these sorts of inter-couple flirtations happen all the time, and they`re really dangerous. And that`s why you really have to protect your marriage. And I don`t think that they were protecting their marriage.

ANDERSON: And do you think because they ran in the same social circles, something happened there?

KERNER: Oh, absolutely. You know, when you envy, you envy within your social circle. You envy within your peer group. You believe you deserve what your friends have. You want what your friends want.

You know, I think another factor might also be that I think that Denise Richards is sort of a thrill seeker. And you know, when sexual attraction, when things go bad at home, you always seek that excitement outside your core relationship. And I think, you know, look, she married Charlie Sheen in the first place, she`s a bit of a thrill seeker.

ANDERSOIN: You know, Ian, I`m sure a lot of our viewers, our friends at home are watching this and saying, oh, wow, oh my God, this same thing happened to me.

KERNER: Yes.

ANDERSON: Can friendships survive this sort of thing?

KERNER: You know, I think if you approach it honestly. I mean, I think your first obligation is to your heart, but also to your friend. You know, if you want to date your best friend`s ex and a period of time has passed and it seems like they`re really over, go to your friend. Tell your friend, you know, you`re going to get found out anyway. Why date your best friend`s ex and lie on top of it? You know? So I would say talk honestly to your friend. And you know, you have to be willing to lose a friendship over this.

ANDERSON: Like the Miranda/Carrie situation, the ask first approach.

Ian Kerner, we will leave it there. Thanks for joining us.

KERNER: My pleasure.

ANDERSON: The book "DSI: Date Scene Investigation," is in stores now.

HAMMER: All this leads us to our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Heather and Denise Feud: Is it ever OK to date your friend`s ex? What do you think? Let us know at cnn.com/showbiztonight. Or write to us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. We`ll read some of your e-mails tomorrow.

ANDERSON: Tonight we`ve got the first photos of Tori Spelling`s wedding in Fiji. Spelling married Dean McDermott on a private island on May 7. The couple met nine months ago on the set of a TV movie while they were both married to other people. The wedding was super private. No guests at all. Not even friends and family. Spelling says as she was walking down the aisle she thought, "I can`t believe all my dreams came true." For more about Tori Spelling`s wedding in Fiji, pick up a copy of "People" magazine, on newsstands Friday.

HAMMER: So I had the opportunity to sit down with Julianna Margulies, star of the Broadway play "Festen." I asked Julianna, who of course is perhaps best known for her role in the hospital drama "E.R.," what the deal was with all these Hollywood TV, film actors all getting on Broadway, Julia Roberts among them.

JULIANNA MARGULIES, "FESTEN" STAR: It`s an amazing street that we`re on. We`re on 45th Street at the Music Box and across from me Ray Fiennes. He`s doing "Faith Healer." And then there`s David Schwimmer and Tim Daly, and they`re doing "Caine Mutiny." And then Julia Roberts, doing "Three Days of Rain." And the great thing is -- God bless Julia Roberts for having the courage to go out and put herself out there like that. Because all the people that can`t get into her play are falling into our houses.

HAMMER: The rejects, so to speak?

MARGULIES: All the people that came to see Julia are ending up in this really disturbing play, called "Festen," with 14 actors they`ve probably rarely heard of.

HAMMER: And if you missed her on the small screen, Julianna currently has a starring guest role on HBO`s "The Sopranos." You can, of course, also see her in the Broadway show, "Festen."

And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is coming right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: Tonight we asked you to vote online on our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Celebrity Gossip: Is it your guilty pleasure? 59 percent of you said yes, 41 percent of you said no.

Here`s one of the e-mails we got. Patty from Georgia writes, "Celebrity news is my most coveted treasure! A better addiction than food, booze, or drugs at least."

HAMMER: Time now to se what`s coming up on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Here`s your Showbiz Marquee.

Tomorrow, it`s easily the newest and the hippest way to dish about celebrities -- gossip blogs. Our Senior Broadcast Producer Albert Lewitinn lives for these things. Gossip sites like "The Famer," are giving the tabloids a run for their money. But where do the bloggers get their information? Let the snarking (ph) begin. We will look into what`s behind these addictive sites tomorrow.

Also tomorrow, "Mommy Hottest." Hollywood is filled with hot moms. Now there`s a handbook for any mom who refuses to check her sense of style at the white picket fence. We`ll talk to the woman who wrote the "Hot Mom`s Handbook," tomorrow on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And that is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Thanks a lot for watching. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Have a great night, everyone.

END

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