Jon and Kate`s Bombshell TV Announcement; D-Day for Chris Brown
A.J. HAMMER, HOST: Now, on SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, the biggest Jon and Kate shocker yet, the bombshell television announcement about their marriage.</s>KATE GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": Recently we made some life-changing decisions that will affect every member of our family.</s>K. GOSSELIN: We`ve been dealing with this for a long time.</s>HAMMER (voice-over): SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has obtained this brand-new preview of Monday`s special episode of "Jon & Kate Plus 8."</s>JON GOSSELIN, REALITY TV STAR, "JON & KATE PLUS 8": It just got worse and worse and worse.</s>HAMMER: As Jon and Kate Gosselin promise a special announcement on Monday`s episode of their show -</s>K. GOSSELIN: Recently we`ve made some life-changing decisions -</s>HAMMER: Millions of people who were following the ups and downs of this famous troubled couple are reaching a sad conclusion about what that announcement will be.</s>JO PIAZZA, ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALIST: We know in the TV world what a very special episode means. It means divorce, someone`s losing their virginity or someone`s going to rehab. So I`m going for divorce here. I think that`s what`s in the cards for Jon and Kate.</s>HAMMER: SHOWBIZ TONIGHT can tell you it appears the real-life drama of this family raising eight adorable children -</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: We`re turning 5 -</s>HAMMER: Is about to enter a disturbing chapter that, frankly, many of us have been expecting for sometime now.</s>J. GOSSELIN: I have changed but I`m now the person I know I am.</s>HAMMER: Is this finally the end for Jon and Kate?</s>PIAZZA: Anyone that`s been tuning into the show knows that something big is coming and that something big is probably divorce.</s>HAMMER: From the time their reality show went on the air in 2007, Jon and Kate have been famous for their bickering as they raise their twin girls and sextuplets.</s>K. GOSSELIN: Please don`t squish the cereal in your anger.</s>J. GOSSELIN: I`m not squishing anything.</s>HAMMER: But recently, celebrity magazines have been buzzing about the Gosselin`s growing marital troubles, their his-and-her cheating scandals and their apparent separation.</s>K. GOSSELIN: I remember thinking that this possibly could be, maybe - I don`t know - our last family picture.</s>HAMMER: They`ve acknowledged their problems on their show.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What`s the status of where you guys are right now?</s>K. GOSSELIN: I wish I knew.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: I love you.</s>J. GOSSELIN: I love you.</s>HAMMER: And watching the effect of the problems on the children has, at times, been heartbreaking.</s>J. GOSSELIN: Miss me? . Go play.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE CHILD: Daddy, I don`t want you to leave anymore.</s>HAMMER: But so far, the Gosselins haven`t said anything concrete about the state of their marriage or its future, despite the fact that they hardly ever appear together anymore in person or on camera.</s>PIAZZA: For all intents and purposes, this couple has not been together for at least a month, maybe more.</s>HAMMER: So now, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT has to ask if Jon and Kate do split up, what will happen to their kids and what will happen to their show?</s>PIAZZA: They`re both under contract to continue this show. So Jon and Kate will go on. It`s just a question of whether or not it`s "Jon & Kate Plus 8."</s>HAMMER: "Jon & Kate Plus 8" is TLC`s highest-rated show. And the Gosselins have said they depend on the millions they make from the show to help raise their army of kids.</s>K. GOSSELIN: Now, blow. Everybody blow.</s>HAMMER: So not many people expect the show to end even if Jon and Kate split.</s>PIAZZA: There are ways to continue this show. They can show Jon and Kate with joint custody of the kids, four with Jon, four with Kate, six and two - there`s plenty of combinations they can have. But at the same time, I don`t know if anyone really wants to watch a show like that on</s>TLC. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A special one-hour "Jon & Kate Plus 8."</s>HAMMER: But it`s only natural to hold a glimmer of hope that maybe we`ll get a happy announcement on Monday. Maybe Jon and Kate are announcing a project with the octomom or maybe Kate`s pregnant again. Or could Jon and Kate be announcing that they`re going to try to work things out after all? Entertainment journalist Jo Piazza isn`t optimistic.</s>PIAZZA: I don`t think there`s any way they can get back together. I think that enough bridges have been burned.</s>K. GOSSELIN: We can`t go back now. We can only go forward.</s>HAMMER: So even if a happy ending isn`t in the cards for Monday, maybe we`ll see this troubled family finally get some peace.</s>K. GOSSELIN: I know we`ll all come out of this on the other side hopefully stronger, better, wiser.</s>HAMMER: Well, now, we`d like to hear from you for our SHOWBIZ TONIGHT question of the day. Here`s what we need to know - "Jon and Kate: Can their marriage be saved?" Vote at CNN.com/ShowbizTonight or E-mail us at showbiztonight@cnn.com. Now the SHOWBIZ countdown involving Chris Brown and Rihanna. Now, if all goes as planned, Rihanna will take the witness stand on Monday and tell in chilling detail how Chris Brown allegedly beat her up the night before the Grammys. But SHOWBIZ TONIGHT did some digging today. And we can now reveal why all may not go as planned. With us tonight in Hollywood is investigative journalist Pat Lalama who has been covering the Rihanna-Chris Brown story since it first broke. And with us tonight in New York, Ben Widdicombe, who covers the story as the celebrity editor for "StyleList.com." So here`s the setting for the superstar showdown Monday, Rihanna is scheduled to testify at what is to be a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles to determine if Chris Brown will be tried on domestic violence charges. Pat Lalama, to you first. I think it is fair to say that she is a reluctant witness here, isn`t she? Because even though she said she would cooperate and is cooperating, I`d have to believe that she`d rather have this whole thing just kind of go away so she can get on with her life?