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U.S. Seeks Extradition of El Chapo; North Korean Prisoners Interviewed; Florence, Italy, Police Treating Death of American Artist as a Homicide. Aired Midnight-1a ET

Aired January 11, 2016 - 00:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[00:00] ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: This is "CNN Newsroom," live from Los Angeles.

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Ahead this hour, extraditing El Chapo. Interpol serves notice on the world's most wanted drug lord. The U.S. wants him out of a Mexican jail to stand trial in an American court.

SESAY: CNN speaks exclusively to two North Korean prisoners. They say one is an American, the other a Canadian pastor sentenced to a life of hard labor.

VAUSE: And later, Gervaise versus Gibson was a highlight, but the "The Revenant" dominated the Golden Globe Awards. Also, Isha Sesay was on the red carpet.

SESAY: Yes, I was.

VAUSE: Hello, and welcome to our viewers all around the world. Oh, my god! Who are you? You're back. We're back together. I'm John Vause.

SESAY: And I'm Isha Sesay. Newsroom L.A. starts right now.

Mexican authorities want to question actor Sean Penn about his meeting with escaped drug cartel leader Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

VAUSE: They want to know more about where the meeting took place. Penn and actress Kate del Castillo sat down with Guzman in October, while the cartel leader was on the run. They followed up with an interview conducted by messaging and video.

SESAY: Well that interview was published Saturday in "Rolling Stone" magazine, a day after Mexican forces recaptured Guzman. Well the interview shows a relaxed cartel leader candidly answering questions about his life and career. CNN's Nick Valencia has the details.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOAQUIN "EL CHAPO" GUZMAN, FUGITIVE, MEXICO: I want to make clear that this interview is for the exclusive use of Miss Kate del Castillo and Mister Sean Penn.

NICK VALENCIA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: For the first time, we hear from the drug kingpin himself. Despite being on the run, the drug lord, Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, agrees to an interview with actor and activist, Sean Penn, a cinematic plot twist to an already surreal story.

GUZMAN: Look, all I do is defend myself. Nothing more. But do I start looking for trouble? Never.

VALENCIA: In a report for "Rolling Stone," Penn writes the pair met face to face in October 2015, three months after El Chapo's brazen prison escape. According to Penn, the meeting happened somewhere in the middle of a Mexican jungle and included Tequila and tacos. His irrational fear of being watched by armed drones and being surprised by El Chapo's "chivalry." These clips are part of replies to follow up questions from Penn, sent to a Guzman representative who asked the question off camera.

GUZMAN: Well, from the age of 15 and on, where I'm from, which is the Municipality of (Inaudible), I was raised on a ranch called La Tuna. In that area, and up until today, there are no job opportunities.

VALENCIA: The meeting, Penn says, was brokered by Mexican actress Kate del Castillo. It was 2012 when del Castillo reportedly developed a friendship with El Chapo, after posting a series of tweets critical of the Mexican government, while celebrating the notorious drug trafficker. Del Castillo she has not commented since publication of the "Rolling Stone" article Saturday night. CNN has reached out to her.

Their communication continued over the course of the next three years, even after the 2014 arrest of "El Chapo" that landed him here, at the Altiplano Penitentiary. They stayed in touch via blackberry messages and letters. It was that relationship between del

Castillo and "El Chapo" that eventually led to the meeting between Sean Penn and the notorious drug lord. It was a month of backdoor dealings that included encrypted messages, disposable phones and even clandestine communications with "El Chapo's" associates.

In a two-minute clip posted to "Rolling Stone's" website, "El Chapo" talks candidly about drug trafficking, violence, and his role in it all.

GUZMAN: Well, it's a reality that drugs destroy. Unfortunately, as I said, where I grew up there was no other way and there still isn't a way to survive... no other way to work in our economy to be able to make a living.

VALENCIA: A senior Mexican law enforcement official cells CNN they want to question both the del Castillo and Penn, specifically about the location where the meeting took place.

Nick Valencia, CNN, (Inaudible) Juarez, Mexico.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: Under U.S. Federal law it's an offense to harbor or conceal any person for whose arrest warrant or process has been issued, so as to prevent the fugitive's discovery or arrest. So does that mean that Sean Penn could face legal problems of his [00:05:29] own for meeting with one of the world's most wanted fugitives whilst he was on the run?

