am and my family and my life. i wear it proudly. good to see you. >> larry: oh, my god, who's going to let go? ♪ a troubled star. a turbulent past. an uncertain future. >> if he doesn't get help, he's going to get worse. >> charlie sheen, wildly successful. >> it's so surreal. >> but living on the edge. >> the million-question in

hollywood right now, is why is charlie sheen able to get away with so much? >> the city of angels, where stars are born. where some fall. where some are resurrected. and no one knows that better than charlie sheen. the star of "two and a half men" has come back from scandal time and time again. but with his latest melt down, has charlie finally gone too far? >> is charlie sheen in trouble? >> naked and out of control. >> charlie sheen hospitalized. >> drunk. naked. >> a whole boatload of trouble for charlie sheen. >> last week, reports of an alcohol-fueled rampage. a hotel suite trashed. charlie sheen, naked. hospitalized. >> my bra size is a 32b. >> reporter: and this porn star, 22-year-old christina walsh,

locked in the bathroom. her audition tape was on tmz. >> he met this woman early in the day. and ended up going to dinner with her and some other people. >> reporter: harvey levin is executive producer of tmz. tmz obtained these exclusive photos of the dinner, which included charlie's ex-wife, denise richards. >> denise richards was invited to dinner by charlie. before denise knew anything, this porn star ran up and said, i'm a big fan of yours. denise left in the middle of her appetizer. >> reporter: despite their rocky public divorce, denise and charlie have been coming together for their young girls. and this was a trip for the girls, the first to new york city. how in the world did it end up like this?

actor, tom sizemore, is charlie's friend of nearly 15 years. he thinks it began when charlie's watch went missing. watches are parent to him. >> it's a beautiful watch. i have seen the watch. he thought someone had taken it. i've been in that situation. usually someone has taken it. and they're not going to give it back, either. >> reporter: you think in this situation, that set him off? >> someone stole it from him or took it, to piss. >> he went crazy. screaming and was pribl in this hotel room around 2:00 in the morning. and ultimately, she locked herself in the bathroom. >> reporter: tmz obtained pictures of the destruction. a broken chandelier, thrown chairs. an alleged 7,000 bucks worth of damage.

>> mr. sheen was taken to new york presbyterian hospital. no arrests were made. no one signed a complaint. >> reporter: at the hospital, christina was nowhere in sight. instead, it was charlie's ex-wife, denise, that was by his side. denise told her story to hln's joy behar the next story. >> did you go to the hospital with him? >> i do know what happened. >> you do know? you just don't want to talk about it? >> i did go to the hospital. >> you did go to the hospital with him? so, how is he doing? >> i'll let you ask charlie. >> can't talk. >> reporter: charlie was released that morning. in a statement, his publicist told cnn, quote, what we've been able to determine is charlie had an adverse reaction to

medication. >> you can undo 17 years worth of work. >> reporter: like charlie, tom has long battled addiction. and like many of charlie's friends, tom fears for him. have you tried to reach out to him and help him get into rehab. >> i tried to call him. he wouldn't talk to robert. downey. >> reporter: robert downey tried to call him, as well? >> yeah. he knows about treatment. he's been to treatment. marty knows all about it. >> reporter: marty is actor martin sheen, charlie's father. martin is a recovering alcohol himself. and is reportedly trying to stage an intervention to help his son overcome a dark, family legacy. hard partying was in charlie's blood. he went to high school here at santa monica high. but he got kicked out just weeks before graduating. instead, he got an education in

hollywood. landing small roles here and there. he was the jailed drug gi in "ferris beuler's day off." >> are you in here for drugs? >> why are you here? >> drugs. >> reporter: and the high school jock in "lucas." >> how the cheerleading been? >> great, i love it. >> reporter: but it was "platoon" that catapulted charlie. >> i dropped out of college. wanted the infantry, combat and vietnam. >> reporter: he went on to star in blockbusters, like "wall street." >> i just bagged the elephant. >> reporter: and "young guns." >> you. you ain't no captain. and you sure as hell ain't no robin hood. >> reporter: but as his success grew, so did his troubles. in 1990, he checked into rehab for the first time. >> things were a little out of

hand. and it was time to look in the mirror and change what was happening. it was time to get back in touch with myself, with my family, with my friends. and through their help i was able to ask for help. >> reporter: charlie's stay was short. and he was back on set. and soon, back to his old ways. coming up, scandal overshadows the star. heidi fleiss and a $50,000 tab. [ female announcer ] imagine the possibilities with stelara® for adults. stelara® helps control moderate or severe plaque psoriasis with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses. in a medical study, 7 out of 10 stelara® patients

saw at least 75% clearer skin at 12 weeks. and 6 out of 10 patients had their plaque psoriasis rated as cleared or minimal at 12 weeks. stelara® may lower your ability to fight infections and increase your risk of infections. some serious infections, like tuberculosis, require hospitalization. before starting stelara®, your doctor should test for tuberculosis. stelara® may increase your risk of cancer. always tell your doctor if you have any sign of infection, or have had cancer. alert your doctor of new or worsening problems including headaches, seizures, confusion and vision problems. these may be signs of a rare, potentially fatal condition affecting the brain. tell your doctor if you or anyone in your house needs or has recently r. with 4 doses a year, after 2 starter doses it's stelara®. [ female announcer ] yoplait's real fruit and the goodness of dairy gives you a little slice of happy. and happiness comes in 25 delicious flavors.

yoplait. it is so good. here are your headlines this hour. president barack obama was in india saturday. the first stop on a ten-day tour through asia. he announced $10 billion in new contracts for u.s. exports to india. the move, he says, will deliver jobs back home. while in mumbai, he honored the victims of the attacks two years ago. he moves on to new delhi on sunday.

streets are quiet in oakland, california, following friday night's violent protests over the sentencing of a police officer. police say a peaceful march to remember the victim of a shooting turned unruly at nightfall when a small number of people began throwing rocks and bottles. more than 150 people were arrested. johannes mehserle was sentenced for killing oscar grant on a train platform. it was captured on a cell phone camera. the drug boss known as tony the storm was killed during a two-hour gun battle in the border city of motamoros. four our suspected members and three members of the mexican navy was killed in the crash. the gunfire was loud enough to be heard after the an american university on the other side of the border. keeping you informed, cnn, the most trusted name in news.

regens and it won't glob up in lines and wrinkles. you'll look amazing and happy too. simply ageless, from olay and easy breezy beautiful covergirl. s who need assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little or no cost to you. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ... your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. hi i'm doug harrison. we're experts at getting you the power chair or scooter you need. in fact, if we qualify you for medicare reimbursement and medicare denies your claim, we'll give you your new power chair or scooter free. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. with help from the scooter store, medicare and my insurance covered it all.