</s>PAT LALAMA, INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST: A.J., here`s what`s really, really important about Monday`s hearing. It`s a prelim. Only the judge hears the evidence. It doesn`t matter if Rihanna is a reluctant witness. It doesn`t matter if she allegedly struck first. All the courts care about is, is there enough solid evidence to turn this over, to bind it over to an actual trial. And what`s important to the prosecutors is to prove to the judge, look at the severity of this photograph. They only care about the seriousness of the charge and whether he`s responsible, not whether she wants to blubber on the stand and talk about how she still loves him. That doesn`t matter. It`s all about the seriousness of the charge, and that looks pretty serious.</s>HAMMER: Let`s not forget the pictures that were leaked showing Rihanna`s battered face after the alleged attack. And let`s not forget the chilling police statement of what they say happened that night to Rihanna whose real name is Robyn, "Robyn F. turned to face Brown and he punched her in the left eye with his right hand. He then drove away in the vehicle and continued to punch her in the face with his right hand while steering the vehicle with his left hand. The assault caused Robyn F.`s mouth to fill with blood and blood to spatter all over her clothing and the interior of the vehicle. Brown looked at Robyn F. and stated, `I`m going to beat the</s>BEN WIDDICOMBE, CELEBRITY EDITOR, "STYLELIST.COM": Well, you know, that is such a hard statement to hear read, isn`t it, when you imagine what happened to Rihanna that night. But it seems to me that both sides are playing hardball on this. Rihanna`s own attorney has made it very clear for quite some time now that she will cooperate with prosecutors. At the same time, Chris Brown chose to plead not guilty when he could have organized a plea deal which would have saved the preliminary hearing which is happening on Monday. So I think both sides seem to be wanting to gear up for a fight here.</s>HAMMER: Yes, but let me throw this to you, Pat. It seems to me that the only way for Chris Brown to keep Rihanna silent at this point is to do some kind of a plea deal. What could he possibly gain by letting Rihanna go ahead with this, even if it`s just the judge hearing it, to decide if they`re going to move forward? It`s pretty damning. I find this mind- boggling.</s>LALAMA: It is damning. Here`s the deal. It depends on what kind of ball the prosecutor wants to play. I think Mark Geragos and company clearly want to try to keep Chris from getting behind bars. That`s going to be the sticking point. My guess is that the prosecution is looking at the severity of this case and saying, "how can we" - and let`s not forget, a district attorney`s office has lost a lot of celebrity cases. How can we make any kind of a deal that allows this guy to just have probation? So I`ll bet you, they`re haggling. I have no doubt. I know Mark Geragos well. They`re haggling behind the scenes, but the sticking point is going to be what kind of jail time. And I think he doesn`t want to go to jail.</s>HAMMER: Well, yes, let me ask you about that, Pat. Because if they cop a plea here, does that necessarily mean jail time? It sounds to me like you`re saying maybe not.</s>LALAMA: No -</s>HAMMER: But I cannot imagine if they do cop a plea so you get the conviction, that people would not be outraged if he didn`t spend at least some time behind bars.</s>LALAMA: Right. Well, you know, there`s a lot of celebrities we think should have been behind bars in the course of the years that I`ve covered the DAs Office that didn`t get it. But here`s the thing. Here`s what`s in his favor. He doesn`t have a criminal past. But A.J., this is not a misdemeanor. This is a felony.</s>HAMMER: Yes.</s>LALAMA: This is serious. Read the evidence. I can`t imagine that the prosecution can say, "All right. We`re just going to give you probation and some anger management."</s>HAMMER: Right.</s>LALAMA: I just can`t see that happening.</s>HAMMER: Well, we`ll be watching on Monday. Pat Lalama, Ben Widdicombe, I thank you both. And you definitely don`t want to miss showdown countdown first, Rihanna set to take the stand in the alleged assault case against Chris Brown. And then, "Jon & Kate Plus 8" reveals a dramatic life-changing announcement. Will they split? SHOWBIZ TONIGHT will be the only entertainment news show bringing you the late-breaking developments Monday, 11:00 p.m. Eastern and Pacific. And that happens right here on HLN. You will not want to miss it. But tonight, the fallout from a possible Jon and Kate divorce. I`ve got to tell you, the stakes here are really, really high. What it means for their eight kids - could it end their wildly popular show? Plus, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT with the explosive reaction to a new Gosselin family controversy - Kate photographed spanking one of her kids. Plus Angelina Jolie`s emotional and remarkable new mission, why she is so passionate, breaking down in tears. And SHOWBIZ TONIGHT dares to ask, are Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt now the most powerful celebrity couple in the world? Also this -</s>SACHA BARON COHEN, ACTOR (as Bruno): This is the most important movie starring a gay Austrian since "Terminator 2."</s>HAMMER: Bravo, Bruno. He`s everywhere - cheek-to-cheek with Eminem, getting naked just like Jennifer Aniston - Is there anything Bruno can`t do? The never shy and often pantless Bruno, coming up next. This is SHOWBIZ TONIGHT on HLN. And now, the "SHOWBIZ News Ticker" - more stories from the SHOWBIZ TONIGHT newsroom making news right now. (</s>CAPTION READS: Tyra Banks stalker convicted and sentenced to "anti- stalking" classes. 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