Rosie`s `View` Debut; Tom Cruise Fallout
HAMMER: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, TV`s most provocative entertainment news show. I`m A.J. Hammer in New York. It`s time now for a story that made us say, "That`s ridiculous!" And it is unbelievable. Look at this video of a kid`s football game in California where an assistant coach ran out on to the field and knocked over a kid on the opposing team. Apparently there was a late-hit penalty on the play and this guy disagreed with the call. So police say that he clocked the 13- year-old player -- yes, I said 13 years old. The coach was arrested for felony child abuse. The whole thing just erupted into an all-out brawl. Parents and kids from both teams were fighting on the field. It`s terrible. But we have to say, a brawl at a football game? Now "That`s ridiculous!" Particularly when kids are involved. It was certainly a big day for Rosie O`Donnell. She made her debut as the brand new co-host of "The View" today, and I was right there to share in all the excitement.</s>HAMMER (voice over): I guess you can say, everything is coming up Rosie. Four years after TV retirement, Rosie O`Donnell is giving daytime talk another shot, this time on "The View."</s>O`DONNELL: What do you think?</s>HAMMER: I was right there in the middle of all the action to help Rosie celebrate her first day.</s>O`DONNELL: I loved it. It was really fun.</s>HAMMER: She was escorted on stage by Barbara Walters, who recruited her for the job after Meredith Vieira announced she was leaving to co-host the "Today" show with Matt Lauer.</s>O`DONNELL: OK. My name is Meredith Vieira, and welcome to "The View."</s>HAMMER: Rosie was in good spirits right off the bat. She even shocked audience members when she told them which one of her A-list friends had sent her an enormous bouquet of flowers.</s>O`DONNELL: Well, I don`t want to say who sent me these beautiful flowers sitting in front of me, but it could be someone named Tom Cruise.</s>HAMMER (on camera): So you spoke to Tom?</s>O`DONNELL: Yes. He`s a good friend. I love him. He`s a great guy. You know...</s>HAMMER (voice over): Rosie has never been shy about her love for Tom Cruise or, as she likes to call him, "My Tommy." She spent ours on her old talk show practically obsessing over him. Rosie tells me she spoke with Tom last week and is sure he will make an appearance on the show. But Tom is not the only star in Rosie`s Rolodex. She also called on her old pal Jessica Simpson, who showed up despite a bruised vocal chord to pump her new album and show off a shorter hairdo.</s>JESSICA SIMPSON, SINGER: I needed to get rid of a lot of baggage.</s>O`DONNELL: Yes. Well, at least you didn`t go that crazy hair and shave half of the side off like I did.</s>HAMMER (on camera): Rosie O`Donnell is being paid a reported $2 million for her one-year contract on "The View," but there are also reports floating around saying that she is not allowed to cut her hair, according to the contract, and there are 360 words she is not even allowed to say on the show.</s>BARBARA WALTERS, "THE VIEW": That is ridiculous.</s>O`DONNELL: I asked if there was a list.</s>WALTERS: I heard that in her contract there was a clause that said, "You`re not supposed to cut your hair." That`s because of promos. It`s not just her clause. This one already cut her hair before the show went on.</s>HAMMER (voice over): OK. So she`s allowed to cut her hair, but it sounds like she won`t. Rosie spent plenty of time poking fun at herself, joking about the old spiky "do" she once wore after publicly coming out as a lesbian.</s>O`DONNELL: Well, I had that crazy, crazy haircut that scared America to death. So, you know, it`s going to be long from now on. And I`m taking my medicine. So everything`s fine.</s>HAMMER: From her hair to her bossy reputation, Rosie even talked about her blog and the controversy after she wrote on it that she was worried because she wasn`t going to be the boss. (on camera): You were concerned about not being the boss or about being too bossy. How did it work out today?</s>O`DONNELL: Good. But, I mean, that`s just my personal journey. You know, the blog is not to be taken as a literal, you know, translation. It`s just my emotions of feeling, god, I hope I`m not too bossy. My innate nature is to boss people around.