Special Edition: SHOWBIZ Reality Check
HAMMER: Now, on a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, SHOWBIZ reality check. Housewives secrets. Camille Grammer of "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," Ramona Singer of "The Real Housewives of New York City," right here. And tonight, SHOWBIZ TONIGHT investigates the real fortune behind the real housewives, a reported $500 million.</s>HOLLY MADISON, REALITY TV STAR: I`m happy with where I`m at right now, but the most important message I want to get out there is I made the change for me.</s>HAMMER: Holly`s weight war. Reality star and Hugh Hefner`s ex-girlfriend, Holly Madison, got slammed by critics for gaining a few pounds. Now, she is fighting back.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You know what, the kid needs somebody.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare you. How dare you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs help. She needs you to be here. She needs people to take notes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby. Abby.</s>HAMMER: We go inside the "Dance Mom`s" drama. The young dancers, the outspoken stage moms, and a terrorizing teacher. A special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ Reality Check," starts right now.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, please, Ramona. What was I supposed to say? I`m here? I`m sorry? I`m sorry? What did you want me to do? I came in there. Did you think I came to fight?</s>RAMONA SINGER, REALITY TV STAR, "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF NEW YORK": There was an elephant in the room and you didn`t recognize it. You pretend like there was nothing wrong.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Until you say to me I`m sorry and if I can do it over again, I wouldn`t, we can never be friends.</s>HAMMER: OK. Well, fighting aside, it`s the cha-ching of big bucks that really keeps these reality stars coming back for me. I`m talking a reported $500 million jackpot. And tonight, we`re getting the mind-boggling secrets from the housewives themselves on all that money and all of those battles that are making them richer and more famous with every episode. Tonight, we are talking to Beverly Hills housewife, Camille Grammer, who is cutting to the chase about her war of words with co-star, Taylor Armstrong. Right now, with me in New York, "Real Housewives of New York City" star, Ramona Singer, who certainly knows a thing or two about cashing in. Ramona, it`s great to have you here. It`s so nice to meet you. And it`s just remarkable how much money, as you well know, is being made off the whole "Housewives" franchise, all of the shows. The stars of the shows reportedly earn at least $100,000 or a six-figure salary just for being on the show. But the deal is, you can`t put a price tag on all of the exposure that is worth so much to someone like you who`s already such a successful businesswoman. When you got involved with this thing, could you ever have imagined that "The Real Housewives of New York City" would become the jackpot it has?</s>SINGER: That`s a very good question. When we started filming the first season, I said to Jen O`Connell who runs our production company, "We`re going to average one million viewers. Trust me." She looked at me like I was crazy. And guess what, A.J., we average one million viewers.</s>HAMMER: Yes. And everybody keeps coming back for more. And each season, it gets bigger and bigger and bigger.</s>SINGER: And better. Each season, it gets better.</s>HAMMER: And here`s the thing that I find particularly mind-boggling, Ramona, is I understand, if I have this correct, when they first approached you, you said no. I can`t imagine this show without you, quite frankly, or the success it has had without you. You know, you`re quite compelling on it. What was your hesitation for getting involved?</s>SINGER: Well, the funny thing is they had first seen me on someone else`s audition reel. And they said, "Forget this girl who`s auditioning. We want her. Find her." Eight months later, by coincidence, they did find me. I auditioned for the fun of it. Just for fun. And I wanted to have that little DVD, that two- minute clip. And I saw it and I was captivated.</s>HAMMER: Yes. But you didn`t want to do it for a -- was there a reason you were hesitant?</s>SINGER: What do I really want to do the show for? You know, I have a great career. I`m extremely successful. I was already a millionaire on my own without my husband. Great daughter. Great friends. I didn`t want to do it. And then, the production person saw me at polo. And for every negative she gave me -- or every negative I gave her, she gave me a positive. And then I finally said, "Listen, I have this new Web site, "TrueFaithJewelry.com" with my husband. If you`re willing to showcase how we`re developing this, we`ll do it."