call the scooter store for free information today. after a decade of success as a rising hollywood star, charlie sheen started to become better known for his scandalous

lifestyle than his onscreen talent. ken baker is the chief correspondent for e!. >> was there any one incident that started out charlie sheen's bad-boy image? >> i think people had a sense that charlie sheen was definitely going to be the bad boy. when in 1995 he testified in the heidi fleiss trial. and admitted under oath that he did see prostitutes. >> heidi fleiss was the hollywood madam accused of running a high-end call girl ring. and charlie was a frequent client. >> approximately how many times, other than the seven that you have testified, did you arrange for sexual services with miss fleiss? >> 20. >> charlie admitted to paying more than $50,000 for sex.

the scandal didn't seem to slow him down, and the hollywood playboy did whatever he wanted. but his life of excess was taking a toll. in may 1998, after a dangerous night of shooting coke at home, he couldn't shake the hangover. he told "playboy" magazine it all hit me at once, my legs went out, they disappeared, i couldn't walk. i was terrified. charlie sheen had hit rock bottom. he was rushed to this hospital after a drug overdose. >> and what i remember most from that time was that his father, martin, he just called a press conference. >> this is not an easy moment in our lives, but it is a very important one, a very necessary one. >> it looked like it could have been over for charlie sheen. but in 2000, a huge break. a role in the comedy "spin city." >> charlie, what did you say

your last name was again? >> it put his career back on track winning him a golden globe for best actor. >> no, it's so surreal. i never won anything. this is tremendous. i'm thrilled. >> charlie celebrated his success with his new fiancee, denise richards. and the couple married in 2002. >> it was like unbelievable. >> so denise and him, she met him during his good period? >> charlie the bad boy, the ultimate bachelor, was being tamed. and this is the only woman who could tame him, because she was this sexpot. then he got the role that really changed his life and turned his career into a high octane career. >> his role in "two and a half men" would closely resemble his own life. >> alan, longtime no see. say hello to my brother alan.

>> hi, alan. >> hi, alan. >> hi, alan. >> i'm interrupting. >> gee, do you think? >> actor tom sizemore says it was during charlie's good period that his longtime friend tried to help him beat drug addiction. he sat by your pool for 56 hours? >> yeah. it was a very long -- he held me hostage at my pool i thought. >> what was charlie trying to do? >> take me to rehab. i wouldn't talk to him. >> he really had this period there for a few years where it seemed like, wow, maybe charlie's growing up. and then it all went bad again. >> in january 2006, charlie and denise told the public they were getting a divorce. and like that, it became one of hollywood's most talked-about break-ups. tonight, the nasty divorce of charlie sheen and denise richards gets even nastier. >> richards became enraged and pushed her to the ground.

as richards tells it, she was angry at her for telling a divorce attorney that he was visiting the pornographic websites featuring very young girls who looked underage to me, with pig tails, braces and no pubic hair performing oral sex with each other. >> if any of this nonsense were in any way accurate, i wouldn't have had any access to the children. >> especially the guys would say, my gosh, he had denise richards, the bond girl to come home to every day. >> what i can tell you is that he has a long-standing pattern of being committed to one thing. and that's being with as many beautiful women that he can be with as possible. and to constantly be tempted by sex. and to be tempted by the hard partying lifestyle that a

celebrity can have. >> the notoriety didn't hurt hollywood's bachelor. but riding high would soon get charlie in trouble again. >> my husband had me -- with a knife. charlie sheen hospitalized. the "two and a half men" star reportedly found drunk and naked in a trashed hotel room. otle and cilantro. it's one of our new mexican soups. it reminds me of guadalajara. a special man. his delicious soups. sheila? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. [ male announcer ] in the event of a collision, the smartest thing you could do is cut the fuel supply... ♪ ...unlock the doors, and turn on the hazard lights. ♪ or better yet, get a car that automatically does it for you. ♪ right now, during the sign and drive event,

get the all-new 2011 jetta for practically just your signature. ♪ get the all-new 2011 jetta our points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel. we're like forget florida, we're going on a safari. so we're on the serengeti, and seth finds a really big bone. we're talking huge. they dig it up, put it in the natural history museum and we get to name it. sethasauraus. really. your points from chase sapphire preferred are worth 25% more on travel? means better vacations. that's incredible. believe it...with chase sapphire preferred your points are worth 25% more on travel when booked through ultimate rewards.

charlie sheen hospitalized. the "two and a half men" star reportedly found drunk and naked in a trashed hotel room. >> it's just the latest in a long string of drunken, drug-fueled benders gone bad. but no one seems to care. >> the million-dollar question in hollywood right now is, why is it that charlie sheen is able to get away with so much, yet he

still gets the support of fans who will watch his tv show. he gets the support of hollywood, who keeps employing him. and somehow even has ex-wives making explanations and defenses for him. >> brooke mueller is charlie's third wife. they got married in 2008. but just this week, he filed for divorce. paparazzi is talking to brooke outside her house in hollywood. >> charlie, we're with you, charlie. we love you. >> you his friend? >> i'm his father-in-law. >> her dad even seems supportive. >> is he okay? >> we hope so. we don't know. >> dad, no more talking. >> i know. >> no more talking. >> kind of bizarre, considering the violent blowup between brooke and charlie during a trip to aspen last christmas. >> my husband has me -- with a knife.

and i'm scared for my life. and he threatened me. >> okay. what's your name? >> brooke. >> what's your husband's name? >> it's charlie sheen. >> the call came in to aspen pitkin county police on december 25th, 2009. officer mcfarlane responded to the call. >> during my investigation, i interviewed charlie sheen's wife. i also observed her injuries and photographed them for the record. >> when she arrived, brooke and charlie were both drunk. brooke says he pinned her down and held a knife to her throat. >> i also saw older bruises that appeared to be in the healing process. >> charlie was arrested, but the judge only gave him probation, which didn't sit well with mcfarlane. >> i wish the judge could have seen what mrs. sheen looked like that christmas day and felt the terror that i believe she must have experienced as a result of what she suffered because of mr. sheen's conduct towards her.

>> no jail time, and no dent in his popularity. >> charlie, good to see you, bro. >> his hit show "two and a half men" on cbs is still one of the top comedies on tv. >> i don't know, some job that lets you keep your self-respect. you know, like man where. >> dr. drew pinski is an expert, his show "celebrity rehabs" films here at the pasadena recovery center. look at chris brown and rihanna, the public condemned him. but you've got charlie sheen putting a knife allegedly to his wife's throat, repeatedly being charged with abusing women. and it just seems like the public doesn't care. why? >> i think it is the fact that they sort of excuse him by virtue of the character he plays on television, number one. but number two, you haven't had the kind of vivid evidence we've

seen with a mel gibson, or chris brown, where we actually looked at the evidence. if we had seen or heard the things that actually happened, i'm not so sure we would be so forgiving. >> we're here in the warner brothers lot where "two and a half men" is filmed. it doesn't seem that anything charlie does outside of here affects his role on the show. just six months after that incident between him and his wife in aspen, cbs reviewed his contract for nearly $2 million an episode, making charlie sheen the highest paid actor on tv. in less than a week after charlie's alleged rampage at the plaza hotel, he was back on the set of "two and a half men." cbs and warner brothers had no comment on the incident. >> the only that's surprising about this whole story is how quickly he returned to work. after that particular episode. i thought, wow, he's going to have to stop working for a while and go into recovery for at least six months. and he went right back to work. >> is it possible to work a schedule like charlie does and

at the same time do rehab and get better? >> to my eye, that is not possible. that would be impossible. >> what do you think will happen to charlie if he doesn't go back into rehab? >> once again, i don't want to be a dooms sayer, but if he doesn't get help, it's just going to get worse. >> how do you get worse? >> i don't know what's worse. he could have a crippling heart attack and not die and be a vegetable. he could die. he could hurt somebody else. driving intoxicated. charlie, come on, you've got those daughters and everything. if i can do it, anybody can do it. and i mean that. i was terribly addicted. >> we've gone through brittany murphy and anna nicole. and you move on to the next one. without learning is watching someone who is seriously ill. he's very close, no doubt in my mind.

