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HLN’s Joy Behar On Bizarre Gene Simmons Interview: ‘It Was Tense’

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Was it real–or just reality TV? HLN’s Joy Behar still isn’t sure after a bizarre interview included a testy fight between KISS rocker Gene Simmons and his partner Shannon Tweed, who ultimately ripped off her microphone and stormed off the set. “I thought they were kidding,” Behar told Mediaite in an exclusive interview. “Then it got tense.”

The interview, which will air tomorrow night, began with an awkward moment as Tweed pulled Simmons’ sunglasses off his face. “I sat back a little bit and the tension just built.” HLN staffers say the couple had been fighting in the green room ahead of the interview. What’s not clear is whether all of it was part of the pair’s act–intended to promote their A&E reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels, which–as luck would have it–opens its sixth season with Tweed confronting Simmons over his womanizing. After Tweed walked off the set (oddly wandering first into the background, which features a cityscape of New York), Simmons accused Behar of setting him up with questions about the Simmons having been photographed leaving a restaurant in the company of two young women. “Thank you for the question,” he said, sarcastically, leading Behar to say “you’re blaming it on me?”

In reality, Behar says, it was producers from A&E who provided video clips aired during the interview that dealt directly with the restaurant photo–and Simmons’ supposed womanizing. “I didn’t do anything out of turn, all I did was my job.” And Behar’s not convinced she wasn’t the one who was set up. “He left and I thought, I still don’t know, is it a hoax on me? I don’t believe The Bachelor, so why should I believe this?”

Watch an advance clip of the interview here, from HLN:

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  • Just4thefax

    Fact: What’s young to Simmons? Girls in their 30′s?

  • AlexRadcliffe

    Is anyone else amazed that Joy Behar has two shows on TV? The genius who suggested Khalid Sheik-Mohammed would take a multi-million dollar book deal in exchange for giving up Al Qaeda secrets. Ah, Hollywood…

  • A.R.

    from the way he seems to order and control his wife around…he’s a republican

  • OxyCon

    That’ll teach ya for abandoning Obama!

  • Colorado_Conservative

    A.R. said:
    from the way he seems to order and control his wife around…he’s a republican

    He voted for Obama…..he also regrets it!
    Might want to get yer facts straight before inserting foot!

  • Moderate

    Celebrities will go to any length to get a mention on Mediaite.

  • lolitahaze

    yeah. right.

  • LoyalOpposition

    Anything for ratings huh Joyless? Even if it means breaking up a marriage on national T.V. She is a heartless person.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Cooper/1058087532 kswheels

    How fake.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Ryan-Cooper/1058087532 kswheels

    LoyalOpposition said:
    Anything for ratings huh Joyless? Even if it means breaking up a marriage on national T.V. She is a heartless person.

    You actually believe this was real? *eyeroll*

  • valkyrie101

    Definitely not real, like professional wrestling.

  • jerrybobphil

    Hard to believe anyone cares about Gene Simmons or Shannon Tweed in the year 2011.

  • bealzebubba

    Gene Simmons is about Gene Simmons. He’ll do anything to get attention…fake or not. He’s a clown.

  • A.R.

    Colorado_Conservative said:
    He voted for Obama…..he also regrets it!
    Might want to get yer facts straight before inserting foot!

    he voted for obama and regrets it…which would PROBABLY make him a republican now…and the way he treats his wife…just confirms it

  • RazorsEdge

    …A&E airs/will air episode of simmons/tweed arguing over “womanizing – CHECK
    …A&E send the clips simmons/tweed fighting to Behar for their appearance – CHECK
    …Simmons/tweed I think know A&E sent those clips to Behar – CHECK
    …Tweed doesn’t initially walk off “set”. Stays for a “bit” after getting up – CHECK

    …Simmons blames HLN for bringing up / setup of fighting of which A&E airs/aired and sent clips to Behar. Not convinced!!!!

  • http://www.mediaite.com/tv/glenn-beck-explains-how-the-unions-are-using-teachers-firefighters-and-co ImNotBlue

    @ A.R.

    That’s true. Democrats never cheat or fool around behind their wife’s back. I mean, when was the last time we heard a story about that happening?

  • http://constitutionallibertarian.co.cc DavidKramer

    Come on, it is the Joy Behar show, 95% lies and 5% entertainment.

    Do you see any truth in the above mentioned stats?

  • Big Eddie

    Walked off ? Hmm.

    There was a cattle stampede on Rawhide the other night .

    Reminded me of when Joy and Whoopi walked off The View to get away from O’Reilly .

  • http://mk-cultra.org fnordlord

    Hair piece, herpes, whatever.

