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Learning More about ISIS Leader Baghdadi; Brian Williams' Daughter Speaks Out; Eddie Murphy Refuses to Play Bill Cosby in SNL Skit; Horatio Sanz, Gilbert Gottfried Talk SNL 40th Anniversary Show; Ukraine Requests U.N. Peacekeepers, Russia Says No
Aired February 19, 2015 - 14:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BROOKE BALDWIN, CNN ANCHOR: We're just past the half hour. I'm Brooke Baldwin. You're watching CNN.
And we are finally learning more about Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, the world's most-wanted man. Little has been known about this reclusive leader of ISIS until now. Of course, you know, he's the force behind the ruthless band of terrorists known for beheadings, burning innocent people alive. And now this new information about al Baghdadi comes to us from a U.S. intelligence official.
Brian Todd, let me go straight to you.
How are officials describing him?
BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Brooke, according a U.S. intelligence official, Baghdadi may well be a psychopath. This official told our Barbara Starr that Baghdadi operates like a mafia don, using techniques of techniques of coercion to intimidate people. This official says he's head strong, opportunistic, but he's also very savvy in his leadership style. He's willing to delegate to a set of trusted lieutenants. And he was not personally close to Abu Masab al Zarqawi, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, the group which morphed into ISIS. This intelligence official says Zarqawi -- he shares Zarqawi's vision of establishing an Islamic caliphate in Iraq and Syria and that whole region. But, as we know, al Zarqawi was killed by U.S. forces in 2006. But now we know a little bit more about what makes Abu Bakr al Baghdadi tick.
BALDWIN: A psychopath. But then, there is a totally different picture of a man who, I had no idea, has children?
TODD: That's right. This intelligence official says --
BALDWIN: And a wife.
TODD: That's right. He is probably in his early 40s. He has been married to possibly two wives, has at least a couple children. Now, we've reported before that Baghdadi was educated in Islamic history at the University of Baghdad. But this personal information about him is very interesting. We've also reported before, Brooke, that he is obsessive about his
security. He's obsessive about secrecy. The video that you showed there was from a sermon that he gave in Mosul several months ago. That was the one of the only times he has been seen in public, that picture, that we obtained of him at Camp Buca in 2004. He is obsessive about secrecy, often shielding his face, according to analysts, when he meets with his own people. So that just gives you another picture of some of this guy's personal and intellectual and emotional makeup.
BALDWIN: Secretive with his own inner circle.
Brian Todd, thank you so much.
TODD: Thank you.
BALDWIN: We'll look for more of you on "The Situation Room" with Wolf.
Next -- I'm so excited about this. Two former "Saturday Night Live" cast members who will be sitting with me who attended this weekend anniversary special. And what happened behind the scenes? Don't you want to know what hasn't been said? And also reports that Eddie Murphy refused to play Bill Cosby during the show. I have Horatio Sans, Gilbert Gottfried. Need I say more?
Plus, Brian Williams' daughter is speaking out about her father and what he has been going through for the past couple weeks. Here from her after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
BALDWIN: She may be Brian Williams' biggest fan and most-famous fan, and now the NBC anchor's actress daughter, Allison Williams, is speaking publicly. Brian Williams was suspended for six months without pay after he misstated facts about his coverage of the Iraq war back had in 2003. You know, many actually, though, questioned whether Williams will actually return to anchor the "NBC Nightly News." His daughter, though, has no doubts.
She spoke with Seth Meyers at an event at the 92nd Street Y in Manhattan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ALLISON WILLIAMS, DAUGHTER OF BRIAN WILLIAMS & ACTRESS: It's been tough, though. Obviously, toughest on my dad, who has been sort of bearing the full burden of the responsibility for it, but my mom has been so strong, and my brother has been amazing. And, you know, my dad has always been there for us 100 approximate percent of the time, even sometimes before we knew we needed him, so to be there for him is the least we can do right now.
