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SHOWBIZ TONIGHT

Rihanna`s Tearful Tell-All; The Stripper Speaks on the Josh Duhamel Stripper Controversy; The Shocking Carrie Prejean Sex Tape; Is Kate Hudson the Yankees` Good Luck Charm?

Aired November 5, 2009 - 23:00   ET

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


A.J. HAMMER, CO-HOST: Right now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Rihanna`s tearful tell-all. Rihanna opens up on camera for the very first time about being brutally beaten by Chris Brown. The painfully candid and emotionally tell- all seen today on "Good Morning America".

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA, SINGER: It was a wakeup call for me, big time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight, why Rihanna got back together with Chris and then finally walked away. But was it wrong for her to speak out just as she is promoting a new album?

The stripper speaks. Tonight, caught on camera, the center of the Josh Duhamel-Fergie controversy tells all.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE FORRESTER, STRIPPER: I really, really, really want everybody to know this is the truth.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Tonight, the stripper`s brand-new explosive caught-on-camera claims that Josh cheated on Fergie with her, and Josh and Fergie`s powerful response.

The shocking Carrie Prejean sex tape. The fired former beauty queen who spoke out against gay marriage confronted with a sex tape during an explosive court showdown.

TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.

(MUSIC)

Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer, broadcasting tonight and every night from New York City.

BROOKE ANDERSON, CO-HOST: Hi there, everyone. I`m Brooke Anderson coming to you tonight from Hollywood. And tonight Rihanna`s tearful tell-all.

HAMMER: I want you to forget everything that you have been thinking about how Rihanna has handled herself since she was brutally beaten by Chris Brown and what she`s been going through. Because I`m thinking that what we are about to show you will absolutely startle you.

Today, we got to see Rihanna`s very first TV interview since the terrible night and it was truly startling. Rihanna held nothing back, revealing her personal pain and raw emotions about what happened to her, her embarrassment and the powerful lessons that she hopes every woman can learn from her beating, which is why Rihanna`s incredible confessions made for big news breaking today.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

RIHANNA: Don`t react off of love. F love.

HAMMER: Blunt and powerful words from Rihanna in her first interview since she was brutally beaten by her then-boyfriend, Chris Brown.

Excerpts aired this morning on "Good Morning America." And Rihanna tells ABC`s Diane Sawyer she wants victims of domestic violence to do what Rihanna herself did not do - get out.

RIHANNA: Come out of the situation and look at it third person because love is so blind.

HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it`s a shocking interview where an emotional Rihanna finally talks about what it was like to be caught in a painful cycle of domestic violence.

ERICKA SOUTER, STAFF WRITER, "US WEEKLY": She feels that she owes it to her fans to finally speak out and break her silence.

HAMMER: The horrific details about how Brown left Rihanna battered and bruised after a fight in Los Angeles shocked the world this past February. There was even more shock soon after when we all learned this super-famous couple was actually back together again.

SOUTER: They reunited and she received a lot of flak about that.

HAMMER: "Us Weekly`s" Erica Souter tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT even though Brown`s image was destroyed after the attack, Rihanna`s started to suffer as well when she went back to him.

SOUTER: People were worried that she going back to her attacker would send a signal to other women that, you know, this is OK and this is something you should put up with.

RIHANNA: There are a lot of women who have experienced what I did, but not in the public.

HAMMER: Rihanna tells Diane Sawyer the ordeal she went through was a million times worse because it was so public and because she was embarrassed.

DIANE SAWYER, CO-HOST, "GOOD MORNING AMERICA": Why be ashamed?

RIHANNA: Because I didn`t want people to think that that`s the kind of person that - I fell in love with that person. That`s embarrassing. That`s embarrassing that that`s the type of person that I fell in love with. So far in love. So unconditional, that I went back.

HAMMER: But Rihanna tells Diane Sawyer why she ended things with Brown once and for all.

RIHANNA: When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed, I couldn`t be held responsible for telling them to go back. Even if Chris never hit me again, who is to say that their boyfriend won`t? Who is to say they won`t kill these girls?

HAMMER: Going back to Chris Brown is not an option for Rihanna. As part of his sentence for the attack, Brown has been ordered not to have any contact with Rihanna for five years.

(MUSIC)

Now, Rihanna`s career is back on track. She collaborated with Jay-Z and the new album releases this month. But with her new interview on ABC and her new cover story in the new "Glamour" magazine, it`s clear that speaking out about what happened to her is another big priority for Rihanna.

RIHANNA: This happened to me and it can happen to anybody.

SOUTER: One thing that is important to Rihanna now is being a voice for other women who are victims of domestic violence. So that`s part of her focus in coming out and breaking her silence and showing the world what happened to her.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: So now that Rihanna is breaking her silence, will women embrace her as a role model?

