[Brooke Anderson:] The unbelievable interview with Paris Hilton. We have it. Plus, in Hollywood, where thin is in, we take a look at famous women who are bucking the trend. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
[Anderson:] On
[Showbiz Tonight:] Tonight, Dakota Fanning`s shocking new movie. Hollywood`s biggest child star in a graphic and violent rape scene, and why the 12-year-old`s mother is saying it`s actually good for her. Tonight, the outrage, and the tough question, is it ever OK for child actors to be in violent, sexual scenes? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates. Brinkley backlash. Why so many people are saying the teenager who claims she had an affair with Christie Brinkley`s husband is not so innocent in the mess.
[Elisabeth Hasselbeck, "the View":] A married man giving you gifts is a dirt bag.
[Unidentified Female:] Yes.
[Anderson:] Tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT asks the tough question, does the girl deserve any sympathy? Hi, there. I`m Brooke Anderson in New York. Tonight, a show business shocker. Hollywood`s biggest child star in a graphic and disturbing rape scene. You know Dakota Fanning, the adorable child star you`ve seen in movies like "War of the Worlds" and "Cat in the Hat." Well, forget "Cat in the Hat." In her next movie, her character gets raped, and we see it happen. At 12 years old, Dakota Fanning is already a seasoned Hollywood pro. Her movies have grossed more than a half a billion dollars at the box office.
[Dakota Fanning, Actress:] Oh, I love it.
[Anderson:] She`s worked with film royalty, from Denzel to De Niro. And she`s wise, well spoken and mature beyond her years.
[Fanning:] I feel so blessed to be able to be in "War of the Worlds."
[Anderson:] But is her latest film role too mature for audiences? Here`s the shocker.
[Lloyd Grove, "new York Daily News" Columnist:] Her character is raped in a very explicit scene.
[Anderson:] In Dakota`s yet-to-be-released next movie "Hounddog," Dakota`s character, a little girl in the 1950s South, gets raped. "New York Daily News" columnist Lloyd Grove, who broke the story, tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT it appears to be a disturbing scene.
[Grove:] There`s a lot of sexually explicit disturbing material which is surprising for a child actress like Dakota Fanning to be in. The rape scene, which has already been filmed, is a very challenging and very traumatic scene for a young actress to film. And she got through that.
[Anderson:] Dakota has filmed plenty of disturbing scenes throughout her career.
[Fanning, "war Of The Worlds":] Dad, you`re really scaring me.
[Anderson:] Her character witnesses a brutal alien invasion in last year`s "War of the Worlds." She was kidnapped in the violent "Man on Fire." And she played a disturbed little girl in last year`s "Hide and Seek." FANNING, "HIDE AND SEEK" She killed herself in the bathtub.
[Robert De Niro, Actor "hide And Seek":] Emily...
[Fanning, "hide And Seek":] Slit her wrists with a razor.
[De Niro, "hide And Seek":] Emily!
[Anderson:] Dakota recently told SHOWBIZ TONIGHT she has no problem shooting emotional scenes.
[Fanning:] I just kind of become my character, you know, when we are filming. And so if I feel that my character would be doing this, you know, crying or something, then I do it, because, I mean, I just feel like I kind of just become her.
[Anderson:] But no matter how accomplished an actress Dakota is, her rape scene in her new movie has SHOWBIZ TONIGHT wondering if young actors like Dakota should be exposed to rape or other adult themes even if it is just for pretend.
[Brooke Shields, Actress "pretty Baby":] I can feel the steam inside me right through my dress.
[Anderson:] It didn`t seem to hurt actress Brooke Shields. In 1978, when Brooke was also 12 years old, she played a child prostitute in "Pretty Baby."
[Shields, "pretty Baby":] I hope you`re going to be real gentle on me, being my first time.
[Jodi Foster, Actress "taxi Driver":] Are you looking for some action?
[Anderson:] And a young Jodi Foster played a prostitute in the 1976 classic "Taxi Driver."
[De Niro, "taxi Driver":] Are you really 12 and a half?
[Foster, "taxi Driver":] Listen, Mister. It`s your time. Fifteen minutes ain`t long.
[Anderson:] For that extremely disturbing role, Foster was nominated for an Oscar, a fate that could await Dakota.
[Grove:] This movie, her mother, Joy, and her agent, Cindy Osbrink, believe this could be her Oscar chance. She`s a very smart girl. She`s obviously very precocious. She`s been in the business a long time. She knows her way around. And Dakota, with her eyes opened, decided she wanted to do this.
[Anderson:] Dakota`s agent tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT the rape scene was tastefully shot. She adds, "We are very proud of this movie." Still, the disturbing prospect of a beloved child star like Dakota Fanning being raped on screen has many reserving judgment on this movie. As Lloyd Grove mentioned, Dakota`s mother sees her daughter`s role as so powerful, it could get her an Oscar nomination. But should Dakota have done it at all? Joining me tonight from Hollywood, Anne Henry, co-founder of bizparentz.com, a nonprofit organization dedicated to education and support for parents and children in the entertainment industry. And from San Francisco, Marc Klaas, president of Klaas Kids Foundation, whose mission is to stop crimes against children. Welcome to you both.
[Marc Klaas, President, Klaas Kids Foundation:] Thank you.
[Anne Henry, Co-founder, Bizparentz.com:] Thank you.