And one thing this experience has not done is shake my trust and belief in him as a man. He's a really good man. He's an honest man. He's a truthful man. He's -- he has so much integrity. He cares so much about journalism. And, yes, he's a really good dad. But I know you can trust him because, as any good daughter does, I have tested him on that so many times.
(LAUGHTER)
And I can't wait until he's back on TV. And I know that many of you guys feel that way. And thank you for all of your outreach.
(APPLAUSE)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: And we have a poll. A new CNN/ORC poll found most of America agrees with Allison Williams. 52 percent say Brian Williams should come back to anchor.
"Saturday Night Live," the 40th anniversary show had viewers laughing until tears, but it also had some asking why "SNL" legend, Eddie Murphy, played such a small role. Murphy on stage for all of 73 seconds. Yes, we counted, because we were so excited to see him expressing love and gratitude for the show, but not performing, not delivering any of the comedic genius he's known and loved for. Today, an explanation for Murphy's muted appearance. Fellow "SNL" veteran, Norm McDonald, said Murphy was slated to play Bill Cosby in that "Jeopardy" skit. Instead, it was Keynan Thompson (ph) who played the role. Murphy's decision came down to the last minute, tweeting this -- let me read this for you. He said, "It's my job to talk him into doing "Jeopardy. "We talked in a dressing room, a good hour, when it's over, I'm convinced he'll to it, he doesn't. Eddie decides the laughs are not worth it. He will not kick a man when he's down." McDonald referring to the litany of rape allegations facing Bill Cosby. Two more, in fact, just this last week. Cosby denies or declines to comment on the more than 20 claims. NBC reports that Cosby applauded Murphy's decision not to do the skit.
So I have Gilbert Gottfried. He worked on the show with Eddie Murphy in the early '90s. The two comedians seen here in a selfie -- forgive me, the '80s. And he is with me now. He's also now host of Gilbert Gottfried's amazing podcast. And then in Los Angeles, former SNL cast member, Horatio Sanz.
So, gentlemen, welcome.
HORATIO SANZ, FORMER SNL CAST MEMBER: Thank you very much.
GILBERT GOTTFRIED, FORMER SNL CAST MEMBER: Yes. Hi.
Horatio, how are you?
SANZ: I'm very good. How are you, Gilbert? Nice to see you.
GOTTFRIED: I can't hear a thing.
BALDWIN: OK.
GOTTFRIED: They never gave me a mic. (LAUGHTER)
Could you just hold up signs of what you're saying? Just have a little chalkboard when you're talking.
BALDWIN: We'll have Horatio speak up if there are any issues.
Horatio, let me begin with you.
I want to know who you were sitting next to when you were tripping over all these A-listers in the audience and the after party, which I want to get to. But first, on the notion of Eddie Murphy and the whole idea of declining a sketch, feeling like he wanted to be the bigger person, didn't want to knock Bill Cosby while he's down, is that something noble or is that weak?
SANZ: I don't know. I mean, personally, I think I would have definitely gone for it.
BALDWIN: You would have?
SANZ: But for him -- yeah. I think he's just a classy dude, I don't think he's interested in any kind of performing now that way. I think he's -- I think he doesn't want to tarnish his leg legacy. If he thought what he said he didn't want to kick a man when I was down, that sounds totally legit. I probably would have gone for it.
BALDWIN: Horatio would have gone for it.
SANZ: I wish he had.
BALDWIN: He wishes he had.
I think a lot of people wished he had performed and said a little more. Do you wish -- if you would have been Eddie Murphy would you have done the bit?
GOTTFRIED: Yeah, or even as me. If they would have just said, hey, can you be Bill Cosby, I would have gone up and said, so you know -- and you know -- and it goes and -- and he's walking down the lane and --
HORATIO: That would have been great.
GOTTFRIED: I wouldn't take too long, the makeup and everything.
BALDWIN: You would have done the thing. Horatio would have done the thing.
Who were you seated next to, Horatio?