Joining me tonight in Hollywood, Tanika Ray who is an entertainment journalist. Also in Hollywood, Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for "Extra."

Carlos, I`ll begin with you. I think this was a really powerful and emotional interview with Rihanna. How do you think she did?

CARLOS DIAZ, CORRESPONDENT, "EXTRA": I think she did amazingly. And you know, in all honesty, I have interviewed Rihanna several times. And when people were calling for her to speak out and become the voice of domestic violence, I kept saying over and over, this is just a kid. She really is. Even though she is so confident on stage, she really is - when you talk to her very much like a kid.

But she came into her own in this interview, even at times correcting Diane Sawyer when Diane Sawyer was talking about how many times it takes for someone to go back - you know, how many times they go back after domestic abuse. Rihanna said it`s actually, it`s more like eight or nine rather than seven. She came across amazingly, amazingly strong and amazingly confident.

ANDERSON: And you`re right. She is only 21 years old. We have to keep that in mind. Tanika, what`s your take?

TANIKA RAY, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: You know, I was very impressed with Rihanna. And yes, everybody wanted her to speak out nine months ago when the incident happened. However, she wasn`t ready.

And I don`t think even Chris is ready to speak about it now. But this interview proved that she has taken the time to look inside. She`s listened to her supporters like Jay-Z and Beyonce, the people in her inner circle. And she is handling it brilliantly.

Chris Brown may want to take a note from her page because each time he`s come out it seems a little insincere and maybe a little too early to sort of conceptualize what he really wants to say in this matter.

ANDERSON: You`re right. Maybe he should look at this and say, "This is probably what I should do, give it a little bit more time. Be genuine about what I feel, too."

RAY: Absolutely.

ANDERSON: I have to tell you, when I was watching her interview with Diane Sawyer this morning on "Good Morning America," I was startled by her confession about why she left Chris Brown for good. Watch what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed, I couldn`t be held responsible for telling them go back. Even if Chris never hit me again, who is to say their boyfriend won`t?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: This has been so much speculation about why it did take Rihanna so long to open up about the night she was attacked. But when you hear Rihanna now, Carlos, it seems to me she really struggled with how her actions would affect other women involved in abusive relationships. It seemed to me like she was almost tormented by it.

DIAZ: Yes. You know, in all honesty, the people here and the people in a lot of different places were saying, "Oh, she has a new album coming out, that`s why she is speaking out right now."

But it`s just like Tanika just said, she took the time to really consider her role in the big picture of domestic violence.

And if she would have just thrown that comment out flippantly, very, you know, matter of factually about, you know, she didn`t want anyone else to be hurt as a result of what happened with her and Chris Brown - if she threw that out, I wouldn`t have the weight.

But when you see her say that in the interview, you can almost see the emotions and her going through each of one of the emotions as every word comes out of her mouth.

ANDERSON: Yes. She has given all of this some serious, serious thought. And she also made a really surprising revelation this morning on "Good Morning America". She said she felt ashamed by what happened. Watch what she told Diane Sawyer.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: I didn`t want people to think that that`s the kind of person - I fell in love with that person. That`s embarrassing. That`s embarrassing that that`s the type of person that I fell in love with. So far in love. So unconditional, that I went back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Tanika, very quickly, are you surprised that she was embarrassed? Because I mean, she was the victim here.

RAY: No, I`m not surprised. And she said also in the interview that it`s the only piece of her life that was left private that now is exposed to the world. And overnight, she became Britney Spears.

I`m very proud of her. You know, I have been interviewing her since she was a young girl that didn`t even know how to do an interview to now sounding so eloquent and so just conscious about what she is saying.

ANDERSON: Yes.

RAY: I`m just - I think she did a smashing job.

ANDERSON: I`m very impressed and she should be very proud of herself. Now get this. Look who is trying to steal Rihanna`s spotlight. Yes, Chris Brown in a brand-new MTV interview.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS BROWN, SINGER: I thought this is like - why did it happen? Like why? What was I thinking? What is wrong with you? That`s what I was thinking with myself.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: I think it is just plain wrong for Chris Brown to be doing this now. Tanika, Carlos, we`ll be back to you guys in just a minute to debate that.

HAMMER: Somebody else is telling all tonight. The stripper who said that she and Fergie`s husband, Josh Duhamel, had an affair.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORRESTER: I kept asking him who he was because one of the servers was like, "You know who that is." I was like, "No." She was like, "That`s Josh Duhamel from the `Transformers,` Fergie`s husband." I was like, "What?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Caught-on-tape, the stripper speaks. But Josh and Fergie are telling a very different story. Who should we believe?