</s>WALTERS: But she doesn`t have to worry about being bossy because I`m already bossy.</s>HAMMER: To set the record straight, on the blog you guys talked that a little bit this morning. You will continue to write about the show, but are you going to run stuff by Barbara first? Is that really what`s happening?</s>O`DONNELL: No. Barbara doesn`t even read the blog. The blog is just my feelings. She is all right with my feelings.</s>HAMMER: Those ladies were a lot of fun to hang out with. Meredith Vieira wasn`t the only co-host to leave, of course. Star Jones Reynolds is also no longer on "The View." No replacement yet.</s>ANDERSON: And A.J., it was a big day on another television set.</s>KATIE COURIC, HOST, "CBS EVENING NEWS": I`m Katie Couric. Tonight, it was the first...</s>ANDERSON: Tonight was Katie Couric`s first night in the anchor chair at the "CBS Evening News." For her big debut, she got an introduction from a legendary voice you may find familiar, previous "CBS Evening News" anchor Walter Cronkite.</s>WALTER CRONKITE, FMR. "CBS EVENING NEWS" ANCHOR (voice over): This is the "CBS Evening News With Katie Couric."</s>COURIC: Hi everyone. I`m very happy to be with you tonight. For many Americans...</s>ANDERSON: Couric is the first woman hired to anchor a nightly network newscast all on her own.</s>HAMMER: Well, now the apology that`s got everyone talking tonight. Tom Cruise actually tells Brooke Shields he`s sorry. Joining me from Glendale, California, Harvey Levin, managing editor of the entertainment news Web site TMZ.com. Hello, Harvey.</s>HARVEY LEVIN, MANAGING EDITOR, TMZ.COM: Hey,</s>A.J.  HAMMER: All right. So, Brooke Shields appeared on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" and she revealed the fact that Tom Cruise actually went over to her house, made nicey-nicey, apologized for those now famous comments that he had made, that Cruise had made about Brooke`s postpartum depression and the fact that he thought it was terrible that she used antidepressants to overcome that depression. So, Harvey, what the heck is going on here with Tom Cruise? Is this just more damage control from his camp?</s>LEVIN: Oh, my god. I think so. Absolutely. I mean, do you think this is really coincidence? He could have gone over to her house for the last three and a half months to apologize. He chose the week he got canned from Paramount to do it. I mean, Tom Cruise has to do damage control. And the comments he made about Brooke Shields probably are the most damaging that he has made in the last year. And he knew when he went over there that ultimately this would surface and be in the press. And I think this is a huge step and an acknowledgment by Tom Cruise that he hasn`t been handling things very well.</s>HAMMER: Now, when you say damaging, of course, you`re not talking about his interpersonal relationship with Brooke shields. You`re talking about the fact that this teed off a lot of people. I mean, even if Brooke accepts Tom Cruise`s apology, do you think that it`s even possible that all of those people who were so upset with him for the outrageous things he said about antidepressants and postpartum depression, that they would -- that they would actually forgive him and that they are going to start going to his movies now? And they said they wouldn`t in the past.</s>LEVIN: Well I think he has problem on two levels, A.J. One is he seemed so strident when he made the comments on the "Today" show that it`s real hard to believe that suddenly he is saying, well, I didn`t mean it anymore. So I think it`s going to be hard to swallow. The second big problem he has is there are a lot of people in Hollywood who are really powerful who have kids who are on a lot of drugs that Tom Cruise has been slamming. And there are a lot of people who are ticked off at him. And I`m not sure that this is going to make everything better.</s>HAMMER: And I`m sure we`re going to see more from Tom and perhaps more apologies are yet to come. Harvey Levin, from TMZ.com, thanks for joining us.</s>LEVIN: Bye,</s>A.J. HAMMER: So, Jessica Simpson sets the record straight on her love life. That`s coming up next.</s>ANDERSON: Plus, the shocking death of "Crocodile Hunter" Steve Irwin. Now the question is, have wildlife shows become too dangerous? That`s ahead.</s>HAMMER: Also, a man`s best friend becomes kitten`s best friend. A story about a very generous dog is coming up.