[A.j. Hammer, Co-host:] What Christie Brinkley was still able to do even after learning about her husband`s alleged affair. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
[Brooke Anderson, Co-host:] And Sheryl Crow bounces back from breast cancer and a breakup and snags a new guy. I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show starts right now.
[Hammer:] On SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, another stunning twist in the Mel Gibson Mel-odrama. A rabbi yes, a rabbi tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT he wants Mel to come to his temple to prove he`s not anti-Semitic. Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT tracks down an eyewitness...
[Unidentified Female:] He seemed like he had a couple of drinks in him.
[Hammer:] ... who was with Gibson just before his drunk driving arrest and his startling anti-Jewish rant. Also, living "The Da Vinci Code." Tonight, a woman`s startling claim that she really is the descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. But is this lady legit or just pulling some spiritual spin? We`ll ask her in the interview you`ll see only on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. Hello. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York.
[Anderson:] I`m Brooke Anderson in Hollywood. And we`ve got so much to tell you tonight about the Mel Gibson melodrama.
[Hammer:] That`s right, Brooke. We have an exclusive interview with someone who was with Gibson the night he was arrested. And we talk with a rabbi who made a dramatic offer to Gibson. All that is coming right up. But first, the news late today that Gibson has now been formally charged with driving under the influence. Joining me from Hollywood, investigative journalist Jane Velez- Mitchell. Hey, Jane.
[Jane Velez-mitchell, Investigative Journalist:] Hey. How you doing, A.J.?
[Hammer:] I am well. So what are we talking about here? He`s got the charge against him. How serious is it? Could he be going to jail? Is he losing his driver`s license? What`s happening here?
[Velez-mitchell:] Well, I spoke to a law enforcement expert who said it would be very, very unlikely that he would go to jail. He`s more likely to have restrictions placed on his driver`s license, be ordered to go to AA, which he says he is already doing some kind of rehab, but this would be court ordered. And he might also have to pay a fine. The aggravating circumstances, of course, that he was belligerent, that he tried to escape at one point, that he threatened a police officer. But this law enforcement expert tells me that those are probably they didn`t come down as charges, as we saw, because that generally gets rolled into the
[Dui. Hammer:] So, in terms of what he actually could be facing, are those the Mel Gibson things he will have to deal with, or is that what any everyday person would have to deal with?
[Velez-mitchell:] I think this at this point is what any everyday person would have to deal with. He has already gotten the special treatment. And they`re certainly got going to continue that given the entire world has come down on them for that. And I think that`s the biggest lesson in this case, is that we all have to look at this being sort of the ultimate example of what happens every day in our society, that people are treated differently depending on who they are. A CEO in a Mercedes-Benz is treated differently than a minority kid who is driving a jalopy. That`s just the way it is. And I think this calls for a certain amount of introspection on all of our parts.
[Hammer:] So is that why it has taken so long fo him to have been charged? It`s been over five days.
[Velez-mitchell:] Yes. Most of us would have been brought before the judge a long time ago. I think there was a lot of wheeling and dealing behind the scenes. I think politicians, prosecutors, law enforcement were scratching their heads, saying, "What do we do now? How do we handle this so that it doesn`t make more headlines?" Mel Gibson has friends in very high places. They were undoubtedly calling in and urging, if not leniency, at least let`s not continue making the headlines with this case. I think that the powers that be would like to see it go away.
[Hammer:] And as you mentioned, a lot of the headlines coming from his anti-Semitic remarks, the ones he made the night that the police first brought him in. But isn`t that really detracting from the fact that, as we see now, he`s been charged with something he was doing that was even perhaps more dangerous, or allegedly so, driving drunk?
[Velez-mitchell:] Oh, absolutely. I mean, this is the hallmark of alcoholism, profound and incomprehensible demoralization. And it takes many forms. For some people, it`s having a fatal car accident. So this could have been worse in the sense that he could have killed somebody on PCH. He suffered this terrible public embarrassment. This is a public relations nightmare for him. Nothing that could be done by the courts could in any way equal what`s already been done to him by himself.
[Hammer:] And now it could prove to be a legal nightmare. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now report that Gibson has hired a big-time law firm to represent him. Among those they have represented before, Courtny Love, Tracy Morgan, Tracy Gold. They are known for the celebrity DUI. So he was expecting these charges, it would seem.
[Velez-mitchell:] Oh, yes, absolutely he was expecting these charges. But the irony here is that he couldn`t really try to get leniency, like have it reduced to reckless driving or something like that, because that would only bring on another public relations storm. So, in essence, they have already played all their cards.
[Hammer:] What about the fact, Jane and I know this may be striking some personal cords for you, because you`ve been very candid and open with us about your daily battle with sobriety. Is there a part of you that just feels kind of sorry for the guy?
[Velez-mitchell:] I was very offended by what he said, but there is a part of me, of course. My heart goes out to anybody who is battling with alcoholism. Again, what happens is that people wake up the next morning and they go, "Who was that person that did all that? That can`t be me."
[Hammer:] Right.
[Velez-mitchell:] And then they realize it was me. And that`s the incomprehensible demoralization of this disease, is that you have no control over your behavior. And it`s very, very frightening. So, yes, as one person who deals with a daily reprieve, I reach out to him and I certainly do hope that he gets his disease under control.
[Hammer:] And once again, Mel Gibson charged tonight. Jane Velez-Mitchell, thanks for joining us.
[Velez-mitchell:] Thank you.
[Anderson:] So, it looks like Mel Gibson might have to head to court. But what about the court of public opinion? Mel Gibson is offering apology after apology for the anti-Semitic statements he made the night he was arrested. And you won`t believe who is giving Mel the chance to atone for his offense. The anti-Semitic comments Mel Gibson made during his drunk driving arrest are subjecting him to both scorn and ridicule, as we see in this Spike TV ad for its repeat of Gibson`s movie, "Lethal Weapon."