Also, you remember anti-gay marriage former beauty queen Carrie Prejean, don`t you? Yes, apparently, she has a sex tape. Could this be the reason her lawsuit against the pageant fell apart?

And Phillies fans, you may have a new scapegoat. Tonight, why some people are saying the Yankees won the World Series because of Kate Hudson.

Time now for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: Michael Jackson`s "This Is It" soundtrack number one on Billboard charts. "Law and Order" to tackle the David Letterman sex scandal in upcoming episode."

HAMMER: You are watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. Right now, keep watching the bottom of your screen for more nonstop, compelling and provocative news from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York with Brooke Anderson in Hollywood.

Tonight, the Carrie Prejean sex tape shocker. The fallen beauty queen was in a bitter legal battle with the Miss California pageant. They were countersuing each other over her firing and her breast implants

But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you that it all came to a sudden end when the pageant confronted her with a sex tape of her, and both sides worked out a confidential deal out of court.

Yes, the religiously devout conservative darling beauty queen made a sex tape.

Joining me tonight in New York, Steve Santagati whose Web site is BadBoysFinishFirst.com. Also tonight, in New York, Megan Alexander who is a correspondent with "Inside Edition."

So Carrie Prejean, as we all remember, became the face of conservative values with her anti-gay marriage answer. That was at the Miss USA pageant. And now, we find out she made a little home video sex tape.

Steve, call me crazy, but I think her career as the guardian of moral values may have come to a crashing end. Are you with me?

STEVE SANTAGATI, "BADBOYSFINISHFIRST.COM": Probably. But now, she can at least be a politician. I saw the analysis. Some of you are saying you think she could have a career like Sarah Palin. And quite frankly, she is already acting like a politician, so it`s all good. That`s her next move.

HAMMER: All right.

SANTAGATI: She can`t - see, that`s the thing. I love it when people get up on the high horse because the higher they get, the harder they`re going to crash. And she`s going to come down hard now.

HAMMER: Yes. And for some reason as shocking as it may seem, it`s not all that shocking. I don`t know why.

SANTAGATI: It`s not. Sex tapes are as common as duct tape.

HAMMER: Well, today, CNN did confirm through a source that the tape is extremely graphic. Now, Megan, let me ask you this. Even without seeing this tape and you know somebody`s going to leak it out there - do you think Carrie Prejean, at this point, is just cooked?

MEGAN ALEXANDER, CORRESPONDENT, "INSIDE EDITION": Well, A.J., I think it will be really interesting to see how she reacts to this, you know. She is coming out with a book and I think she was catapulted so quickly to be a role model and to be a leader for her generation.

So I`ll tell you what, if she did do it, I think she should come out and confess and move forward. I think we want an honest leader, if that, indeed, is what she wants to be. So I think it will be really interesting to see how she reacts if she`s going to talk about it or not. That will be her best move, I think.

HAMMER: Well, it`s going to be interesting to see if she has the capacity for honesty because I think that`s been a little questionable in her past.

Steve, I want to go back to what you were just talking about, because I do remember when Carrie Prejean, back after the whole anti-gay marriage controversy - she was being compared to her fellow conservative, Sarah Palin.

And some people were saying, as you mentioned, that perhaps Carrie could have a successful career in politics. Seriously, Steve, if you have the capacity for that for just one moment, do you think Carrie Prejean could someday perhaps be the first governor of a state to have her very own sex tape?

SANTAGATI: Yes. Why not? You know, the thing is sex tapes have done a lot for people`s careers. Look at, you know, Paris Hilton, Pamela Anderson and the whole Tommy Lee thing. They really do catapult people into the public eye.

And now, America is so messed up morally in a lot of ways that this kind of thing - you know, it will be forgotten. Look, we forgot what Bill Clinton did. He didn`t have a sex tape, but he was running the country and he was with Monica.

So they will forget this. It might be just enough to get her attention and give her the attention she needs to get out there in the public eye and create a career for herself.

HAMMER: Yes.

SANTAGATI: She`ll need a publicist.

HAMMER: And regardless of what she does or what she says, I don`t think she will be preaching from any moral high ground any time soon.

SANTAGATI: That`s the good news.

HAMMER: Steve Santagati, Megan Alexander, thanks, guys. Brooke, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines just keep ringing. A lot of people have been calling in ever since we talked about the whole Sandra Bullock versus the porn star saga.

ANDERSON: You`re right, A.J. Sandra and her husband, Jesse James are fighting for custody of the daughter Jesse had with his ex-wife, a porn star. Sara called into "Showbiz on Call" from Alabama and she says it`s a no-brainer.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: What is the question here? I mean, would you rather have a porn star raise a 5-year-old child or an all-American, wholesome person. My vote goes to Jesse and Sandra hands down. Hands down.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Thank you, Sara.

