Jackie Collins Dishes on Famous Inspirations for New Book
ANDERSON: Welcome back to SHOWBIZ TONIGHT. This is TV`s only live entertainment news show. I`m Brooke Anderson live in Hollywood. Tonight -- tonight, late-breaking news about Elvis Presley`s daughter Lisa Marie, and SHOWBIZ TONIGHT is the first to break it to you. Just a short time ago, her publicist says Lisa married guitarist and music producer Michael Lockwood. The ceremony took place in Japan on January 22. Its Presley`s fourth marriage. Her previous husbands included Nicolas Cage and Michael Jackson. Lisa`s mom, Priscilla, walks her down the aisle and, actually, one of her other ex-husbands was the best man.</s>HAMMER: It is time now for a "SHOWBIZ Sitdown" with Jackie Collins. She is the ultimate Hollywood insider. She dishes dirt on all the biggest stars, but the catch is she never names in her books. Well, I had a chance to sit down with the best selling novelist to talk about some familiar characters in her latest book called "Lovers and Players." And I wanted to get her take on the truths and lies of fellow author James Frey.</s>HAMMER: I need you to straighten out something for us, set the record straight on something about "Lovers and Players" right off the top.</s>COLLINS: OK.</s>HAMMER: Is it a novel? Is it a memoir? It`s a work of fiction, right, Jackie?</s>COLLINS: A thousand little lies, that`s what it is. It`s a work of fiction.</s>HAMMER: OK.</s>COLLINS: But you know, the late, great Frank Sinatra had a biography written about him. And at the time I had a book out called "Hollywood Husbands." And Frank sent me a note. He said, "You`re writing fact, and this woman is writing fiction about me." And I thought that was great. He signed it "Francis Albert." I love that. So cool.</s>HAMMER: You have to be very careful about these things, because of...</s>COLLINS: Very clear. Very clear.</s>HAMMER: So we know it`s a work of fiction. What do you make about that whole thing with "A Million Little Pieces"? That`s, of course, what I`m referring to, James Frey and the controversy. Who -- who bears the responsibility there? Is it the author? Is it the publisher? A little bit of both?</s>COLLINS: I think it`s a little bit of both. Because they must have known. And they must have asked him. I mean, you don`t say you`re in jail for three months, when you`re been three hours just sitting there. You don`t say you`re spitting at policemen when you haven`t. It would make a great novel, fantastic, but make it fiction. Don`t say it`s true. Because every woman in Hollywood can now say they`ve slept with every man in Hollywood. Because who`s going to argue? You know, they can make it up. Why not?</s>HAMMER: And certainly, and Oprah brought this point home when she kept challenging...</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>HAMMER: ... the publishers, saying didn`t this raise a red flag? Didn`t that raise a red flag? She kept saying no. But come on.</s>COLLINS: Yes. Exactly. But you know, I like writing fiction, because I can do whatever I want. And I can write about whoever I want and I can change the names to protect the not so innocent.</s>HAMMER: Let`s talk about a couple of those specific characters for just a moment.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>HAMMER: And also famously, you don`t usually reveal, as you said, who the character is based on.</s>COLLINS: No.</s>HAMMER: But let me take a whirl at a couple.</s>COLLINS: OK.</s>HAMMER: Or at least a few people that came to mind. Tell me -- describe the character Birdy for me.</s>COLLINS: Birdy Marvel is this little pop diva. She`s very cute. She`s very blond. She`s emancipated from her parents, and she`s engaged to this biker with -- covered in tattoos, and he kind of wants to take all her money, and she kind of doesn`t want him to. She could be anybody.</s>HAMMER: Let me throw up a picture of a particular blond whose name begins with a "B," ends with a "Y." This comes to mind, you know, some of the things you mentioned.</s>COLLINS: It`s Britney. I love Britney. I think she`s great.</s>HAMMER: So this is Britney?</s>COLLINS: No, it`s not Britney. That`s Britney, yes.</s>HAMMER: But does Birdy at any time get caught driving with the baby in her lap?</s>COLLINS: Read my book. No. No, Birdy doesn`t have a baby. See, so it can`t be Britney, can it? Because Birdy doesn`t have a baby. It could be Jessica. It could be Ashlee. It could be Paris. It could be Nicole.</s>HAMMER: Little bits of all of them.</s>COLLINS: Little bits of all of them.</s>HAMMER: Tell me who...</s>COLLINS: That`s what makes the character fun.</s>HAMMER: Tell me who Damon is.</s>COLLINS: Well, Damon...</s>HAMMER: Is it Donnell or Donnell?</s>COLLINS: Donnell.</s>HAMMER: Because I read a whole book and I want to make sure.