Joey Jackson's with us now. He's a CNN Legal Analyst, and criminal defense attorney. Joey, thanks for being with us. What's your take here? Is the key words in this to prevent the fugitive's discovery or arrest?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: A pleasure to be with you. You know, I say not so fast. and certainly while you can argue it's morally reprehensible, we're talking about an international fugitive, someone who has exacted so much horror and infused so much drugs into the system, wanted in a variety of jurisdictions, I think when you're looking at it from Sean Penn's perspective, he simply went and had a conversation with the fugitive. That's certainly not a crime. It's not a crime to take a picture with a fugitive. You need some time type of aiding, abetting, assisting or providing of material support.

So from a journalist point of view, merely going and having an interview and having El Chapo expand upon his life, his background, why he does what he does, I think that, without more, would, at this point, seem insufficient for criminality.

VAUSE: What if Penn was not acting as a journalist? According to the "Hollywood Reporter" he's not getting paid for the story. So if you wanted could the prosecution maybe argue the point he met with El Chapo as a private citizen? Could that change anything?

JACKSON: You know, even with the meeting with someone as a private citizen, you have to examine it, and prosecutors certainly can be as creative as they need to be or want to be, but the simple meeting alone, merely being present in a fugitive presence, you know, doesn't rise to the level of criminality. Did he materially aid him in some way? Did he assist him? Did he harbor him? Did he hinder prosecution in any way? I think certainly there are other people who might fit that bill, but simply going and having an exchange or communication, getting information, one would argue, if you're on Sean Penn's team, that you really rendered a significant public service. Why do I say that? You know, as a result of this conversation, there are many things on record from El Chapo regarding his dealings in the drug trade, regarding why he got into it, his background, et cetera. So it's quite revealing in terms of the admissions that were made.

In addition to that, you could look at the way the authorities monitored the communications between Sean Penn's people and between El Chapo, in order to apprehend him. So some would argue that as a result of meeting with him, actually, Sean Penn provided some -- a great deal of support to the governments of Mexico and the United States in getting his capture. But at this point -

VAUSE: So -

JACKSON: -- again, I know it's a big moral issue, why would he do such a thing? I don't see the legal issue at this point. VAUSE: Okay, you raised a couple issues there, in particular, the information which Sean Penn may or may not have received during his 7- hour interview of El Chapo. So if American officials get their way and, let's say he's extradited and he stands trial in the United States, could Sean Penn be called upon to give evidence?

JACKSON: You know, now that's a great question. To the extent that the information that he gave Sean Penn is documented, his lawyers would argue why would he be material or necessary? In other words, anything that was conveyed to Sean Penn has now been penned, so to speak, in as much as is in the article. So what could Sean Penn add in addition? Now certainly you could make the argument that he could make himself available, that is Sean Penn, for the authorities, but for questioning he has a right against self-incrimination. Although, if he's ordered to testify, there could be a material witness order that would have him do that. If he doesn't testify there would be some contempt issue. But I think that's a bigger question, whether he would be able to come and testify more so, would he be involved or embroiled in some type of crime himself?

VAUSE: Because specifically, I mean, there's one paragraph in this "Rolling Stone" article where Sean Penn basically says he got the list of companies that launder El Chapo's drug money, but he declines to name them. Is that one issue we could be looking at here?

JACKSON: Absolutely. In the event that there's other things that potentially Sean Penn now is in knowledge of, now the authorities will absolutely want to find out what that information is, and now you're speaking about Sean Penn the witness as opposed to Sean Penn the potential criminal. So that makes us look at it from a different angle, and I think certainly authorities in Mexico and the United States would have a very keen willingness and wantingness to get Sean Penn to give up information, in as much as it implicates the real criminal who has been captured, and that's El Chapo.

VAUSE: But the bottom line here in all of this Joey, is that I imagine that Sean Penn got some pretty good legal advice before he embarked on any of this, about his own exposure, at least legally.