  • OxyCon

    jerrybobphil said:
    Hard to believe anyone cares about Gene Simmons or Shannon Tweed in the year 2011.

    Well if you diss Obama, the media has to extract their pound of flesh from you.

  • Cecelia

    Is there really enough money in the world to convince a man to pretend to be a witless eternal adolescent and a woman to play their pathetic doormat?

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    Say, I almost forgot…How ’bout that OBAMA DEPRESSION? – Anything being done about that?
    heh-heh-heh

  • http://www.zazzle.com/talkingpoints NORBIT Jr.

    Cubby said:
    Good to see all the i And it’s the left that are sexists. Right.

    Well, that would be a YES; and it’s what’s called obvious hyperbole!

  • valkyrie101

    jerrybobphil said:
    Hard to believe anyone cares about Gene Simmons or Shannon Tweed in the year 2011.

    Come on, their retro, and fun. Its just like any other entertainment and Simmons is hilarious. But’s he’s all show all the time. Not to be taken seriously, like a sitcom. I admire them both.

  • valkyrie101

    …but especially Tweed.

  • http://twitter.com/SailRabbits Magister

    I’m a little confused.

    Joy played the clip where Tweed made the comments about finding something new, now that the kids are gone, then she asked Simmons if the series is in the can. He replied in the affirmative, then when she asked if the show would continue, he said that he hoped so because the network had ordered five more episodes.

    Now, I know nothing about the show and the genre isn’t my cup of tea. A quick glance at IMDB and TV.com shows they generally have thirteen episode seasons. So are there seven or eight with Tweed wanting out, then she goes dramatic doing publicity tour and there will be five more, where they either get back together or breakup? Was their “fight” on “Behar” enough to get them booked onto “Letterman”, so that we might better judge if this is Kaufmanesque schtick?

  • david r

    Magister said:
    I’m a little confused. . .

    I think you nailed it. A bunch of schlock.

  • TerryDo

    This is just one BIG publicity stunt, to see if their show can evolve now that they have an empty nest syndrome. Just s much BS I can’t believe they are pushing this as legitimate life experiences…

    Can’t get more BS then Joy!!!

  • MadCharles

    We’ve watched the show for years. it’s great reality and educational. I couldn’t see much for Shannon to complain about except for alone time when Gene is on tour or that they’re not married. Make the commitment bro… then live it with the love you’ve shared all these years.

  • billwhit1357

    While Gene has woken up to the fact that the Legion of Demon Party and Obambi truly suck, I guess Shannon is still drinking the Obamatron Koolade! Way to go, Gene, tell the Lefty Freaks how it is! Any why are you wasting your time on that stupid whore’s show, Joy Behar? She is about the ugliest and most ignorant Skank on TV! Anyone but B. Hussein Obama in 2012!

  • Nature Freak

    billwhit1357 said:
    While Gene has woken up to the fact that the Legion of Demon Party and Obambi truly suck, I guess Shannon is still drinking the Obamatron Koolade! Way to go, Gene, tell the Lefty Freaks how it is! Any why are you wasting your time on that stupid whore’s show, Joy Behar? She is about the ugliest and most ignorant Skank on TV! Anyone but B. Hussein Obama in 2012!

    Anyone but Obama?

    Does Jon Huntsman or Mitt Romney count?

  • CAconservative

    You play, you pay, no matter if your a celebrity or average Jack, or Jill. Whether you enter into a marriage, or long term living arrangement the emotions are the same. If you are not fully prepared to commit to another person, then don’t enter into an arrangement. Married or not, the pain is the same!

  • brooksider926

    bealzebubba said:
    Gene Simmons is about Gene Simmons. He’ll do anything to get attention…fake or not. He’s a clown.

    Not really. Gene Simmons is a cartoon. Where is Wile E. Coyote to drop an anvil on his head?

  • Nature Freak

    THE INTERNATIONALE

    Stand up, all victims of oppression
    For the tyrants fear your might
    Don’t cling so hard to your possessions
    For you have nothing, if you have no rights
    Let racist ignorance be ended
    For respect makes the empires fall
    Freedom is merely privilege extended
    Unless enjoyed by one and all

    Chorus:
    So come brothers and sisters
    For the struggle carries on
    The internationale
    Unites the world in song
    So comrades come rally
    For this is the time and place
    The international ideal
    Unites the human race

    Let no one build walls to divide us
    Walls of hatred nor walls of stone
    Come greet the dawn and stand beside us
    We’ll live together or we’ll die alone
    In our world poisoned by exploitation
    Those who have taken, now they must give
    And end the vanity of nations
    We’ve but one earth on which to live