HAMMER: We also heard from Chris calling into "Showbiz on Call" from Louisiana.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

CALLER: I think the main thing is that he`s doing the best for her like for education and church and that type of stuff. The mother definitely does not have what it takes.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

HAMMER: Thank you, Chris. Remember, the "Showbiz on Call" phone lines are always open.

ANDERSON: Call us at 1-888-SBT BUZZ. That`s 1-888-728-2899. Leave a voicemail. We will play some of your calls right here on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

And tonight, for the first time, Rihanna speaks out about Chris Brown beating her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: I fell in love with that person. That`s embarrassing. That`s embarrassing that that`s the type of person that I fell in love with. So far in love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Now, Rihanna is not the only one speaking out in an emotional new interview. Yes, Chris Brown has a brand-new one, too. Is that totally tacky?

Also, caught on tape, the stripper speaks. The stripper who claims she had an affair with Fergie`s husband, Josh Duhamel, is making some shocking new claims. Josh and Fergie telling a much different story. So who is telling the truth?

We`ve also got this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): He may not be the world`s greatest wine connoisseur, but this Frenchman sure knows how to pop his cork and we don`t mean the usual way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Creative and hilarious solutions to one of life`s little conundrums. What do you do when you have a bottle of wine and no cork screw?

HAMMER: Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - these are more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: Outrage over wall in Berlin blocking U2 fans from seeing free concert. U2 concert in Berlin celebrates 20 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Whitney Houston to headline two concerts in Russia in December.

HAMMER: You are watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. Keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more nonstop, compelling and provocative news from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

KANYE WEST, SINGER: Taylor, I`m really happy for you. I`m going to let you finish, but Beyonce had one of the best videos of all time. One of the best videos of all time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Oh, I still cringe when I watch that. Who could forget that moment at the MTV Video Music Awards when Kanye West stole the mike from Taylor Swift as she was trying to accept her award?

But Taylor may be getting the last laugh after all. Taylor Swift is hosting "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. And when we heard that, of course, we all wondered if there will be a skit about the Kanye incident. Well, as it turns out, we don`t even have to wait for the skit. It`s in the promo for the show featuring Taylor and "SNL" cast member Bill Hader. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: I`m Taylor Swift and I will be the host and musical guest this week on "SNL."

BILL HADER, COMEDIAN: Kanye West just called and he thinks Beyonce should host. Want to joke, right? VMAs.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Now, Taylor has handled the whole Kanye thing very gracefully. And now, she`s even showing she`s got a sense of humor about it. I do wonder if they`re going to do a full-on sketch about it, too. Taylor Swift hosts "SNL" and is the musical guest this weekend.

As we move on, the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook page has just been inundated with comments about Rihanna`s decision to finally speak out about getting beaten up by Chris Brown.

Rihanna gave a very candid, emotional interview which was shown for the first time this morning. And the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Facebook fans have a lot to say about it.

Here`s one. Talaisha H. writing, "If Rihanna reaches or inspires just one woman, then it`s all worth it. I`m proud of her for telling her story in her own words." I totally agree with you.

Faye B. writing, "Don`t you guys find it strange that when they both have albums to be released she speaks out?"

Stephanie H. writing, "She is so young. How can anyone expect her to know exactly how to handle this situation? I`m glad she is wanting to speak out. That is a hard thing to do."

I do appreciate your comments. Remember, sign up for our Facebook and Twitter pages at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight.

Time now for the SHOWBIZ lineup. This is what`s coming up at the bottom of the hour on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

As we have been telling you, for the first time, Rihanna is speaking out now about getting beat up by Chris Brown. And now, Chris is giving his own brand-new interview about the incident.

Caught on tape, the stripper speaks. The stripper, who claimed she had an affair with Fergie`s husband Josh Duhamel, gives some brand-new shocking details. But the question is, is she telling the truth.

And why some people are saying the Yankees won the World Series because of Kate Hudson.

It is now time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: Entire Beatles catalog to be released on a green apple-shaped USB drive. New mom Heidi Klum will host Victoria`s Secret fashion show but won`t model in it.

HAMMER: You are watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. Right now, I want you to keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more nonstop, compelling and provocative news from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: I fell in love with that person. That`s embarrassing. That`s embarrassing that that`s the type of person that I fell in love with. So far in love.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Now on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, dueling confessions. Tonight, Rihanna`s first tearful, very first TV interview since she was beaten by Chris Brown.

Also, tonight, Chris Brown out with his new interview. Is it just totally disgusting of Chris Brown to do this at the same time?