</s>COLLINS: Yes, exactly, he`s a hip-hop model. He`s great looking. He wears, you know, a lot of bling, but he`s just like big and has a great body. And who are you looking at there? Who are you bringing up now?</s>HAMMER: You say Damon and bling and, of course, we think of Damon Dash.</s>COLLINS: Well, that`s because the name is the same. But it`s not Damon Dash. I mean, it could be a little bit of -- I don`t know, Diddy -- a little bit of Jay-</s>Z. HAMMER: Well, let`s through the next picture up here. It certainly appeared that maybe any of these guys, Russell Simmons.</s>COLLINS: It could be any -- it could be a little bit of all of them or it could be none of them at all.</s>HAMMER: So what is the deal with the fact that people are so obsessed with vicariously, perhaps, living through, you know, the rich and famous? Your books, it`s always said, when people start reading them, no matter who they are, it could be the biggest person on the Forbes list.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>HAMMER: Or it could just be the supermarket checkout woman, but people start reading your books and they don`t put them down. Why are we so obsessed with all of this?</s>COLLINS: I think because I tell a good story. And you know you`re not getting the front page of one of the tabloids. You`re getting the real truth, because I`m there. And you know, I`m not outside pressing my nose up against the glass, saying, "What`s going on? Can I write about that?" I`m in there, and I`m writing about the real truth. So you are getting the real truth. I do change the names.</s>HAMMER: When you look at what is in the newspapers these days, particularly with all of the breakups.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>HAMMER: And Nick and Jessica, the newlywed show, and of course, they end up splitting up. And look at -- look at marriages that have broken up in Hollywood recently, from Heather Locklear and Richie Sambora to Chad Lowe and Hilary Swank.</s>COLLINS: Yes.</s>HAMMER: You can`t -- I say you can`t write this stuff. You do write this stuff.</s>COLLINS: I do write.</s>HAMMER: Is it amazing to you that the stuff that you write about fictionally...</s>COLLINS: It`s amazing to me that everybody is always looking for something better. They always think there`s something better around the corner. And I always say to people, I always say to girls, you know, young girls, I say go out and have a fantastic time before you get married. Do everything you want to do, and then you`re not sitting in a marriage saying, "Oh, I wish I`d done that." Because you`ve done it; you`ve been there, done that.</s>HAMMER: Is that the key? I mean, do you think that`s a lot of the reason why these Hollywood marriages are always breaking up, it seems?</s>COLLINS: Well, separation is not good for any relationship. I mean, you know, when your husband goes off on location with Angelina Jolie, go with him. Don`t leave him alone. You know, I mean, that`s kind of foolish.</s>HAMMER: So did you write that scenario out in your head when you saw what was going on there?</s>COLLINS: Absolutely. I mean, you knew the moment that she wasn`t there, you knew it had to happen. Because it`s just human nature, especially when a woman is there by herself. She has to kind of -- you know, she wants her sexuality to be noticed. If she can`t get the director or the co-star or whoever it is. I`m not talking about Angelina, because she`s so fantastic. I`m a huge fan. But you know, most locations, it`s very, very sexual. Because you`re treated like a queen, and he`s treated like the prince. And you`re together, and you`re probably doing love scenes. I mean, if your wife or significant other isn`t there, you know, it ain`t going to be good.</s>HAMMER: Problems could be around the corner.</s>COLLINS: Oh, yes.</s>HAMMER: Don`t think that Jackie Collins spends all of her time watching celebrities. She also happens to watch her TiVo an awful lot. She`s afraid of the list that builds up while she`s out traveling and promoting her book, but she`s a self-proclaimed TiVo addict. On her list, shows like "Nip/Tuck," "Prison Break," and of course, as you would expect, she loves the "Desperate Housewives." Her new book is called "Lovers and Players," and it`s in stores now.</s>ANDERSON: OK. Coming up, you can relax with the rich and famous. SHOWBIZ TONIGHT takes you to the hottest spas. Unwind with "Thursday InStyle," next.</s>HAMMER: Plus a big newspaper says "I`m sorry" to Elton John. They also had to fork over some cash. Find out why in tonight`s "Legal Lowdown." Plus, we`ll have this.</s>UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The result of the CSI effect is that jurors want more evidence. When they don`t get it, they become very suspicious.</s>ANDERSON: Question. Is real life imitating fake TV with deadly consequences? Tonight, why some say "CSI" is teaching criminals how to get away with murder? It`s a shocking story. And we`ll have that in just a bit.