>> it appears hollywood will yet once again forgive charlie sheen, and if you look at the court of public opinion, the verdict seems to be, so what. as long as charlie continues to perform onscreen, what he does offscreen just doesn't seem to matter. [ female announcer ] light up your season with a brighter, whiter smile. with crest 3d white professional effects, you'll start seeing a whiter smile after just three days. for a smile that's sure to stand out. ♪ crest 3d white professional effects whitestrips. being a leader means moving fast. across the country when the economy tumbled, jpmorgan chase set up new offices to work one-on-one with homeowners. since 2009, we've helped over 200,000 americans keep their homes. and we're reaching out to small businesses too,

increasing our lending commitment this year to $10 billion and giving businesses the opportunity to ask for a second review if they feel their loan should have been approved. this is how recoveries happen. everyone doing their part. this is the way forward. how'd you do that? do what? it tastes too good to be fiber. you made it taste like chocolate. it has 35% of your daily value of fiber. do it again. turn it into something tasty. this guy's doing magic. there's chocolate chips in here now. how'd you do that? right! tasty fiber, that's a good one! ok, umm...read her mind. what's she thinking? that's right! i'm not thinking anything! [ male announcer ] fiber one chewy bars. cardboard no. delicious yes.

are you okay, man? >> what's up, man? you okay? >> the campaign is over. i miss it, man. no more attack ads, robo calls, no more lawn signs. i didn't want it to end. >> i understand, man. but listen, didn't you hear? 2012 elections started wednesday morning. there will be plenty of ugly stuff coming down the pike. >> really? >> this will get uglier than ever. >> thanks, john.

>> it's been four days since electionpalooza ended with the republicans taking over the house. three days since the pundits started speculating about 2012 and since the president proposed working out what could be the worst congressional gridlock in decades. he wants to do it over a slurpee. welcome to "what the week." >> just days after those two mail bombs were intercepted from yemen -- >> startling statement by the french interior ministers. it was just minutes away from exploding. >> police are chasing a separate spate of package bombs, mostly in greece where they've made two arrests. >> after 56 years of waiting, they are finally the world series champs. >> latin america has elected the first female president.

>> the appeals court has extended the military's "don't ask, don't tell". >> republicans on the brink of major gains. >> cnn is now ready to make a major projection. the republicans will take control of the house of representatives. democrats will in fact retain control of the united states senate. >> it's going to be very difficult to do serious business in the senate. >> people are frustrated. they're deeply frustrated. >> the newly elected insist they know what voters want. >> we need to restore fiscal sanity to this nation. >> i believe t.a.r.p. saved the economy. >> former president george w. bush who has just published his new book. >> president obama is heading to india. >> hurricane tomas is sweeping by haiti today dumping up to 15 inches of rain. flooding and mud slides could damage tent cities. >> those are the big stories of the week. as for the undercover stories

that didn't get a lot of attention, if a story this past week wasn't about the midterm elections, you probably only saw it flash across your screen. like my 5-year-old daughter sneaking halloween candy from the top of the fridge. i see you, sweetheart. you may not have seen the report this past week that claimed of all the drugs out there, alcohol was the most harmful. it beat out crack, it beat out heroin and the study said it's almost three times as harmful as cocaine. but we're truth seekers. i went out to ask some experts. there's a new study that says alcohol is more dangerous than drugs. >> i believe it. >> to society. >> yeah, more dangerous, yeah. >> you have an injury. >> i do. >> is that because you were on drugs and alcohol? what happened? >> i have an abusive significant other. >> she beat you while on heroin? >> yeah. >> what's the craziest thing you've done after abusing a future -- >> getting achy. not abusive. >> just crazy naked thing?

>> just stay to myself. >> you want to know the most dangerous thing i did drunk? >> i do. >> voted democrat. >> painkillers. >> prescription painkillers? >> i woke up last night in a dumpster and had no idea what was going on. it was cold and wet. >> that's how he and i met. >> hello, microphone, you're my only friend. alcohol can't be that bad, can it? this study can't be that accurate. we should probably try to ask an expert. >> right. whichever your problem is, if you like booze the most, booze is your problem. if you like crack too much, then crack's your problem. >> i know a guy who sells crack and heroin. understandable. right. okay. bye. i was joking. i'm a comedian. good to meet you. so the real danger is just reading a headline of a study like this and not looking at the facts. i spoke to the real dr. sanjay gupta, and he says if you total up all the damage caused by alcohol, it's true, that it causes more problems than other drugs.

but that's because more people use alcohol. and they don't often recognize the damage drinking too much can do. so to be clear, the study isn't saying an appletini is worse than heroin. but it does kind of make you a [ bleep ]. you can't say that on tv? am i going to get fired? okay. sorry. sorry about that. the obesity problem in our country has gotten so bad, that they want to ban things right off your menu. the effort to legalize marijuana in california gets shot down. we'll check in with another expert, tommy chung. as you can see, he's not too happy about it. [ male announcer] nature is unique... ...authentic... ...pure... and also delicious. ♪ like nature valley. granola bars made with crunchy oats

and pure honey. because natural is not only good, it also tastes good. nature valley -- 100% natural. 100% delicious.

welcome back. this week san francisco became the first major city in the u.s. to pass a law essentially banning happy meals. well, it's a bit more nuanced than that. the law says a restaurant can't give away toys for what it calls these incentive items if the meal doesn't meet certain nutritional requirements. it can't be more than 600

calories, or more than 640 milligrams of sodium. which brings us to our segment "you are here." the time when obesity is such a huge problem that u.s. cities feel the need to take matters into their own hands and actually regulate what we can buy to eat? well, let's go back to 1979. mcdonald's introduces the happy meal. at first, the toys were simple spinning tops and puzzles. but then they started getting more sophisticated and linked to movies like e.t. aladdin, and the lion king. our nation got fatter and fatter and fatter. all right? check out this graph from the cdc showing the number of obese children. i'm not saying they're linked. this is when the happy meal was introduced right here. and this is now. the latest numbers from the cdc show 17% of children ages 2 to 19 are obese, which means they're at greater risk of developing heart disease, asthma, diabetes and other ailments.