SANZ: Well, I was seated next to Penny Marshall, but then some son or a nephew or something, so I got pushed back. And then I was sitting next to Whoopee and that was awesome. But I kept my phone between my legs, I kept getting up and dropping the phone and having to go underneath Whoopee to get it. It was too awkward so I hung out back stage most of the time and hung out in Darryl's dressing room and hung out with the crew. I was back there the whole time.
BALDWIN: Was there anything -- as you were watching it, was there any one thing you wished you had seen, anything that was really missing, Horatio?
SANZ: Well, because we had all been -- we all were waiting for Eddie Murphy I think it would have been nice to see him doing do anything or even play some clips of his, you know, best moments on the show. But other than that, I mean, it was really great to have him there because he hadn't been, I think, in the building for so many years that it was just great to have him there. Other than that, more me probably would have been good.
(LAUGHTER)
Gilbert probably would want more of himself, too.
BALDWIN: I hear we're being told that we have video from you, of Gilbert, so let's roll that and we'll all watch it or the two of us will watch it for the first time together. As we watch this video, Gilbert -- here we go. Jimmy Fallon.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOTTFRIED: (SHOUTING)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
BALDWIN: Wow. So what was that like for you?
GOTTFRIED: Yeah. That was weird. Jimmy Fallon, Lucy Lui, and Jimmy Fallon doing his Gilbert Gottfried imitation. He does it much better than I do it at this point.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: So weird. Like M.C. Usher moment.
GOTTFRIED: It was a weird atmosphere because, I mean, at one point in the room would be Leonardo di Caprio talking to Bradley Cooper. James Franco is coming out of the elevator. Paul McCartney and Taylor Swift are on stage. It was a strange night.
BALDWIN: The after party.
GOTTFRIED: Yes.
BALDWIN: First of all, gentlemen, do you remember the after party before I even ask you about that?
GOTTFRIED: Unfortunately, yes. I wasn't --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Horatio, do you remember the after party? SANZ: I do. You know, I can't say on television what I was doing
with Keith Richards, but it rhymes with my iguana. We were smoking my iguana on stage.
(LAUGHTER)
It's a little faint, the memory, but it was a great memory.
BALDWIN: So --
SANZ: Bill Murray and Emma Stone, I offered them iguana. They didn't want any, but I it felt I had to. Just seeing Chris Rock, it was like we won the Super Bowl and we didn't play anything.
BALDWIN: All right. Let's talk about what we can talk about on TV other than this sort of refreshment that you dabbled in.
GOTTFRIED: And I walked past Miley Cyrus --
(CROSSTALK)
BALDWIN: Listen to you name dropping.
GOTTFRIED: Miley Cyrus asked if I wanted to do any Jell-O spots with her.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: And you said?
GOTTFRIED: It sounded like an incredible idea.
BALDWIN: You turned her down.
GOTTFRIED: But I thought, knowing me, I'll start throwing up after one, and then I'll start -- it will be in the news that I was crying for God to kill me.
BALDWIN: OK. So note to self, don't offer Gilbert Jell-O shots.
So there was a whole moment -- I was watching the Jimmy Fallon on his show where he was explaining all these different people. Paul McCartney singing Shake It Off" with Taylor Swift. And then Prince parts the waters and
sings. Do you all -- were you watching all of this happening is this.
SANZ: Yeah, I was on a couch with Lucy and Jane, and I was just like -- I couldn't believe like what was going on, and just -- it was so much was going on, but, yeah. I mean, I guess Prince just decided to come on. So I'm outside of the plaza and I hear Prince music and I'm like, oh, cool, they're playing Prince. And I was like, no, it's Prince.
BALDWIN: It is the real guy. GOTTFRIED: Stuff like that just kept happening.
BALDWIN: I wish I had been there.
(CROSSTALK)
GOTTFRIED: And I talked to Christopher Walken. I said hello and he went hello, and so I feel like we're best friends now.