    And so begins the final drama
    In the streets and in the fields
    We stand unbowed before their armour
    We defy their guns and shields
    When we fight, provoked by their aggression
    Let us be inspired by like and love
    For though they offer us concessions
    Change will not come from above

    Words: billy bragg music: pierre degeyter

  • forgettingthepast

    All I know is if it’s real, Shannon is not being fair to Gene. She knew exactly who he was, what he was and what she was getting into when they got together 27 years ago. Gene will always be Gene, there is nothing or anyone that is going to change that. Don’t get me wrong, I do not agree with some of Gene’s behaviour or some of his rationalizations but again, Gene is Gene. Millions of people love, worship and adore the man for who he is and let’s face it, he wouldn’t be who he is today if he wasn’t the way he is. It is clear to me that Gene sincerely loves Shannon, the man is trying the best way he knows how but there is some things he will not and should not do.

  • forgettingthepast

    bealzebubba said:
    Gene Simmons is about Gene Simmons. He’ll do anything to get attention…fake or not. He’s a clown.

    That may be your opinion but he is one VERY rich and very intelligent one.

  • forgettingthepast

    forgettingthepast said:
    That may be your opinion but he is one VERY rich and very intelligent one.

    And very powerful.

  • TheFabulousStain

    It’s only a little thing, but I love how Gene brushes off the Alice Cooper thing by saying “Who?”. You know Alice Cooper Gene, the band that wore makeup first, wrote great teenage anthems first, and played a show at NYC’s Academy of Music in 1971 where you first saw them and decided to rip off the makeup and concert spectacle idea. That Alice Cooper.

  • http://www.facebook.com/people/Bruce-Kennedy/1439463341 Bruce Kennedy

    OMG! This is the guy who says he wants his vote, for Obama, back. Hell yes give him the vote back. It’s plain to see any man who has slept with 5,000 women, clearly belongs with the party of “Moral & Family Values”. I think Weiner is a “closet” Conservative.

  • dXm

    Hoax. A reality show seldom hits the air until its in the can (unless there’s viewer participation), otherwise the ending isn’t guaranteed.
    Occams Razor sez: Shannon & Gene aren’t STILL having the EXACT same problems on live TV (to promote their show) that they are having in episodes that were shot MONTHS ago.
    Reality TV demands a high level of suspended disbelief, or stupid naivete, for one to enjoy it properly.

  • gottosay

    Joy would not give a damn…looking at Shannon face I knew the conversation about Gene’s sex life aside from with her was something she does not want to talk about…Joy…JOY…JOY! Gene’s partner had enough…and I do not blame her…now is the time for Shannon to have her own reality show with her sister who is really funny…

  • sweetbabynrs

    remember,  shannon is a professional actress, gene is a showman,  they are excellent performers.  so many of the episodes are painfully scripted (remember when that family showed up at their “weekend getaway”?  or nick’s friend’s mom having a crush on him?)  there are too many “wacky adventures” on the show to not be scripted. In fact, i will go so far as to say that this is THE most scripted reality show on tv.   but i do think they’re really going to split.  i think the pain is real.  because it makes sense that shannon would be done with this life now that her children are grown.  he will have to do something BIG to get her back

  • Julia Marsh

    Yes, I am truly amazed she has 2 shows.  She is such a witch…she laughs constantly at her own jokes…she’s the only one that does.  And you can tell she hates Elizabeth on the View.  I don’t see anything funny or attractive about her.

  • guest

    He’s a rocker..how many of them are faithful? And they aren’t married? Sorry but it’s of no surprise to me! And this was probably all just some stunt!

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_B3HY4FGSY2RFHBBFNZZ2JSZL3Y daddy

    liberals don’t think for themself, they listen to the internet

  • addMoreJuice.com

    EXACTLY!  WELL Said!

  • Chris Holland

    I agree with you, and I hope they can work this out.  I believe it is even harder when the entire world is watching.  All I know is this, there will come a time when their children have children, and the family gatherings will never be the same if they do not find a way to work it out.  They will suffer, their children will suffer and their grandchildren will suffer.  There is nothing as wonderful as the original family unit. Nothing replaces it.  It would just be a shame if after all the hard times they have gone through it all falls apart now, because now is when it could be so wonderful.  Gene, strange pieces of tail does not fill the heart with anything but regret. Let go of your self love long enough to see what someone else is offering, meaning Shannon.  And Shannon, you must forgive him, if he can change, he isn’t perfect but he is exceptional in many ways, and exceptional people just are not around every corner. You both have 25 good years left until everything hurts (meaning the body), make them good loving years without tears.

  • Shirleek

    Sheesh, is there anything you people don’t tie back to our President? 

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