of course, it's awful for them and contributing to our nation's rising health care costs. the question is, is getting rid of a toy the answer? i mean, if we're going to do that, why not just ban the double-down sandwich. this horrific thing. it's got the two pieces of fried chicken instead of buns. and why stop there? why not just ban all video games because they keep kids from playing outside. i'm with the first lady michelle obama on this one. if you can grow a garden, try it. educate yourself about eating healthy. and you know what, leave my toys alone. what is this thing, anyway? tommy chong -- oh, it's making noises. wait, what's that? my producer, ed, is telling me in my ear that ali velshi is in the building. he better be getting ready to apologize for that attack ad he had last week.

this is pete dominic, cnn's newest bald guy. sure, he's kind of funny. but can you really trust this man to represent cnn every saturday night? pete tells his wife he's eating vegetarian. then why is he stuffing his face with an entire rotisserie chicken? he says he likes dogs. but he's really more of a cat person. i wanted to talk to you. i'm sorry about that attack ad, that negative ad i did last week. >> no problem, man. >> i'm sensitive. it was tough. it was before the elections. i've been the only bald guy here for a long time, and then you come along, and it's pete this, pete that. >> yeah, you know what i mean? it's not a big deal. i totally understand. >> i look up to you and your show. >> i know. >> come on, man. i look up to it. i'm sorry about that. >> no problem. >> hey, what the -- hey, ali, i'm on in two minutes. velshi, i'm on in two minutes. velshi!

progresso. hi. we love your weight watchers endorsed soups but my husband looks the way he did 20 years ago. well that's great. you haven't seen him... my other can is ringing. progresso. hey can you tell my wife to relax and enjoy the view? (announcer) progresso. you gotta taste this soup. anople really lover, i jugot ae our claimservice. gecko:speciallthe auto repair xpress. repairs are fast and they're guaranteed for as long as you is thisyyourcphone?ey, th! gecko: yeah, 'course. sswhere do you po you...carry... for as long as you is thisyyourcphone?ey, th! waitress: here you go. boss: thanks gecko: no, no i got it, sir. ncr: geico. 15 minutes could save you 15% or more on car insurance.

welcome back to "what the week." the republicans now control the house and the democrats are holding on to power in the senate by the skin of their teeth. is washington doomed to gridlock? and how can anybody hope to find a compromise in a country so divided? i went lunch crashing to hear what you guys thought. can i crash your lunch? my question to you is, do you think anything will get accomplished legislation-wise at all? >> no. >> i sure hope so. >> no. >> we'll have to wait and see. >> everyone's concerned it's going to be gridlocked. do you think that will be the case? will they compromise you having the bite of the hot dog before you have that last french fry?

>> the opportunity is there. >> listen, no one campaigned on i'm going to reach across the aisle in either party. >> everybody has a level of maturity to know to get something done, that's why we're all here at this table. you have to sit down together. >> blacks and whites in america need to come to an agreement on the brim of a baseball cap. okay? now, blacks, they like to keep it very, very straight and solid like you do. and white guys, we like to bend the brim a little bit. if i can straighten my brim out a little bit more, because mine is pretty mangled up. and -- >> i won't put a bend in it. no. i'm not going to do it. >> are you serious? >> you're going to make me. hey! >> well, in the post-cigarette haze of the election, we heard crying from the winners. but how about the losers?

well, here at "what the week" we've assembled our first-ever losers' panel. first up is my friend, florida congressman, allen grayson, who ran in florida's eighth district. thank you so much for being here tonight. >> sure. i didn't realize i would be on a losers panel. but so be it. >> technically you lost the election. you're still a congressman for a couple more months. but you came into office with the obama wave of 2008. and you went out with the republican wave of 2010. i want to ask you, is there anything you would have done differently in your campaign, like maybe not called your opponent taliban dan? >> in the end, nothing mattered. if you look -- i won by four points in 2008. if you look at the 24 democrats who won by ten points or less, 23 of them lost this year.

in addition to another 43 who lost even after winning by ten points or more. in the neighboring district to the east, the congresswoman who won in 2008 by 15 points lost by 20 points this year. 35-point swing in two years. so this was a year when nothing worked. and that's just the way it goes. but i will tell you this, if you're wondering about my mood, dan rather told me last year that if you do the job right, then you feel good whether you win or lose. that turns out to be exactly correct. >> no regrets on the way that you legislated? >> i don't regret the fact that we are going to have health care for all americans. >> almost all americans. but yeah, you guys got that passed in the house. now, you're not going to be in this next 112th congress obvious live. but if you were, and even if you're not, what is the issue that obviously you'll continue to advocate for? there's going to be a lot of gridlock. can you do more now? you're a wealthy guy, you're not going to sit back and write a

documentary. >> i'll try to be a good husband and good father. i was the only member with five children in school. and it was difficult just to get the homework done each night. i don't have to worry about that anymore. my 5-year-old twins were 2 years old when i started campaigning for this job in 2007. and now i can spend some time with them. you know, bear in mind i am the congressman from disney world. so win or lose, i knew i was going to go to disney world. >> do you plan to run again for any public office? >> if that's what the people want. >> you're planning on focusing on being a great father, that's great. i try to do that, too. of course, but what other issue outside of this. you're not giving up on fighting on the things you believe in, are you, congressman? >> no. i'm part of a 3,000-year-old tradition called having a conscience. we know a just society is one that feeds the hungry, that shelters the homeless and heals the sick. we're still fighting those same fights. i'm part of it, i'm not going to quit anytime soon. >> maybe you can do me a favor. when i went to disney world, maybe you could get the height

requirements brought down a little bit? >> only if you're a congressman's child. >> fair enough. allen grayson, thank you for joining us. we really appreciate it. and the "what the week" inag ral loser panel rolls on. it's prop 19 in california, it got shot down. who better to speak about the drive to legalized marijuana than my friend tommy chong. one-half of cheech and chong. i've had you on the radio. good to have you on tv. what is the feeling? >> we're getting ready to vote yes on prop 19 anytime now. >> tommy, it was -- >> all us stoners. >> it was a couple days ago. >> i know. there's still hope there. >> let me ask you a question -- >> i'll tell you something. prop 19 had residual effect that i think the democrats should look into. it brought out the youth vote. and i think it helped get jerry

brown elected. and i think it helped get barbara boxer elected. >> one could argue that you should have waited. and brought it back in 2010 when you could bring out more young people. what do you think about that? >> we can do it again in 2000 -- yeah. >> 2012, i'm sorry. i was wrong. tommy, the poll said californians wanted to legalize pot. then a quick reversal. is there something amiss with the polling process in california? did people not show up? >> no, everybody got reminded that the federal government still holds the trump card with legalization. and so actually, it was good that it went down, because it would have caused too much -- you know, a lot of court battles

and a lot of unnecessary problems that we really don't need, you know. not only that, but actually in a lot of ways, it saved money by going down in defeat, because it kept a lot of small growers and a lot of dealers in business. >> now, you actually had a run-in with the police. you served time over this issue. >> oh, yeah, for the horrendous crime of shipping a bong across the state line. >> you're a terrible, terrible person tommy. >> you know what happened, it was the only weapon of mass destruction that the bush people found. >> tommy, time's probably changing. maybe this will change, you'll be out there advocating. you're on tour right now. where can people see you? >> we're at santa cruz tonight. we're going to be in los angeles saturday. and then we're going to be in houston, texas. actually go on cheech-and-chong.com. >> you're a legend in comedy. i appreciate you coming on. >> it's great to be on your show. >> tell your wife i'll send her that autographed picture. just be patient.