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: I feel like I'm best friends with the two of you all. And if this happens again, come the 50 year, you know I live in New York now. I'll work lighting. I will --
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: Go ahead.
SANZ: Gilbert, I don't know about you, but I'm going to say right now Gilbert will take you to the 50th anniversary and you can be our date.
GOTTFRIED: Yes. Yes.
BALDWIN: Excellent. I will remember this 10 years later.
Gilbert Gottfried and Horatio Sanz --
(CROSSTALK)
GOTTFRIED: We are something sexy.
BALDWIN: Oh, more for the love.
(LAUGHTER)
Cut mics, we're done.
(CROSSTALK)
(LAUGHTER)
BALDWIN: You do the same, Gilbert. You do the same.
Where do I go from here?
Today's "Human Factor," on the show "Army Wives," Wendy Davis played a determined character who never gave up. The same could be said about the actress herself who struggled with a disorder that affects millions of Americans,
Dr. Sanjay Gupta has her story.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Defective. That's how Wendy Davis labeled herself growing up.
WENDY DAVIS, REALITY SHOW ACTRESS: I had a tough time staying seated in class, always found the window next to my desk and the things that were happening outside of the classroom far more interesting. So I just knew that something was different.
GUPTA: It wasn't until Davis' first-grade daughter was diagnosed with ADHD decades later that she discovered she had it as well.
DAVIS: My entire childhood was explained in that moment.
GUPTA: Despite not knowing she had the disorder until she was an adult Davis did find ways to manage her challenges.
DAVIS: I became a person who studied twice as hard as anyone else. I just became super diligent in the areas that I was interested in.
GUPTA: For Davis, that was acting. She did find success on TV.
DAVIS: We need to get something straight.
GUPTA: With her award-nominated role on Lifetime's "Army Wives" and on parts like shows like "Scandal."
DAVIS: I have a vivid imagination. Also am very emotional. This may not be such a great quality in a corporate office, but it really just works in my profession.
GUPTA: Now the actress is passing along her positivity. She volunteers for the nonprofit organization CHAD, which provides education and support for people are ADHD.
DAVIS: I'm really here for those kids who aren't feeling good about themselves to say that you are different, not defective. You can create an amazing life for yourself.
GUPTA: Dr. Sanjay Gupta, CNN reporting.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BALDWIN: Eastern Ukraine appears to be spiraling out of control. World leaders were on the phone today trying to salvage this cease- fire, if that's what you want to call this. Thus far, no progress. And Russia is rejecting a call for U.N. peacekeepers to be sent to the battle zone. And the people of Debaltseve are in line for food.
Our senior international correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, went to see the Debaltseve to see the destruction firsthand.
Tell me what you saw, Nick.
NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Remarkable to see. Barely a home there that doesn't have some mark of destruction upon it. Nearly every street had some mark of the battle that's been raging there for days now. At a peak when most world leaders were pretending there is a cease-fire going on here in Ukraine. We saw also much Ukrainian armor left behind by the troops, who obviously fled there in the past few days, many armored vehicles destroyed, but some simply left in their tracks, weapons being ordered together by the separatists as part of their loot, if you like that particular phrase. And still the sound of shelling on the outskirts. One shell landing not far from us, small arms fire as well. Hardly a city in cease-fire, but one too ravaged by destruction. But remarkable to see people emerging they say from after their first quiet night in possibly months if not weeks. Remember that city was encircled about 10 days ago and cut off from the outside world.
We went back to see some elderly women who when I saw them two weeks ago were shelling in the town hall there with Ukrainian troops. Now it's separatists running that town hall but they hadn't come out. They simply stayed in that basement and were mourning how the houses had lost their doors and windows. Where could they go and live if they did emerge -- Brooke?
BALDWIN: Nick Paton Walsh, you are providing invaluable reporting for this part of the world. Again, I'm sure a lot of people you talk to don't even think any kind of cease-fire exists whatsoever.
Thank you so much, in Ukraine for us.