Yankees win! The Yankees win! Because of Kate Hudson? Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT reveals why Kate Hudson may be the reason the New York Yankees just won the World Series.

And brand-new tonight, you have to got to see this. Caught on tape, the alleged Josh Duhamel stripper speaks.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORRESTER: ... asking him who he was. One of the servers was like, "You know who that is?" I was like, "No." She was like, "That`s Josh Duhamel from the `Transformers,` Fergie`s husband." I was like, "What?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Shocking new claims from the woman who says she had an affair with Fergie`s husband.

Plus, more stories breaking from the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker."

TV`s most provocative entertainment news show continues right now.

(MUSIC)

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.

And tonight, the Rihanna-Chris Brown dueling confessions. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the explosive developments that made for big news breaking today.

In a bombshell development today, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has learned that a confessional interview with Chris Brown will air on MTV the same day Rihanna`s first-ever tearful confessions air on ABC`s "20/20."

Hey, Chris, you already had your turn on CNN`s "LARRY KING LIVE." Shouldn`t you let Rihanna have her chance alone now? We`ve got the hot debate.

And in excerpts from Rihanna`s emotional new interview seen this morning on "Good Morning America," she reveals why going back to Chris Brown sent the wrong message to young girls everywhere.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: I just didn`t realize how much of an impact it had on these girls` lives until that happened.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Rihanna said it was wrong to go back to Chris and that she`s embarrassed she fell in love with a guy like him. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can reveal that many people are absolutely outraged that Rihanna is speaking out now just before the release of her brand-new album. They say it`s bad timing and it takes away from what she is trying to do here.

With me tonight in Hollywood is Tanika Ray who is an entertainment journalist. Also tonight in Hollywood is Carlos Diaz who is a correspondent for "Extra."

Guys, I want to start with the dueling confessions between Chris and Rihanna. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT today obtained a first look at Chris`s interview which is airing Friday on MTV. I want you to take a look when he is asked how people perceive him these days.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BROWN: I`m confused right now as far as the public perception. I think, with my fans, they still love me. They support me. But definitely, I have the people that don`t support me. It`s kind of like 50-50 to me.

I`ve got the people that would come out and support me. And then, you`ve got the people that don`t want to see me do anything, like they want to see me kind of imprisoned in jail.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Tanika, are people going to see him as incredibly insensitive here for trying to upstage Rihanna, trying to steal her moment?

RAY: Well, let`s get this straight. It`s not Chris that requested to have this interview that came out the same day as Rihanna`s. This is MTV and they are competing during sweeps which, in television, you know, is when you want the biggest audience possible. So you can`t really blame it on Chris. You do have to -

ANDERSON: But come on. People talk. I`m not buying that he didn`t know that she was about to do that.

RAY: Oh, he knew. You know, Brooke, you have to realize that he was on the offense before when he came out on "LARRY KING." Now, he is on the defense and he`s got to salvage his reputation, because I`ve got to tell you, his career is in jeopardy, big time.

ANDERSON: Totally. Carlos, what`s your take on all this?

DIAZ: You know, I`m wondering if - three things have happened. Chris Brown came out on YouTube and had an apology. And everyone said, "Look, it sounded scripted." Then, he was on "LARRY KING" and everyone said, "Oh, he didn`t answer the question."

Now, he is coming out and people are saying, oh, the timing is wrong. What I`m wondering is, is he doing all these things wrong? Or are we just not wanting anything to do with Chris Brown? Is it him or is it us?

RAY: He`s made every wrong move, Carlos.

ANDERSON: I think it`s him, Carlos. I am tired of the guy just flap, flap, flapping his jaws until he really sounds sincere. I`m not just buying it from him. Tanika?

RAY: Absolutely. I agree with you. He hasn`t sounded sincere yet and that`s going to work against him more than anything else that comes out of his mouth. He`s got to get it together and take some time - what, Carlos?

DIAZ: Yes. But my point is - and I follow you. My point is, it`s one of those things where I don`t think the public wants Chris Brown anymore. I think we`re like, so beyond him.

RAY: It`s him.

DIAZ: He is, in my mind, a mess-up.

RAY: Absolutely.

DIAZ: I think he keeps messing up over and over and over again. But I think the public is just like, "Well, we don`t really care about you anymore. We could care less about you."

ANDERSON: But I think the public also wants to see him truly change and improve himself to set a better example for other men.

RAY: And he hasn`t proven that yet.