she's beautiful. thank you, buddy. >> thank you. >> check out their website where you can catch that. thanks so much, tommy, and to the congressman, allen grayson. i appreciate their sense of humor on that. all right. what do a 4-year-old, a french doctor and a weeping willow have in common? i'm going to tell you right away. stay with me. curve at my curves. so i threw it right back... with yoplait light -- around 100 calories. now i love my curves in all the right places. ♪ check out the myboniva program. it's free to join, and it shows you lots of ways to help improve your bone strength. like bone-healthy exercises that are easy to do. boniva works with your body to help stop and reverse bone loss. and myboniva gives you calcium-rich recipes... monthly reminders... and even a month of boniva, free. so call or go to myboniva.com

and sign up now. ( announcer ) don't take boniva if you problems with your esophagus, low blood calcium, severe kidney disease, or can't sit or stand for at least one hour. follow dosing instructions carefully. stop taking boniva and tell your doctor if you have difficult or painful swallowing, chest pain or severe or continuing heartburn, as these may be signs of serious upper digestive problems. if jaw problems or severe bone, joint, and/or muscle pain develop, tell your doctor. ask your doctor if boniva can help you stop losing and start reversing. and join the myboniva program. to get one month free, plus more tips and recipes, visit boniva.com, or call 1-800-4-boniva. s who need assistance getting around their homes. there is a medicare benefit that may qualify you for a new power chair or scooter at little or no cost to you. imagine... one scooter or power chair that could improve your mobility and your life. one medicare benefit that, with private insurance, may entitle you to pay little to nothing to own it. one company that can make it all happen ...

your power chair will be paid in full. the scooter store. hi i'm doug harrison. we're experts at getting you the power chair or scooter you need. in fact, if we qualify you for medicare reimbursement and medicare denies your claim, we'll give you your new power chair or scooter free. i didn't pay a penny out of pocket for my power chair. with help from the scooter store, medicare and my insurance covered it all. call the scooter store for free information today.

each week, people do great things. sometimes it makes the news, sometimes it doesn't. i want to give a shout out to people who make them better than me. this is jan jurchen. she spent a year crocheting more than 300 hats for the homeless. she said she doesn't have a lot of money, but she does have a lot of yarn and time. and i'm guessing a lot of cats. jan, you are way better than me. all right. this young man, his name is jack. after his grandfather died of cancer, this 4-year-old kid started growing out his hair to donate to children going through chemo ther pif. my wife would love it if i could donate my back hair.

no? too much? sorry. check out one of jack's favorite websites, other than, of course, "what the week's" twitter page. getswabbed.org to learn how to fight. fight leukemia. jack, you are way better than me. who took this picture? who took this picture? this is not supposed to be in here. i should have waited a week before i got my ali velshi tattoo. it's trees, trees do make a lot like oxygen and leaves and they also shield my skull from the sun. now they actually also fight crime. stay with me. researchers at the u.s. forest service found large trees, they keep criminals off of residential property. smaller trees didn't. i always thought size didn't matter. too easy? sorry. trees, you are still way better than me. and this handsome, handsome man, his name is philippe, a french doctor.

this week, this week, he caught a baby. we couldn't find a picture of him. so we just made a mock-up of me like an 18th stereo typical doctor. caught a baby from 18 stories. we have video. watch. catch the baebl. get the baebl. doctor, get in there. catch the baby. oh, yes. i've caught it. he's a hero. guess what, he is way better than me. and so is the baby. all right. well, using my beautiful bald head as a magic 8-ball, here's what i see coming this week as the next big thing. first of all, president obama's ten-day world tour on the heels of what he called a shellacking in the midterm elections, the president visits india, saudi arabia and japan. and also, coming down the pike, elizabeth smart trial resumes on monday. lawyers for the guy accused of kidnapping the young girl from her bedroom had asked for a mistrial. guess what, it's not going to happen.

and of course, the 2012 election, totally under way. that's right. well, that will do it for me. i'm pete dominic. keep thinking for yourself. keep thinking for yourself. we'll see you next week. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com >> larry: tonight janet jackson is here with a new look. >> shedding all the old skin. >> larry: a new book and a challenging new film role. >> if you call to say you're sorry, you call somebody else. >> larry: has she abandoned singing for acting? >> i'm finally getting around to doing something that i have wanted to do since i was a kid. >> larry: janet jackson for the hour next on "larry king live." janet jackson returns to "larry

king live." ms. jackson if you're nasty. she's a grammy winning singer, author of a forthcoming book "true you". her new movie is "for colored girls." she stars in the tyler perry film which opening tomorrow. it's her third collaboration with perry, watch. >> just last week my ex-old man came in saying, baby, i don't know how she got your number, i'm sorry. >> no, no, this is it. oh, baby, you know i was high, i'm sorry. >> i'm only human.

if we were perfect, we wouldn't have nothing to strive for, so you might as well go on and forgive me because i'm sorry. >> this one is it. i do you like i do you because i thought you could take it. no? i'm sorry. >> now i know you know i love you. but i ain't going to love you the way you want me to love you. >> larry: it opens tomorrow "for colored girls" how did this move come about? >> i like that giggle that you just did. >> larry: you like my giggle? kind of a turn on, huh? >> you've got a lot of nerve. how did this come about for me? >> larry: yes. >> when i was shooting "why did i get married 2" we were at the tail end of shooting it and there was a production of "for colored girls" in atlanta and tyler wanted me to see the play with him. we went to the play and i really enjoyed it and he said, you know, they want me -- they have ask me to direct and write this for the big screen. i said oh, my gosh, are you going to do it?

he said i'm thinking about it. so i brought you because i'm thinking of -- i would like for you to be a part of this. and i said oh, this is why we came? he said why else would you think i wanted you to see this play with me? i said i thought two friends hanging out, having a good time. >> larry: by the way, janet jackson has a hit album out called "the bests of." you can get that anywhere. you play joe, tell me about her. >> joe, joanna bradshaw, she's a very successful woman, she comes from the ghetto where the rest of the girls reside. she has worked really hard to make her way out of that. she's very shrewd. >> larry: she's the most successful of the group? >> she is the most successful and will do anything to stay out of that life, she wants no part of it whatsoever.

she's really shrewd, bold, her color is red. she's very fierce and she has no room for niceties. she's kind of a bitch. >> larry: you like her or not like her? >> i like her very much. >> larry: is this a comedy? >> not at all. everyone's been talking about how intense it is. >> larry: when you saw the play, did you think of yourself as jo? >> no, i was just enjoying watching these women who did an incredible job. no, i didn't at all. i didn't see my -- >> larry: so when he said he wanted you for it, did you think jo would be the part? >> i didn't know what he -- what part he wanted me to play, so when he actually called me up and said the script is coming along and he told me a little bit about my character. i thought this is really interesting, this is really different from anything i have

ever done and i thought, wow, this is going to be a challenge. and when i actually read the script, i thought, wow, this is really cool. so i was up for the challenge. >> larry: what was it like doing it? >> i loved it, it was intense. it was very, very different from anything. like i said, she's no b.s., she has no room for niceties so every single day of shooting was tough. it was really tough and especially what she's going through with her husband, her home life and as well as her relationship with herself. >> larry: it's interesting because you were born janet demita jo jackson. so now you're jo again?