[Anderson:] Of course, Marc, I want to begin with you. When you first heard about Dakota Fanning`s role in this movie, what was your reaction? What did you think?
[Klaas:] Well, when I first heard about it I was absolutely horrified, but on reflection, one has to understand that what`s depicted on the screen is not what occurs in the movie studio. And she`s being surrounded by very responsible, well-respected people in the industry. So I have to believe that those collective judgments are enough to protect this child and ensure that this isn`t about exploitation.
[Anderson:] Now, Anne, you`ve been on Internet message boards, forums for parents with child actors, discussing this very role Dakota Fanning has in "Hounddog." What are people in the message boards saying about this?
[Henry:] Well, I think the reaction was mixed. First of all, they understood that Dakota can pull off roles that many child actors can`t. She has quite a power in Hollywood, and because of her body of work previously, she can get away with that edgy stuff, a role that the rest of us might be a little too attached to for the rest of our lives. She can get away with trying something edgy, and if it works great, and if it doesn`t, great. The concern was for the roles around her, the younger girl and the boy in the film, that most parents were actually auditioning for and going through the prospect. And most everyone I know turned down the audition, and several people turned down the role, even though it was offered to them, because they just didn`t want to be involved with something quite this far gone.
[Anderson:] Marc, is there any way you say you hope that she was protected on the set, but is there any way this portrayal could be seen as a good thing because it has the potential to help people recognize that, hey, this really does happen and there might be a problem in our society in this way?
[Klaas:] Well, absolutely. There`s a huge problem in our society. And, you know, there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of cases just like this that occur in America every year, but we never pay attention to them. So if this little girl and her amazing talent and certainly if this child and her amazing talent can bring this to the attention of people and it can spawn a larger discussion that can lead to solution, obviously it`s a very, very good thing.
[Anderson:] She is amazingly talented, you`re right. And Anne, you`re a mother. You actually have kids who are actors. You say that more than ever, you turn down roles because of the subject matter. Now, Dakota`s mom says this role isn`t bad for Dakota, it simply challenges her as an actress. What do you say to that?
[Henry:] Well, I think that is the only person who gets to make that judgment, is Dakota`s mom. It is very individual. And that`s some of the things you will see on Internet message boards for parents, discussing whether their child can handle this, whether their child is ready, whether this would have lasting effects on their child, and where they are in their career. So it`s a very individual decision. And yes, the roles are getting edgier. Hollywood is pushing the envelope more and more every day, and I probably turned down more auditions for my kids in the last six months than I have in the last 10 years combined.
[Anderson:] Would you let your kids take a role like this?
[Henry:] No. Actually, I didn`t. But I can`t my kids aren`t Dakota. I don`t have that power that she has. She has some advantages. She has, as we said earlier, a good surrounding family that can protect her from some things, but she also has a place in the industry. If she felt something was unsafe on set or was not being shot in the way she liked, maybe she can walk away.
[Anderson:] Could speak up for herself?
[Henry:] Absolutely. She can walk away.
[Anderson:] Well, we know this is nothing new. Marc, Jodi Foster played a young prostitute in "Taxi Driver," Brooke Shields in "Pretty Baby." But not just about prostitutes. We see more and more child actors playing victims of horrific acts on TV and film. Isn`t there the danger that it could cause psychological problems when the cameras are turned off?
[Klaas:] Well, I think that that`s a question that has to be asked of a psychiatrist. But remember, what`s depicted on the screen is not how things are done in the studio. And we have to remember that both of the other young women that we spoke about went on to stellar careers.
[Anderson:] You`re right about that. OK. Anne Henry, of bizparentz.com, Marc Klaas president of Klaas Kids Foundation, thank you both for joining us and giving us your insight. We appreciate it.
[Henry:] Thank you.
[Klaas:] Thank you.
[Anderson:] Now we want to hear from you about this. It is our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Sexually violent scenes: Is it OK underage actors to appear in them? Go to CNN.comshowbiztonight. Send us an e-mail. There`s the address, showbiztonight@cnn.com. Some news about another well-known child star tonight, although he`s not really a kid anymore. Haley Joel Osment you know him from "The Sixth Sense," "Pay it Forward," and many other films is in the hospital after a car accident in Los Angeles, and officials say alcohol may have been a factor. Osment is 18 years old. He apparently lost control of his 1995 Saturn and ran into a brick pillar. He is being treated for a broken rib and lacerations on his arms. The L.A. County Sheriff`s Department tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT that evidence at the scene led them to believe alcohol was involved. The department says they got a blood sample from the hospital, and it`s going to take about three weeks to analyze. A friendly reminder now. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is on seven nights a week. We are bringing TV`s most provocative entertainment news show to your weekends. So be sure to check us out, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern. That`s 8:00 Pacific. OK. From the stars to the people on the streets, everyone seems to have something to say about the alleged teen mistress of Christie Brinkley`s husband. We`re going to look into why everyone has such a strong reaction to the other woman coming up. We`ll also have this...
[Paris Hilton, Actress:] I`m not a slut at all. I`ve only had a few boyfriends. I`m far less promiscuous than any of my friends. So...
[Anderson:] Paris says she has feelings, too. Paris Hilton says she sometimes cries about what people say about her. We have the amazing interview coming up. Plus, in Hollywood, where thin is in and women are thinner than ever, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes a look at women who are resisting the trend, how curves are making a comeback. That`s still ahead. Stay with us.