</s>HAMMER: Yes. See, that`s the thing, and that`s what we`re talking about here, the idea that you saw an opportunity to perhaps take some new exposure and turn it into some new cash for you guys. I mean, look at all the things that you`ve been able to capitalize on. You have your jewelry line. You have your skin care line.</s>SINGER: Just into jewelry. No skin care. Ramona --</s>HAMMER: You launched your own wine label --</s>SINGER: Ramona pinot grigio. Red`s coming out.</s>HAMMER: Come on. Come on.</s>SINGER: The show`s been good to me.</s>HAMMER: So yes, how much credit do you give the show for adding to your financial windfall since you started?</s>SINGER: You know, I`ve always been very entrepreneurial. And I know, even if I wasn`t on the show, I`d be having other businesses. And it gets my creative juices going and they are a documentary. This is a documentary of our lives and I am an entrepreneur, and they`re showcasing that, plus all my wild side.</s>HAMMER: And I suppose the question in your mind is how long will the gravy train roll along? Because we know for the next season of "Real Housewives of New York City," four of your co-stars, established women on the show, not coming back.</s>SINGER: Right.</s>HAMMER: Do you worry? I mean, obviously, you`re very successful in your own right.</s>SINGER: Right.</s>HAMMER: But do you worry about the day that they say, "We`re done"?</s>SINGER: Well, first of all, I know next season will be the best season ever. There`s a reason why Bravo is such a billion-dollar enterprise and why the "Housewives" franchise has gone international. And you know, I miss the girls, but I`m having a great time filming. We still have our fights and altercations.</s>HAMMER: So you`re not worried?</s>SINGER: Well, you know, right now, I`m here and I`m having fun.</s>HAMMER: You`re here, enjoying.</s>SINGER: Sometimes you can`t project too far.</s>HAMMER: Good thinking. Ramona Singer, great to have you here, and continued success.</s>SINGER: Great to be here. Thank you,</s>A.J.  HAMMER: And we move now from the east to the west. It has certainly been one of the most dramatic seasons ever of reality TV with the housewives exposing secrets and confronting some painful truths.</s>CAMILLE GRAMMER, REALITY TV STAR, "THE REAL HOUSEWIVES OF BEVERLY HILLS": Because we don`t say that he broke your jaw or that he beat you up and he hit you. We don`t say that, but now we said it.</s>HAMMER: OK. We`re going to get to the inside story of that big blowup in just a moment straight from the woman at the center of it all, "Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" co-star, Camille Grammer, who reveals all in a SHOWBIZ newsmaker interview. But first, I asked Camille if she would be back for season three.</s>GRAMMER: It was an emotional season. The last two years have been difficult for me. You know, it`s tough to make that decision. I mean, I`d have to think about it before I go back, but I haven`t heard anything.</s>HAMMER (on camera): OK. So it`s not as simple as you get the phone call - - "OK, I`m in"?</s>GRAMMER: No, it`s never that simple.</s>HAMMER: You`ve been thinking about it.</s>GRAMMER: Last year I said I definitely wouldn`t come back and I came back, so --</s>HAMMER: I mean, because when you look back at what we`ve seen unfold -- and really, there`s never been anything like it on television ever, such highs, such lows. And we just law a little bit of one of the most uncomfortable moments, I thought, from this season, when you essentially outed Taylor Armstrong and Russell Armstrong for the problems they were having in their marriage. And that put a huge strain on your relationship with Taylor as we know. Let`s watch some more of that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, I`m sorry.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Tonight`s been far more difficult than I imagined. I do not think that people understand the gravity of the situation that I`m dealing with.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: In my life there are people I trust and there are people I don`t trust. People I trust, I don`t want to be betrayed.</s>HAMMER: Camille, the look on your face says a thousand words. So I see that and some of the other tensions that arose and have been arising in the course of the season. It makes me imagine it`s impossible that you guys are actually even friends at all anymore. What is your relationship like with her?