>> actually her original name in the script, tyler called her carmen. and i wanted to change her name to jo. i thought carmen was a little too sweet. and her full name, joanna, but just to call her jo, that toughness, she has a tough edge. >> larry: when you say you're red in this, what do you mean you're red? >> each woman has a color. each woman has a color that represents their personality, their character. my color happens to be red which gives a little insight into who i am. loretta divine, her color is green. all of the women are wonderful, just wonderful. so every woman has their color that represents to a certain degree who they are. >> larry: what's tyler perry like to work for? you have had him as a guest? >> he's wonderful. i -- i enjoy working with tyler.

there's a sense of -- even though with this, it was a little different, because it was so intense on a daily basis. but still i enjoyed being there every day coming to work. >> how do you think it will do commercially? >> well, i hope. it's getting great word about it. >> it is, it's getting a great word of mouth and i hope it does well. i think it will do well. i think this movie's not just for colored -- women of color. it's for all of us, all walks of life. i think you will find as a woman a part of yourself or someone you used to be or someone you know in one of these women. there's a couple of women that i see the old me in. >> larry: how about men, will men like it? >> i think they will for sure, there's a lot for them to learn. it's not just about women but

it's also the relationship. whether it's their husbands, boyfriends, men that they're -- >> larry: semiinvolved with. >> there's a lot, it's really a great story in the way tyler has infused his words with the poet, with her work, because this was an award winning broadway play back in the '70s. >> larry: janet jackson is our special guest, the movie opens tomorrow, it's called "to colored girls." don't go away. >> larry: let's take another look at janet jackson in the new film which opens tomorrow "to colored girls." >> i'm sorry. >> save your sorry. there's nothing for 25. but they will let me give you the same seat for a big miles upcharge. how's that sound? for that many miles we'll be stuck taking a "staycation." [ imitates engine revving ] [ angie ] i'm through playing games. i switched to the venture card from capital one.

vacation, here we come! [ male announcer ] don't pay miles upcharges. don't play games. get the flight you want with the venture card at capitalone.com. whoo-hoo! now this is a vacation. what's in your wallet?

>> larry: let's take another look at janet jackson in the new film which opens tomorrow "to colored girls." >> i'm sorry. >> save your sorry. one thing i don't need are any more apologies. it beats my heart to death talking about your sorry. i'm going to put a sign on the door, better yet, i'm going to leave a voicemail, a message on my voicemail, if you're calling to say you're sorry, then call somebody else.

i have had sorry greet me at the front door, you can keep yours. >> kerry washington is in it, felicia rashaad is in it, our friend whoopie goldberg, but you said you didn't interact with him a lot off the set. why not. >> staying in character. >> larry: you go, you did that? >> really wanting to stay in character during the duration, every moment even. like i said, she wants nothing to do with the ghetto and her past life, she worked too hard to get out of that. so i would hear the girls you know cackling and talking and a part of me wanted to be a part of that. but to remain true to the

character, i stayed away. >> larry: so when you stay in character, as many great actors have told me they do that, did you also bring it home? >> there are times when you do, you don't just walk away from it. every time one of my friends would say, you know, there's something different about you, the tone in your voice. tyler actually wanted to play it with my tone in post and make it a little bit lower tone and i told him let me try it, first on

my own and let me see what happens. so he liked what i did so he just left it at that. >> larry: you like acting? >> i love it. >> larry: why? >> this is my first passion. >> larry: more than singing? >> this is what i signed up to do as a kid, this was my first job, when i was 10 years old. singing is my second job. >> larry: dancing is third, we were a great couple. >> we have got our moves. this is what i did. this is what i originally did

and this is what i -- i knew for sure i wanted to grow up and go to school, study business law, study acting and become an actress. >> larry: so what veered off, how did the singing come? >> my father. and you know, it's the family business, he told me that he wanted me to sing, so. >> larry: so he said it and you had to do it? >> for the most part. i'm not complaining, it's been wonderful for me and i really enjoy it. >> larry: you still sing? >> yes, it's in my blood. but this is, i'm finally getting around to doing something that i have wanted to do since i was a kid, making songs. >> larry: so you want to do more of this? >> yes, i do. >> larry: do you want to do a play? >> i want to do a broadway play, an award winning broadway play. >> larry: at the moment are you touring? >> no, i might do a little private thing here or there, but going on a tour, no. >> larry: what about with your brothers? your sister? >> no. >> larry: so janet goes her own way? can i say that? >> i guess so. >> larry: all right, in a recent jet magazine article, you said that in the past, you have not had a lot of friends. is that a correct quote?

>> i don't have a lot of friends. >> larry: why? >> it's not easy in this industry and i'm glad i don't have a lot of friends. >> larry: is there a trust issue? >> it's very much a trust issue, i'm happy with the people that i have around me and they have been friends of mine since i was young, for a very long time. >> larry: so new people don't come into janet jackson's life easily? >> not really. it's definitely a trust issue for myself. >> larry: we'll be back with more, janet's got a new book coming too. we'll talk about that ahead. pringles cracker stix. ♪ so delicious... your mouth will be strangely attracted to them. ♪ everything pops with pringles cracker stix.

it ain't just sex, honey, it all as a root and you got to find that root to pluck it. i used to be you. >> larry: we're back with janet jackson, "for colored girls" which opens as they say wide tomorrow. with all your talents, your achievements, your celebrity, the fact that it's hard for you to make new friends, do you think you intimidate people? >> you know, there's a line in the song "all for you" that talks about intimidation, and when i was at the time dating guys, wanting to approach me but not approaching me and me inviting them to approach me, but it's that intimidation that will always get in the way. i have been told that a lot. >> larry: do you date now? >> i'm actually seeing someone. >> larry: can you tell us about it? >> no. >> larry: he's a very private man. so i respect that. >> larry: i will ask, is he in the business? >> no. >> larry: is it any easier, the

fact that he's not? >> easier? >> larry: the fact that you're not clashing. >> i'm enjoying the fact that he's not in the business. but i don't know if it makes things easier. >> larry: okay, going back to music, some of your fans and i have heard this, ask me today in fact, have you abandoned music? >> no, not at all. >> larry: let's straighten this out. you will sing? >> just because i have made a few films back to back, it's always been a dream of mine to do something like this so i kind of put music on the back burner to do this.