JACKSON: You know, you would have to think he certainly did. [00:10:21] Now, that advice, certainly, I think would center more on what if any obligations does he have, or liability from a criminal perspective.

You know, you raised the question though, and I think it's a great issue, in terms of what knowledge now has he come into that could potentially be helpful to the authorities? When you sit down with someone and you speak with them for an extended period of time, certainly now you're possessed of knowledge and an understanding that would be useful to the authorities. Remember this, not only is El Chapo really, have been a fugitive in Mexico, but he's wanted by multiple jurisdictions in the United States. So as much as that information that Sean Penn gleaned couple be helpful, now I think it's a different issue. Now he becomes, or could become a material witness to the case and as a result of that, the prosecutors could attempt to compel his testimony against El Chapo. VAUSE: We shall see. This is still going. This story is not over yet. Joey Jackson, great to speak with you; thank you.

JACKSON: A pleasure and a privilege.

SESAY: Well, Ioan Grillo joins us now from Mexico City. He's a journalist specializing in organized crime and drugs and is the author of "El Narco, Inside Mexico's Criminal Insurgency". His new book, "Gangster War Lords" will be released this month. Ioan it's great to have you with us.

Listen, everyone is talking about this meeting between Hollywood actor, Sean Penn and El Chapo and the interview they conducted. As a journalist, what do you make of it? Some are describing this as a collision of art and reality?

IOAN GRILLO, AUTHOR, "GANGSTER WAR LORDS": Well, yes, it certainly is in some ways. I've been covering this for about fifteen years and I've interviewed many criminals myself from serial killers, basically, multiple assassins who have murdered more people than they can count, sometimes even in the United States, sometimes in Mexico, Honduras, Jamaica, Brazil. People who have trafficked drugs into the United States and so forth. So I'm not really in a position to criticize him for making that move. It's always been a difficult ethical concern of how we deal with drug traffickers? How should we let them talk to us? How should we let them talk to the public? And I do believe hearing their stories is useful. However, there is also, you know, the fact that Sean Penn is not a regular journalist but a Hollywood movie star does makes this quite a surreal encounter where you have Sean Penn who has played gangsters, he played you know, Mickey Cohen in "Gangster Squad," an L.A. gangster, sitting alongside Chapo Guzman, who is having films against him. So you kind of have both enamored and fascinated by another star in the same - you know, in the jungle, drinking tequila. So a very bizarre encounter.

SESAY: Yes, a very, very bizarre. You make the point of Sean Penn being infatuated with El Chapo, and you've also said that there in Mexico, El Chapo is a man and others like him that are widely idolized, which may go a long way to explaining how he's been able to escape and stay on the run numerous times.

GRILLO: Certainly. I mean, you go to these communities, these villages and people there see him literally as a kind of saint type figure. They sing songs about him. They talk about the time they could have touched him or saw him in these places. Now Sean Penn has a Hollywood star meeting him you could say is adding more to that mystique. Here's Chapo Guzman gets to sit down with a top Hollywood star, with beautiful soap opera stars. There may be some bad feelings in that sense.

For young people in Mexico in poor environments, in poor villages, in poor neighborhoods, they often see these drug traffickers as role models. They think how can I get ahead? the system is unfair. It's a very unequal country, and the drug trade offers a way for them to be elevated and to make some real money. SESAY: Ioan, let me ask you quickly, now that El Chapo is in custody, you know the business pretty well; you've been covering the narco business for a while, what does the capture mean for operations of the cartel?

GRILLO: Look, on one side the drug industry just keeps on ticking over. Chapo Guzman is one person. You've got people, as we speak right now, there's people in labs making crystal meth. There's people growing marijuana, getting ready to harvest it. There's people harvesting opium to make heroin. There's trafficking, as we speak right now, people driving over the U.S. border with cars packed with drugs, and as we speak there's people selling drugs in America that came from Mexico and people [00:15:28] taking drugs. This all keeps ticking over. Chapo Guzman goes, but the operation keeps on moving.

However, on a symbolic, emblematic level, his capture is very important. I've been covering this for 15 years and tens of thousands of deaths, and a central thing with this conflict is all about, is the government, the state trying to control the country and drug traffickers saying they can do whatever they want. And if you have the most powerful drug trafficker in the country running free, making movies about himself, escaping prisons, that sends a very dangerous message out. If they capture him, it gives us a small hope the government can get on top of the situation.