</s>GRAMMER: You know, we`re on good terms. We speak to one another. We saw each other at the reunion show. It was a little tense at first, because, you know, you`re not sure.</s>HAMMER: Do you stay in touch with her outside of when you have to run into each other for work?</s>GRAMMER: You know, I have texted her throughout the time after, you know, this horrific incident happened. And just to check in on her and make sure she was OK.</s>HAMMER: She responds?</s>GRAMMER: Yes, she has been responsive. At first she wasn`t, but then, yes, after the unfortunate thing happened with her ex-husband, her late ex- husband, yes.</s>HAMMER: And at one point, Russell was so upset with the fact that you said what you said that he actually threatened to sue you. And that really put everybody on edge. The other housewives even turned Taylor and Russell away from a party just to protect you. Let`s watch a bit of that.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We have a problem.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What`s wrong?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No, I guess, I don`t know if you know, but I guess, like, the E-mail you sent Camille, I guess now her lawyers are saying, or whatever, that she can`t be around you guys and it`s like this whole mess.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s OK. It`s OK. Don`t feel bad. Listen, listen, it is what it is.</s>HAMMER: Yes. And as we know, obviously, Russell would later commit suicide for reasons unrelated to that. But knowing that, I see the look of strain on your face just watching that.</s>GRAMMER: Yes, it`s so uncomfortable to watch.</s>HAMMER: So what goes through your mind knowing now what happened?</s>GRAMMER: In terms of what, specifically?</s>HAMMER: When you take a look at a scene like that?</s>GRAMMER: It`s very difficult for me to watch that because it`s upsetting and it`s almost like it`s unsettling and it`s creepy. And I feel bad for Kyle that she had to ask them to leave, because I would never ask anybody to leave a party. And I was in the back of the party having a good time, so I didn`t even know they had arrived. So I didn`t know any of this was going on.</s>HAMMER: Let`s have a happy moment here. Do we have video we can put up here, Charles, from Camille and I together last year? It was just a year ago. There we are, red carpet, the Oscars. What a great night that was.</s>GRAMMER: That was so much fun.</s>HAMMER: Are you looking forward to watching the Oscars this year?</s>GRAMMER: Yes, I am.</s>HAMMER: In particular?</s>GRAMMER: Well, it`s great to see, you know, George Clooney up against Brad Pitt.</s>HAMMER: I know. That`s sounds good.</s>GRAMMER: That`s going to be exciting, huh?</s>HAMMER: Who`s going to take that, before I let you go?</s>GRAMMER: Oh, I don`t know. Probably George.</s>HAMMER: All right. There you go. You said it.</s>GRAMMER: I said it.</s>HAMMER: Camille Grammer, great to see you. Let us know what happens with season three.</s>GRAMMER: OK.</s>HAMMER: It`s always a pleasure.</s>GRAMMER: Thank you.</s>HAMMER: Of course, everybody loves George Clooney. But one thing in Hollywood that everybody hates, an unflattering photo. However, Holly Madison is showing hers off after her dramatic weight loss.</s>MADISON: I`m happy with where I am now, but the most important message I want to get out there is I made the change for me.</s>HAMMER: Tonight, reality star and Hugh Hefner`s ex exposing all about how she slimmed down after getting seriously slammed just for putting on a few extra pounds.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Figure it out, because you know what? The kid needs somebody.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: That`s what --</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: How dare you. How dare you.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She needs help. She needs you to be here and needs people to take notes.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Abby. Abby.</s>HAMMER: This woman is unbelievable. A drill sergeant dance instructor. You also have a bunch of opinionated mothers. So how do all those tiny dancers handle all of that yelling? I need to find out. Two of the mothers of "Dance Moms" are going to tell me coming up. This is a special edition of SHOWBIZ TONIGHT, "SHOWBIZ reality check." The steaming, the screaming, the blowout fights -- it is just another day of confronting for "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills."</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be her friend.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I have been her friend. I have never hurt her. I have never hurt her.