and i will continue to do most of them, but definitely, i can't give up music, it's in my blood so i will make more music. i have thought i may go into the studio, take my time, fool around next year. >> larry: how about a musical film? >> i would love to do that. >> larry: combine both. >> i would love to do that. there's a lot of things that i love to do and that i'm going to do. >> larry: i bet when you saw dream girls, you thought i could have played in that. >> i enjoyed that a great deal. never saw it on broadway. >> larry: okay you have written a book called "true you." it's due out in january. >> yes. >> larry: the title. explain that. >> "true you." people have ask me about the weight loss, the weight gain.

the workout regimen, the nutrition and instead of writing just about that, i wanted to go back to the beginning about what brought all of that on and that took me back to my childhood and i had self-esteem issues and it's not an autobiography. but there are little anecdotes throughout my life, beginning from my childhood until now. and it allows you to see what may have caused, telling my little stories. my dream is to really not appeal to adults. but to appeal to children as well as teens, and hopefully they will relate to one of my stories or i have stories as well of fans that have written to me. and hope any they can relate to one of my stories and it will be able to help them. >> larry: is it designed to kind of help people? >> it's a self-help book, it's about being who you are and learning to love yourself as you are the true you. >> larry: you had an early weight problem? >> yes, i did. it was a body image issue. i was so self-conscious at a very --

>> larry: you didn't like yourself? >> and i was told certain things, i'm too this, i'm too that, i should be more like this, more like that, at a very, very young age. when i did "good times" i was 13 years old and they never discussed with me ahead of time. but one of the wardrobe women, she bound my chest because i was developing at a very young age. and they thought i was a guess a little too big for my age. so that immediately translated to me that i wasn't good enough the way that i was. so it's little things like that that really goes back to -- >> larry: did you have it all through your teenaged years? >> yes, i did. it wasn't until i opened up and spoke to someone who i really felt that i could communicate

with, that would not judge me that i could truly trust that my life began to change and that was much later on in my life. >> larry: was that a doctor? >> no. he wants to remain anonymous. and i have spoken about him before, i call him a cowboy. >> larry: still in your life? >> yes, we still talk. >> larry: janet is involved in a new anti-bullying campaign. she'll tell us why she supports the cause. stick around, don't go away. ♪ this one thing i'll eat, any time of day ♪

pancakes! ♪ from dawn 'til sunset, i'll never walk away ♪ ♪ blueberry pancakes are so good ♪ [ male announcer ] bisquick. pancake lovers unite.

>> larry: janet jackson, what a star. her new movie "for colored girls" premiers tomorrow. a new book, lots of things happening in her life. there's always something happens in janet jackson's life. how do you feel about your body now when you look in the mirror? are you happy with janet? >> i'm a work in progress, i still have my days when i'm not the greatest and i have my moments where i feel really, really good. so it's still a work in progress. >> larry: you don't feel overweight, though, do you? >> no, i don't, but i can definitely tighten things up for sure. >> larry: you described your new short hairstyle as liberating. i like it, but why is it liberating?

>> it's like shedding all the old skin. it's not the first time i have cut all of my hair off. i have done it several times before. but it's the first time i have done it since the whole internet craze so everyone made a big to do really about my cutting my hair. it was liberating, it was freeing. and it's easy. >> larry: you did it yourself? no one side do it? >> did someone tell me to do it? no, i have been wanting to do it for a while. i get bored with my hair. people think it's for this project or that project. but it's really me getting bored with my hair.

when i was a kid, i would get bored with my hair i would walk around with pink hair or blue hair. >> larry: you are an interesting person. you say of all the jacksons, you're the most complicated? >> the most rebellious. myself and my brother randy. the babies of the family. >> larry: two babies? >> yeah. >> larry: are the most rebellious? >> i would say so. >> larry: does the family accept this? your dad and your mom? >> they're so tired. to the point, you have nine kids, by the time the babies come around, it's like go ahead. >> larry: is it true this is a very honest book? >> yes. >> larry: is that hard sometimes to write? >> there were a lot of things that i actually had dealt with already, and i thought, okay. >> larry: let it out? >> i'm over that. it's easy to talk about, it's easy to write about, but when i started to write about certain things that i hadn't spoken about in a while, feelings started to resurface and i said to myself, oh, there's still something there that is connecting very deeply with me

and emotions started to flow a little bit. so it was very therapeutic. >> larry: a catharsis? do you keep a diary? >> no. >> larry: a personal journal? >> my albums have been my diaries. >> larry: we know in the word of show business sometimes too much too soon has a long lasting affect. and a lot of kid stars are never heard from again. how do you think you avoided that? because you got a lot of attention as a kid, it's got to play something with your head. >> i was really, really fortunate. i think it has a lot to do with who you surround yourself with, your upbringing, how grounded your parents make sure you continue to be or are. from day one and continuing that all the way up into your adult hood and that goes a long way. and your faith in god, having that as a foundation as well, i think all of that is the reason why i didn't get into any drama and i'm thankful, i'm very fortunate. >> larry: were you ever tempted? >> no. >> larry: never did? never got into that scene?

>> no. >> larry: more with miss jackson after this. i'm don legal lemon, here

i'm don lemon, here are your maybe you shouldn't drink tonight. >> you saying i got a problem? >> i'm saying you need to take your meds.

>> now you're telling me what i should do? >> i'm not telling you what to think. i'm not accusing you of anything. >> i'm trying, i'm trying. >> i know. >> larry: all right, tell me about the it gets better campaign, which i understand supporting gay youth. what got you involved? >> i first heard about the trevor project years ago from a makeup art who became a beautiful friend of mine who's no longer around me, rest in peace, kevin kline, and he always supported them and he always told me about this organization. and i wanted to get involved. being one of those kids who could truly relate, holding everything inside, like i was telling you, internalizing everything. and that really can affect you. in feeling helpless and hopeless and finding that person that you can trust, that adult like i did later on in life, that i felt comfortable and safe to tell my issues, my worries, my pains, my aches to. this is what the trevor project is all about and they have a 24-hour hot line. >> larry: it's for bullying, right? >> definitely, especially with what's been going on just recently, what has happened.

it's sad. they have a 24-hour hot line. the number is 866-for-you-trevor. and they have a website, the trevor project.org and there's someone there you can speak with 24 hours that will be there for you. >> larry: we did a whole program about bullying, about the trevor project. i know you have studied it. you've looked into it. were you ever bullied? >> no.

>> larry: do you understand why people bully? >> i think it really says more about themselves, how they feel about themselves. there's something about themselves, i feel, that doesn't set right, something they hate, they dislike, issues at home with their parents. who knows what it is? but it's something going on inside of them and i think it's them lashing out. >> larry: it must be terrible to have a -- to be gay and hold it in, be afraid. >> not be able to be true you. >> larry: yeah. >> no, really. to be proud of who you are, everyone should be, you should never hide your true self-. >> larry: but it comes from teaching, doesn't it? we're taught to hate. >> yes, we're not born that way. and that's so unfortunate, that adults teach us to hate. it's sad. >> larry: that's the trevor project, right? >> yes, the trevor project. >> larry: give me the number again. >> it's 866-for-you-trevor. a 24-hour hot line, there will always be someone for you to

talk to. someone to just open up and tell, just everything, you can pour out to. >> larry: by the way, if you're a bully, or if you have those tendencies, you can call too? >> yes, of course. >> larry: they'll try to help you in every way. >> of course. >> larry: you have a greatest hits cd out called janet jackson number one icon. how do you feel about that title? it's a little self-crediting, isn't it? did you title that album? >> no, i didn't title it. no, i didn't title that. there was one before this that was just called janet jackson number ones and it had all 33 number ones and the new single, a bonus track that wound up becoming a number one so there was 34 in all. >> larry: you have had 34 number ones? >> yes. >> larry: 34 number ones.