ANDERSON: Exactly. He`s got to prove that. He`s got to be sincere. Conversely, who sounded really sincere? Rihanna on "Good Morning America" today. I have to say, I was absolutely floored by how candid and open she was about her abusive past with Chris Brown. I want to show you how she described the moment she knew she had to leave Chris.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: When I realized that my selfish decision for love could result into some young girl getting killed. I could not be easy with that part. I couldn`t be held responsible for telling them go back.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: Even nine months later, it`s obvious how painful it is to talk about her ordeal. Tanika, I think it was commendable of Rihanna for speaking out like this. What do you think?

RAY: A hundred percent. You know, I always love Rihanna. We`ve always had a great relationship on the red carpet. But now, I`m such a huge supporter. And you know, reality and sincerity speaks volumes, and this girl took the time to really get her thoughts together, really look inward and she sounds amazing.

And I`m just really proud of the message that she is sending out there to the young girls. Let`s not forget, that is the audience that is going to be affected most by this.

ANDERSON: Absolutely. And she says she did not realize how her actions, going back to Chris Brown after he beat her, would impact the decisions of all those young girls in the exact same situation. And when she did, she said she turned things around. Look at what she said about that.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIHANNA: It was a wake up call. It was a wake up call for me, big time, especially when I took myself out of the situation. I will say that to any young girl who`s going through domestic violence. Don`t react off of love. F love. To come out of the situation and look at it third person and for what it really is and then make your decision because love is so blind.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON: A.J., let me bring you back in here. Because even though Rihanna finally came forward, speaking out against domestic violence in this brutally honest way, people are now saying that she`s using her ordeal for publicity for her new album.

HAMMER: Yes. And I`ve got to tell you, Brooke, I just think that`s crazy. And I have been at this long enough to understand why people who are very cynical might think she would be doing that.

But to suggest she is capitalizing on her abuse to promote an album - that`s ridiculous. I mean, she`s got an album out - yes. People are going to want to talk about this. She took control of the situation and now she is using it to do some good.

But I`ve got to tell you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT viewers are writing in on both sides of this story. There are some people who think the confession is fine, but the timing is awful.

Listen to this. Barbara from North Carolina E-mailed us, "Of course Rihanna wants to speak out now. She has an album dropping. It seems like she is using this horrific ordeal to her advantage. Why wouldn`t she say something three months ago?"

Tanika, I`ve said all along, when the time was right for her to speak up, she should speak up about this. Do you think that the timing is sketchy? Or are you with me that, look, she`s doing the right thing now.

RAY: I`m 100 percent with you. And I think we`ve talked about this before. We knew she was not going to say anything until she had to. And yes, it seems like a little sketchy bit of a situation for her to come out now.

But trust me, she`s got 1,000 interviews to do with every entertainment magazine, show, every news outlet. And everybody is going to ask her about it. So she did take control of the situation.

She struck first and she gave her opinion. And now, there is really no place for anybody to go. So now, we all have the facts. We`re going to hear Chris` side of the story. And then, we can just squash it and move on with the art.

ANDERSON: Yes, I agree. The timing is a little bit questionable in terms of that album release, but not in terms of how long it took her to get to this ...

RAY: No.

ANDERSON: ... point where she could speak out. It`s really admirable. Tanika Ray, Carlos Diaz, good to see you. Thanks.

HAMMER: Tonight, the Josh Duhamel alleged stripper speaks and it`s all caught on tape.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORRESTER: I kept asking him who he was because one of the servers was like, "You know who that is?" I was like, "No." She was like, "That`s Josh Duhamel from the `Transformers,` Fergie`s husband." I was like, "What?"

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: It`s like startling new graphic details and claims from the stripper who claims that she had sex with Josh Duhamel. Now, Josh is married to Black Eyed Peas` star Fergie, of course. Tonight, what are Josh and Fergie are saying and who should we believe?

All right. Is Kate Hudson the reason the New York Yankees won the World Series? Yes, sure they`ve got A-Rod, They have A-Rod, Jeter, Petite, Mariano. But tonight, I`m going to show you how the Yankees may have won because of Kate Hudson.

Also this -

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: He may not be the world`s greatest wine connoisseur, but this Frenchman sure knows how to pop his cork. And we don`t mean the usual way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: No corkscrew? No problem. Tonight, the absolutely hysterical way to open that bottle of wine if you don`t have a corkscrew lying around.

Now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: White House to host episode of "Iron Chef America" from Michelle Obama`s garden. Elton John has left the hospital after suffering from flu and serious E. coli infection.

You are watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. Right now, you`ve got to keep watching the bottom of your screen. It`s more nonstop, compelling and provocative news from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

HAMMER: Tonight, tennis star, Serena Williams gets naked again. You may remember Serena sparked a major firestorm over that sensationally provocative nude ESPN magazine cover.