SESAY: Let's see what happens next. Ioan Grillo joining us from Mexico city; a pleasure. Thanks so much you for joining us.

GRILLO: Great to be here.

VAUSE: Sean Penn no stranger to controversial figures in Latin America. He met with Venezuelan President, Hugo Chavez a number of times; and when Mr. Chavez died in 2013, the actor said the world all had lost a champion and he "lost a friend."

SESAY: Penn has also met Cuban revolutionary leader Fidel Castro and in 2008 he interviewed Fidel's brother and successor president Raul Castro. This was well before the warming of the relations between the U.S. and Cuba. For more on this angle of our story go to CNN.com.

And Sean Penn was a hot topic, a hot, hot topic at Sunday night's Golden Globe Awards.

VAUSE: Nice segue.

SESAY: Nice segue. Host Ricky Gervaise didn't waste any time aiming the barbs at the actor.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICKY GERVAISE, HOST, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: I want to do this monologue and then go into hiding. okay? Not even Sean Penn will find me.

(END VIDEO CLIP) SESAY: And the big winner of the night was the gritty drama, "The Reverent." The film took home awards for drama, best director and best actor, Leonardo DiCaprio

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LEONARDO DICAPRIO, BEST ACTOR WINNER, GOLDEN GLOBE AWARDS: Two years ago we found ourselves submerged deep in nature with all of its complications and all the beauty that it gave us, cinematically. This film was about survival. It was about adaptation. It was about the triumph of the human spirit, but more than anything, it was about trust.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Some of the nights other winners included Jennifer Lawrence in the category of best actress in a comedy for her role in "Joy". "The Martian" won for best film comedy, while it's leading man, Matt Damon, won for best actor.

VAUSE: In a comedy, and we're looking forward to Ridley Scott's sequel Blade Runner Two, the musical, which will be fabulous. We'll have much more on the Golden Globes later this hour. As we mentioned, of course, Isha was out there, on the red carpet, giving us a first- hand look at the star studded excitement and fashion and that kind of thing.

SESAY: That kind of thing?

VAUSE: That kind of thing. I would rather cover a war in Gaza than go do the red carpet at the Golden Globes or the Academy Awards. So I'm glad you were there.

SESAY: We've both covered wars and awards ceremonies. Hey, listen, it just depends on what mood you're in.

VAUSE: Exactly, well, you did a great job-

SESAY: Thank you.

VAUSE: -- and a lot more of that still to come. In the meantime, we'll take a short break. On the other side, North Korea says it's holding a U.S. citizen on the charges of spying and, they let CNN talk to him.

SESAY: Plus, we talk to the Canadian pastor sentenced to hard labor in North Korea. Their stories and a live report from Pyongyang straight ahead. Do stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[00:20:56] VAUSE: North Korea claims to be holding a U.S. citizen on espionage charges.

SESAY: And the reclusive country has given CNN exclusive access to this man who identified as a naturalized American citizen. VAUSE: Let's go to Will Ripley now. He spoke with the man; he has some details from Pyongyang. He joins us live. So, Will, what more do we know about this prisoner? Is it even possible to confirm that he is an American citizen?

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL RIPLEY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well when we arrived in Pyongyang a few days ago we were informed that North Korea said an American citizen was being held here. North Korean State media hadn't reported it. Nobody knew about this case. It was not even clear if the United States government was aware, and so we didn't know any other details until we met him. His name is Kim Dong Chul. He's 62 and born in South Korea, but according to his U.S. passport, which we were allowed to see and photograph, he became a naturalized U.S. citizen back in 1987 and has lived in China for the last 15 years or so, crossing back and forth into North Korea working in a so-called special economic zone. He actually owns a company that's located in North Korea and employs North Korean workers but he's a foreign owner. It's one way the Regime makes money. It was during one of those repeated trips into North Korea that he says he became a spy for conservative elements within the South Korean system, elements with a goal to overthrow the Regime led by Kim Jong-Un. He says it involved university professors and at least one government official, and he says he bribed a North Korean soldier. listen to how he said it all worked.