>> yes. >> larry: we'll be back with janet jackson, who on this show i predict tonight, will make it. remember the name. don't go away. ♪ another dollar ♪ daylight comes [ dogs barking ] ♪ i'm on my way ♪ another day ♪ another dollar ♪ working my whole life away ♪ another day ♪ another dollar

>> larry: one of the number one hits on janet jackson icon is "nothing." it's from tyler perry's film "buy did i get married too," in which she starred. watch. ♪ there's something i want to say ♪ ♪ something i have been holding back ♪ can't let it go another day ♪ ♪ nothing nothing nothing means more than the truth ♪ and the truth is that i realized love is fading from your eyes ♪ ♪ don't know how we came to this ♪ ♪ but we can get it back because nothing nothing nothing nothing is worth losing you ♪ >> larry: there's talk that could be an oscar, huh? >> it would be nice.

>> larry: would you sing it on the awards show. >> i don't think they do that anymore. >> larry: you're right. you wrote that song. >> i wrote that with jimmy dupre, yes. >> larry: does writing come easily to you? >> for the most part, yes. i remember when i was a kid. i started writing when i was 9 years old. i wrote my very first song when i was 9. >> larry: what was it called? >> fantasy is the title. i remember being a kid, my brother randy, my brother mike and myself, we would have our chores to do, after dinner especially, i remember one night in particular, i was doing dishes, i think mike was sweeping the floor and randy was cleaning off the tables and the counter tops, that's how we would always create music, we would come up with melodies and we would add lyrics to them and we would sing a three-part harmony. we were very young.

but it's good practice. >> larry: where did this new song come from? >> nothing? >> larry: uh-huh. >> from the movie. i had ask tyler if he had a theme song for the movie and he said no. i told him i would like to give it a go if he wouldn't mind. i viewed it twice with jimmy and jimmy and i went into his studio and we created these and presented it to tyler. i didn't know if he would like it or not. i was hoping he would. and he loved it. it was really from the characters in the film. >> larry: it fits the film? >> perfectly. >> larry: because sometimes you'll see songs that don't even pertain to the film. >> no, this was written for the film and watching those characters. >> larry: we're not going to dwell on this, this is too much a part of a sad past. you said you learned of michael's death when you were filming in atlanta for tyler perry's other movie "why i got married 2 jshsz you said cussing on work helped you through grief. how?

>> i hadn't started shooting just yet. but i was supposed to start in a few days and i was at home in new york when i learned of my brother's passing. >> larry: how did you learn? >> i got a call and there was something on tv. on cnn. >> larry: you never get through that. >> no. >> larry: you said in a recent interview, you spent a lot of time feeling lonely, even when you have people around you all the time. can you explain that? lonely in a crowd? >> that was the worst for me. there's nothing worse than being lonely and having people around you, especially people that you love, people that you need to be involved with. it was very, very sad for me. and i'm not going to say anything more about that, larry, than that. >> larry: no, no, no. you work hard, though, don't

you? you're working like all the time? >> i enjoy working. i love to work. i love to keep busy. don't get me wrong, i love my little down time too, i love being on an island and a get away or being with my family or being with that person that i spend my life with and just relaxing by the ocean, by the beach. >> larry: do you miss marriage? you were married once? >> i was married twice. >> larry: do you miss it? >> is there something you're trying to ask me? >> larry: what do you mean? >> no, i'm just joking. >> larry: not again? you have heard janet admit to being a work in progress. we're going to ask her, what could be next? stay with us.

be sure to watch "american morning" tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. >> we know what it was like to be there. >> larry: okay, what's next, you said you would like to do a broadway thing. >> yes, i would for sure. and i'm eventually going to. because like i said, that's always been a dream of mine since i was a kid. when i'm that attached, that passionate about something, i don't let go of it. it might be a minute before i get to it. but i don't let go of it.

>> larry: i think many people in the broadway business watch this show that would be intriguing to them too. do you think you would like doing matinees and evenings and eight shows a week? >> a friend of mine was on broadway and he told me that, he told me it's grueling, he said it's a whole other discipline. and that's what attracted me. >> that other discipline, my mind went ding, ding, ding, and i think it would be so much fun to perform on a daily basis. it seems like it would be so much fun, to perform on a daily basis. that's a whole other grind than i am used to. >> larry: what music do you listen to? >> all kinds. my favorite is what i grew up on that was my love. >> larry: stan goetz. >> yeah. >> larry: what do you think of lady gaga? >> i love her. >> larry: because? >> i enjoy her music, i feel that she became along and she introduced something a little

bit different for the people of today. for myself, it's -- and i don't mean this in a negative way at all. it's a little reminiscent of grace jones, how big, how out there her costumes are, how loud, how strong and i mean that in a very complementing way. >> larry: how about as a singer? >> she's very talented. she writes her own music, i think she has a wonderful voice. and i had the opportunity of meeting her for the first time, was it last year? i knew of her before she became the lady gaga that everyone knows. >> larry: where did you meet her? >> i met her at a concert. and her stories i thought were incredible. i was pulling for her before she had got then recording contract. >> larry: back with our remaining moments with janet jackson after this. >> larry: you were on the finale

of "american idol." >> yes. >> larry: earlier this year with my dear friend ryan sechrest. >> yes. >> larry: what do you think of that show and the impact it's had on the industry?

>> larry: you were on the finale of "american idol." >> yes. >> larry: earlier this year with my dear friend ryan sechrest. >> yes. >> larry: what do you think of that show and the impact it's had on the industry? >> there's some fresh new talent and it's fun to watch. because i work like crazy, i mean i watch here and there, but i enjoy it. when i do watch, i always enjoy it.

>> larry: i am told, i knew this lady, this great lady that you would like to do a film, the life of ertha kitt? there was no one like her. >> i had the opportunity of getting to know her just before she passed. we were getting to know one another. and i wanted to spend some more time with her and she performed at carnegie and she had a performance in september of that year and i wanted to go and it just so happened that something came up and i had to work and i couldn't make it. and i still love her. >> larry: she remained sexy late in life. >> and how, the way she performed that night when i saw

her. she blew me away. >> larry: she was incredible. >> she was amazing. >> larry: you said you're proud you remained true to yourself. but that self also changes. have you been true to every change? >> i have tried to be. i mean we evolve, as life goes on, we get older. and i have tried to keep that, keep that truth within me always. >> larry: do you think there's something hard about being a jackson? >> it has its pros and it's cons. and i think that's with anything, with anyone. >> larry: yeah, but it's a label too, right? >> it can make things easy and it can also make things difficult.