Well, now, Serena has stripped down once again for a brand-new skin- tastic photo. It`s in "Glamour" magazine. This is for "Glamour`s" "Women of the Year" issue. Too bad the top tennis officials aren`t so happy with their latest revealing photo. Can`t imagine why.

You can check out the hot photo of Serena and all of "Glamour`s" women of the year in the latest issue. It is on newsstands right now.

Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: And I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Tonight, Josh versus the stripper. It`s the ultimate battle of he said, she said.

An Atlanta stripper is speaking out about her claims of a steamy-night one-night stand with "Transformers" star Josh Duhamel, the hubby of Black Eyed Peas singer, Fergie. But Josh says it`s not true.

Tonight, you`ll hear the stripper`s story in her own words. Who do you believe?

HAMMER: And the Yankees have won the World Series. But tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has got to ask - we really need to. Is superstar actress Kate Hudson, the girlfriend of Alex Rodriguez, the real reason the Yanks won?

Joining me tonight in New York, Megan Alexander, who is the correspondent with "Inside Edition." Also tonight, in New York, Steve Santagati of "BadBoysFinishFirst.com."

Well, we start tonight with this brand-new video. It surfaced today of stripper Nicole Forrester, telling Atlanta radio station, Q100 what she claims are the details of the big one-night stand with Josh Duhamel.

Now, "The National Enquirer" first ran the story. But she claims that she didn`t leak the story. She claims they came to her after they were tipped off because Josh was allegedly bragging about it on the set of his new movie. Take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORRESTER: They were asking me questions and I was like, "I don`t want to deal with this. You know, I do have two small children and, you know, I didn`t want them to find out that I was a stripper."

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Not even acknowledge it.

(CROSSTALK)

FORRESTER: Well, after the third time, he told me - he was like, "You know what? I am going to print the story regardless. We`re going to find out what`s going on anyway. So why don`t you make money off of it?" And I started thinking, well, you know, if they are going to know, then why not.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: OK. Well, she may not be the most eloquent, but Steve, let me go to you first. You know, I have to say, I`m watching that and I think she at least appears believable. What do you think?

SANTAGATI: Any guy that watches that video of her - of Ms. Forrester speaking is going to know there is a lot of truth behind it because it sounds very plausible. As a matter of fact, it`s almost identical to a situation that I have seen happen before. And - I was going to say that.

HAMMER: Just leave it there. OK. Well, Josh Duhamel has denied that he had a one-night stand with this stripper. And this is what he tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "This story is completely ridiculous and hurtful. It`s unfortunate that we have to respond to this story that was created because money was exchanged between the tabloid and this woman."

But the woman, the stripper - she is standing by her story. Let`s watch more of her claims about how she says she and Josh met.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

FORRESTER: It was early in October. And he had - you know, when he came out, of course, I didn`t know who he was. At first, I knew he was really freaking hot. I was, "Oh, my gosh. He was so hot." Anyway, he referred to himself as J.D. We had a couple of shots and I gave him a dance.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: All right. Megan, whose side are you buying here?

ALEXANDER: Gosh, A.J., it still seems to be a lot of he said, she said. But things don`t look too good for Josh right now.

I`ve got to ask you and Steve. I`m looking at this superstar couple and I`m thinking, "Josh, you have a beautiful wife. She is talented. She`s gorgeous. You have this beautiful wedding a year ago. Your whole is in front of you." What was he thinking if this really did happen?

SANTAGATI: Why don`t - can I tell you something? You bring up an amazing point. Why don`t women understand this? Sienna Miller, beautiful girl. Halle Berry, beautiful girl.

There guys out there that cheat on these women. It doesn`t matter. It`s guys that haven`t sown their oats yet. They got married too early. They didn`t think it through. It`s just different. It`s just guys like different girls. That`s how we`re programmed. Sorry.

HAMMER: Well, let me bring in Brooke Anderson. Brooke, hopefully A-Rod is not cheating on Kate Hudson because she could be the magic ticket and some are saying the reason the Yanks won the World Series.

ANDERSON: Good transition, A.J. Yes, good transition. I think we`ve had enough stripper sex talk for a moment. Moving now to the burning question tonight, should Kate Hudson get credit for the Yankees becoming the champs of baseball?

Hudson was right there partying with the Yankees and her boyfriend Alex Rodriguez last night after the Yanks won the World Series.

Ever since Kate started dating A-Rod earlier in the season after he divorced his wife and ditched Madonna, it seemed A-Rod and the Yanks have been unstoppable. So Steve, how much credit should Kate get?

SANTAGATI: Oh, absolutely. She should get all of it. It had nothing to do with Matsui hitting it out of the park. Nothing. Kate - she is a great girl.