How did it work? How did you pass on the information that you collected?

KIM DONG CHUL, PRISONER: I bribed a local resident and had him gather important materials considered national secrets in this country, such as military secrets, nuclear related materials. I got these materials, hid them in my car and secretly brought them to China where I handed them over; or, I would go to South Korea and deliver them directly.

RIPLEY: He actually says he made four trips to South Korea. Now two different South Korean government agencies we spoke to denied this and actually called this claim "groundless." The U.S. State Department would not even confirm that he is a U.S. citizen, never mind comment, they say they don't comment on cases of detained Americans because it can complicate efforts to secure their release.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And, Will, the North Koreans are also holding a Canadian citizen who has spoken to you as well. What has he said?

RIPLEY: This is a story that CNN's been following for a while now. We actually requested to speak to him six months ago. He's a pastor at a church in Toronto who came in almost a year ago to North Korea with the goal of going to a village where his church had set up an orphanage, a nursery and a nursing home, but he found himself arrested and in the custody of North Korean officials, accused of trying to overthrow the Regime. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RIPLEY: Thousands of miles from home, a world away from his old life, Canadian pastor Don Su Lin (ps) lives under the constant watch of North Korean guards. No contact with his family or parishioners of his Toronto church. The 60-year-old works eight hours a day, six days a week, alone, digging holes in an orchard at the labor camp where he's serving a life sentence; Lin is the only prisoner. The guards wait just outside.

How are you feeling?

DON SU LIN, PRISONER: Fine.

RIPLEY: You okay? You in good health?

LIN: Yes.

RIPLEY: Lin speaks and understands English, but the authorities insist he answer our questions in Korean. We assume they're listening from another room in this Pyongyang hotel.

LIN, via translator: I wasn't originally a laborer, so the labor was hard at first, but now I've gotten used to it.

RIPLEY: Lin say says he gets regular medical care, three meals a day, humane treatment by a country the United Nations says has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Allegations North Korea strongly denies. At his trial in December, Pyongyang [00:25:35] prosecutors argued Lin entered North Korea more than 100 times under the false pretense of humanitarian aid. They say he was really using religion to try to overthrow the atheist regime.

Lin openly admits to openly criticizing North Korea's leaders, a severe crime in a country that forbids political dissent.

LIN: I admit that I violated this government's authority, system and order, he says in.

RIPLEY: Would you say your biggest crime was speaking badly about the supreme leaders of this country?

LIN: I think so.

RIPLEY: Kim says he has not been forced to study North Korean ideology. He's even requested a bible, though he hasn't gotten it yet. He prays every day.

What do you pray about?

LIN: I pray for the country and the people. I pray for North and South Korea to be unified, so a situation like mine won't happen again.

RIPLEY: After about an hour, the guards return. It's time for this pastor turned prisoner to go back to a life of confinement he never expected but seems to accept. Lin waits and wonders if he'll ever see his family and parishioners again. He says no matter what happens, he's at peace.

I spoke with members of the Lin family last night and again this morning. They expressed gratitude to the North Korean government for allowing the interview to take place and they also urged the Canadian government to push forward as much as possible with diplomatic efforts to try to secure Lin's humanitarian release.

We gained access to Lin, like I said, by putting in a request about six months or so ago, and that's how it often works. We've been coming in and out of North Korea fairly often over the last year and a half or so. This is our sixth trip - my sixth trip here, and we usually request if we hear about particular stories or subjects, we send in a request but we often don't know, until we arrive in the country, exactly what we'll be covering. That was the case this time. John and Isha?

VAUSE: Absolutely, Will. I think you're getting more access than any other journalist I know. Will Ripley, live in Pyongyang. Thanks, will.

SESAY: Turning our attention to South Korea now and the Defense Ministry says it's in talks with the U.S. to deploy additional military resources to the Korean Peninsula; this comes after North Korea reported it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb on Wednesday. The (inaudible) kingdom says the test was met with a public outpouring of enthusiasm.

VAUSE: Those claims have not been well received elsewhere. The U.S. performed a joint flyover with South Korean jets on Sunday, in a how of force, as well as solidarity.