[Unidentified Male, Spike Tv:] Before Mel Gibson was a crazy, fanatical lunatic with cop trouble...
[Mel Gibson, Actor, "lethal Weapon":] Hey, you want to see crazy?
[Unidentified Male:] ... he was crazy, fanatical, lunatic cop.
[Unidentified Female, "lethal Weapon":] He may be psychotic.
[Gibson, "lethal Weapon":] I`m psycho, but I`m still a cop.
[Anderson:] But through it all, Gibson wants everybody to know that he`s sorry.
[Hammer:] Mel Gibson today released an amazing apology.
[Anderson:] Very sorry.
[Soledad O`brien, Cnn Anchor:] Mel Gibson saying sorry... again.
[Anderson:] Really, really sorry.
[Joy Behar, "the View":] He needs to, like, be welcomed into the Jewish community by a public circumcision.
[Anderson:] Well, maybe not that sorry. But notwithstanding what the ladies of "The View" think, Mel Gibson is apologizing loudly with his most recent statement which says, "I want to apologize specifically to everyone in the Jewish community for the vitriolic and harmful words that I said to a law enforcement officer the night I was arrested on a DUI charge." And how is his apology playing?
[Unidentified Male:] No, I don`t accept his apology.
[Unidentified Female:] I think he should keep apologizing to the Jewish community.
[Anderson:] Now Mel Gibson is getting a big chance to seek forgiveness from the Jewish community he offended with his remarks. A prominent rabbi, David Baron, has invited Gibson to speak at his Beverly Hills synagogue. And you won`t believe what day he wants Mel to speak Yom Kippur, the holiest day on the Jewish calendar. And good thing for Mel, it`s the Jewish day of atonement. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT got Rabbi Baron on the phone. I asked him, "What`s with the invite?"
[Rabbi David Baron, Temple Of The Arts:] In reading about his desire to express contrition and his desire to speak with members of the Jewish community, I thought it would be an ideal opportunity to really put the challenge to him and see if he is prepared to genuinely reflect on what he what he did and what he has to say. Some of the people in my congregation and among my friends and colleagues think it`s insincere, think it`s a publicity ploy to deal with a moment of drunkenness where he revealed his true self. But I think that`s a little cynical. In terms of my perspective, I think this is a day that`s about atonement. And if he can take the first steps, I`d much rather have a repentant anti-Semite than an unrepentant anti-Semite.
[Anderson:] Is Mel Gibson considering the offer? His publicists tells SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "My client has not had a chance to consider Rabbi Baron`s kind offer, nor will he at this time, as it is just way too soon. This is not a quick fix that can nor should be handled in the public arena. This is a process, and in order to do it properly, it will have to take time." SHOWBIZ TONIGHT hit the streets of L.A. to see what people there think about the prospects of Mel Gibson being the Yom Kippur speaker.
[Unidentified Female:] I don`t think it`s appropriate.
[Unidentified Male:] I don`t see any reason why he shouldn`t.
[Unidentified Female:] I don`t think there is any contrition that can happen quite so quickly, especially on a high holy day.
[Anderson:] From L.A. to the streets of New York, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is going everywhere to see who is accepting Gibson`s apology.
[Unidentified Female:] Actually, as a Jewish person, I don`t. I find that he only apologized because he was forced to. I don`t think it`s sincere. I know his history and his background, and I don`t think it`s sincere.
[Unidentified Male:] I think he`s he`s a jerk.
[Unidentified Female:] Everybody makes a mistake. He was drunk. I don`t really think an apology can excuse much. Being a young person, knowing that when we get drunk, we tend to say what we actually believe, I don`t think an apology is really going to do much good.
[Anderson:] And even the White House is chiming in.
[Unidentified Male:] Does the president forgive Mel Gibson or not?
[Tony Snow, White House Press Secretary:] The president believes in the forgiveness of sins for all who seek forgiveness.
[Anderson:] We will have to see if Mel Gibson gets the forgiveness he`s seeking. And now SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can report to you that Mel Gibson has been invited to visit the Museum of Jewish Heritage in New York. The museum is also offering to guide Gibson through an exhibition examining Jewish life before, during and after the Holocaust. So, what do you think about all of this? Will you forgive Mel? It`s our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT "Question of the Day." Mel Gibson: Do you accept his apology? Go to cnn.comshowbiztonight, send us an e-mail showbiztonight@cnn.com.
[Hammer:] Tony Snow at the White House looked real happy to be getting that question. Well, we want to remind you, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can now be seen seven nights a week. TV`s most provocative entertainment news show is right here on you`re weekend. So tune in to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT Saturday and Sunday, in addition to Monday through Friday, at 11:00 p.m. Eastern, 8:00 Pacific. Well, coming up, what Christie Brinkley was still able to do even though she was dealing with the painful news that her husband was allegedly cheating on her. We`ve also got this...
[Unidentified Female:] He shouldn`t have been driving because he was he was definitely intoxicated.
[Anderson:] A SHOWBIZ TONIGHT exclusive. We catch up with an eyewitness who was with Mel Gibson just before his startling anti-Jewish rant. And this controversial question: Can the disgusting things Mel said be blamed on alcohol? That`s next.
[Hammer:] Plus, living "The Da Vinci Code." Tonight, a woman`s startling claim that she really is a descendant of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. It`s the interview you`ll see only on
[Showbiz Tonight. Anderson:] But first, tonight`s "Entertainment Weekly" "Great American Pop Culture Quiz." Who is the actor with the most consecutive $100 million grossing films? Is it A, Mel Gibson; B, Harrison Ford; C, Kevin Costner; or D, Tom Cruise? Think about it. We`ll be right back.