Listen, women are only lucky when you go fishing. Baseball - nothing to do with it. Look at - Jessica didn`t do anything for Romo. Come on.

ANDERSON: Well, speaking of Jessica Simpson, what a difference from when Jessica Simpson was called a jinx when she dated Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo.

SANTAGATI: That`s right.

ANDERSON: Megan, thank goodness the Yankees won or Kate may have gotten the Jessica Simpson treatment. What do you think?

ALEXANDER: That`s very true. Kate Hudson - very lucky woman. You know, I think people look at this two and they think it`s, you know, the all American scenario here. We`ve got the great actress - Kate Hudson is a great actress. She`s sitting in the stands next to Jay-Z and her iconic parents, Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell.

And you just think, I want to be sitting there with her enjoying the game. And then, I think we all thought it was so cute A-Rod ran across the field, gave her a big hug in the stands. Everybody loves a happy ending.

ANDERSON: Yes. It was like a soap opera in addition to the baseball game. Steve, do you think that some people may have tuned in - very quickly - some people may have tuned in just to see that little drama?

SANTAGATI: I think a lot of women may have. I don`t think guys did. They were too drunk by that point. But I think that women - because it`s very romantic. And Kate is a great girl. She is everything that you said she is. If she brought great energy to A-Rod and he was that much better playing, fantastic.

ANDERSON: Maybe she did bring him a little bit of good luck. Steve Santagati, Megan Alexander, thanks.

HAMMER: All right. As we move on tonight - and this is something that actually has happened to me. I`ve had a bottle of wine but couldn`t find a corkscrew to open the thing.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MOOS: He may not be the world`s greatest wine connoisseur but this Frenchman sure knows how to pop his cork, and we done mean the usual way.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HAMMER: Well, tonight, have no fear. And get ready to laugh. We are going to show you how to pop that cork using your shoe. Perhaps a phone book. Maybe even a toilet. Unless of course you are drinking mad dog, of course. You know you just have to twist off (INAUDIBLE).

Now, time for the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now.

TEXT: No Doubt sues "Band Hero" video game maker over the way the band sings songs in game. Johnny Depp reportedly in talks to co-star with Angelina Jolie in "The Tourist."

HAMMER: You are watching SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. And keep on watching the bottom of your screen for more nonstop, compelling and provocative news from SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ANDERSON: OK. So has this ever happened to you? You`ve got that great bottle of wine but you just can`t find a corkscrew. So frustrating, right?

Well, tonight I am here to help you out courtesy of a Frenchman. Hey, it is wine we are talking about, right? So you go to the experts.

Did you see this? You have got see the hysterical way this guy tries to uncork a bottle and other ridiculous ideas about how to pop corks, too. Here is CNN`s Jeanne Moos putting a cork in it - actually, out of it, for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MOOS (voice-over): He may not be the world`s wine connoisseur, but this Frenchman sure knows how to pop his cork and we don`t mean the usual way.

We mean without a corkscrew. Call it the cork shoe technique. He is the toast of the Internet for he sure put an effort to open what surely was not the first bottle of the night. Go ahead and laugh. Twenty seconds later, this Frenchman had that bottle uncorked. His feet is the subject of Internet instruction.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How to open a wine bottle without a corkscrew. Step one, stick a screw into the cork.

MOOS: Ranging from using a screw and a hammer to a hammer and a beater from a mixer. Well, that method in the cork being shoved inside the bottle. Others recommend using a Sharpie. This method is best if you`re planning polishing off the whole bottle.

(on camera): If caught without a corkscrew, a wine professional might resort to a tree. Or you could try using the phone book. It is said the Internet has made the phone book obsolete. Try doing this. A nice red goes very well with these yellow pages.

(voice-over): Funny, when they did it, it looked so easy.

(on camera): Do you think it is because it`s cheap wine?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Nada.

MOOS: I am exhausted.

(voice-over): So my producer took over. Champagne corks are much bigger and easier. Even sword play works. Here is a method that leaves you more screwed than a corkscrew. We tried whacking the floor. We tried the bottle-in-boot technique. But the cork wouldn`t budge.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Eighty-five percent of the world`s wine corks come from Portugal.

MOOS: Yes. Well, ours was the cork from hell.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is really frustrating.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ANDERSON: Hey, I say, for all that work they put into this piece, somebody get Jeanne and her producer a drink, right? That was CNN`s Jeanne Moos for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT.

HAMMER: How do you not have a corkscrew but you have a screw to put in the bottle? I don`t understand that.

ANDERSON: Exactly.

HAMMER: That is it for SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.

ANDERSON: And I am Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. Remember, you can always catch SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on the 11:00s - 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific, and in the morning at 11:00 a.m. Eastern right here on HLN. Take care.

END