SESAY: (Inaudible) our own Paula Hancocks who joins us now live from Seoul. Paula, what sort of message does this military fly by send to North Korea?

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, Isha, the message was fairly clear, and I think the U.S. wanted to be very direct in this. It is a show of strength, a show of solidarity that the U.S. is standing side by side with South Korea. You've got B52, which can carry conventional and nuclear weapons, and it's flanked by U.S. and South Korean fighter jets. The message really couldn't be clearer. It happened very soon after the nuclear test as well, just four days.

The last time the U.S. did this, this B52 deployment, was back in 2013 after the third nuclear test, and then it took about a month, and they said at that point this is just part of regular military exercises. This time they're being more clear and more direct.

We also know, according to the South Korean Defense Ministry they are discussing what else they can deploy, if there are going to be more strategic assets coming to the Korean peninsula. In addition, we know the Kaesong Industrial Park, this is the joint venture between North and South Korea; that North Korea relies on for hard currency, the South Koreans have now decided that they will limit the number of South Koreans going to that area.

They will just have the bare minimum to keep production going. Now that's really been a gauge of tensions and how the relationship is between North and South Korea over the years. A couple years ago when the tensions were high, they actually shut the Kaesong Industrial Park down. And, of course, they also have the loud speakers. Isha?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: Paula Hancock joining us there, live from Seoul, with a live report on the high tensions there on the Korean Peninsula. Appreciate it, Paula; thank you.

(HEADLINES)

[00:30] (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Welcome back, everybody. You're watching CNN Newsroom," Live from Los Angeles. I'm John Vause.

ISHA SESAY, CNN ANCHOR: And I'm Isha Sesay. The headlines this hour. (HEADLINES)

Now, Italian police are treating the death of an American artist in Florence as a homicide. Ashley Ann Olsen was found dead in her apartment by her boyfriend on Saturday.

VAUSE: An Italian news agency reports Ms. Olsen was discovered strangled, but authorities will not comment until they have her autopsy results.

SESAY: CNN contributor Barbie Nadeau is in Rome with more on the Olsen's death and the police investigation.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: 35-year-old American, Ashley Ann Olsen, was found dead in her apartment in Florence, Italy on Saturday afternoon. The young woman had been living in Florence [00:35:35] for two years, after leaving Florida after her marriage fell apart. She went to join her father, who's an architect and instructor at Art Institute in the city. She had developed a large group of friends. People spoke kindly of her. She was very well known in the neighborhood. She walked her small beagle dog, named Scout. She was very, very well-known. People recognized her.

Her boyfriend was the one who raised the alarm. He hadn't heard from her after an argument they had three days prior to her body being found. When he enlisted the help of the landlady in the apartment to open the door where they found the young woman's lifeless body. They alerted police, and police are now opening a homicide investigation into just what happened to this young woman. So far no suspects have been named, or identified, according to the police sources.

This is Barbie Nadeau, CNN, Rome.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: An investigation we shall follow closely for you. Now, we've got some incredible images to show you out of Hawaii, after an explosion at the Kilauea volcano.

VAUSE: You're looking at one of the volcano's summit vents. Watch as falling rocks cause an explosion, shooting incandescent fragments about 110 meters above the lava lake's surface. The explosion did not pose a threat to neighboring communities.

SESAY: All right, the glitz and glamour of Hollywood took center stage at this year's Golden Globes. Coming up, we'll show you the night's biggest moments, including the standing ovation for a long- time action star who got his first win.

VAUSE: It was a very big night. And, of course, comedian Ricky Gervaise spared no one while hosting the awards. Some of his funny and controversial moments straight ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: Coming to the stage and accepting the Golden Globe tonight is the writer, director, producer of "The Revenant," Alejandro G. Inarritu.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: "The Revenant" received honors at Sunday's 73rd Annual Golden Globes, earning the night's biggest awards. The gritty film won for Best Picture Drama, for Best Director and for Best Actor, Leonardo DiCaprio.

VAUSE: DiCaprio gave an emotional speech and received a standing ovation from the room and stars and filmmakers. This is the actor's third Golden Globe win. It's his tenth nomination. That was one of the highlights of the nights, one of the more emotional moments of the night; but there was also another big moment in the room, probably one of the best moments in the room. It was also for a male actor who hadn't received a lot of rewards in his career -

SESAY: Who you do a great impression of.

VAUSE: -- Sylvester Stallone, and he got the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for "Creed", and he got this incredible standing ovation. Let's take a look at what he had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SYLVESTER STALLONE, ACTOR, "CREED": And most of all, I want to thank my imaginary friend, Rocky Balboa for being the best friend I ever had.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: It was a great comment, and he looked genuinely surprised too, --

SESAY: He did.

VAUSE: -- when they read out the fact that he won.

SESAY: He did, and I think that, you know, for him, and he said [00:40:18] before that he has a chance to bring this character, Rocky, to a whole new generation of people. I think he was genuinely touched, especially by that reception, it was pretty amazing.

VAUSE: For a room full of people who are not particularly genuine, it seemed like a genuine moment.

SESAY: Yes.

VAUSE: There was also, of course, this ongoing feud that a lot of people were keeping an eye out for because Ricky Gervais was back as host after three years.

SESAY: Yes, and he's had this ongoing situation, if you will, with Mel Gibson, who he made some jokes about when he last hosted. Everyone was waiting to see what it would be like when the two were reunited, with Gibson being a presenter this year. Take a look at how it went down.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

RICKY GERVAIS, HOST, GOLDEN GLOBES: I want to say something nice about Mel before he comes out. So oh, yeah. Okay. Here you go. I'd rather have a drink with him in his hotel room tonight than with Bill Cosby.

MEL GIBSON, ACTOR, I love seeing Ricky once every three years because it reminds me to get a colonoscopy.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

VAUSE: And there was another moment which NBC, the broadcaster, had to just mute it because there was a lot of profanity coming out --

SESAY: It was tense. I thin, that's the best way --

VAUSE: And then he finished it by saying, at the end of the show, on behalf of me and Mel Gibson, shalom. I mean, he wouldn't let it go, right up to the very, very end, when the credits were rolling.

SESAY: Another fashion moment -

VAUSE: Well, internet moment. We've really sort of really set twitter - take a look at this. This was Channing Tatum's hair and --

SESAY: Jane Fonda's outfit which people had a lot to say about it online. I will say, the hair was horrific.

VAUSE: And, Jane Fonda, who looks amazing and gorgeous, but that looks like "Jerry Seinfeld's" pirate shirt.

SESAY: I think she looks resplendent.

VAUSE: Who else was looking good on the red carpet?

SESAY: You know what? I thought Jennifer Lopez looked incredible. J-Lo looked super hot. She walked by us, because I was there on the red carpet, screamed loudly, J-Lo, J-Lo, CNN, and she gave me the cold shoulder.

VAUSE: She just ignored you.

SESAY: Take a look at the night on the red carpet at the Golden Globes. It was a super fun time.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SESAY: What's it like to be here tonight?

JEFFREY TAMBOR, ACTOR: It's great because it's -- I'm proud of what we do. I mean, if I were in the stinker it would be hard, but then I wouldn't be talking.

SESAY: I have to ask you how you feel.

QUEEN LATIFA, SINGER/ACTRESS: I feel amazing. This is great. Look at this. you know? You're among your peers who kicked butt this year, and I'm one of them, so it's great.

SESAY: You both look wonderful. Let me start with the ladies. Rachel -

RACHEL BLOOM, ACTRESS, "CRAZY EX-GIRLFRIEND": we got our nails done together.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: in my trailer. at the trailer park.

BLOOM: Not his movie trailer. He lives in a trailer park. yeah. It was really nice.

SESAY: Everyone keeps telling me the golden globes is the funnest of all the awards.

GINA RODRIGUEZ, ACTRESS, "JANE THE VIRGIN": I'm not going to lie, having Ricky Gervais, I'm stoked. He's going to -- thank god, my dress is really big.

SAM SMITH, MUSICIAN: I can't wait to see Leonardo DiCaprio. He's right there.

SESAY: What do you think you'll say when you meet Leonardo DiCaprio?

SMITH: I'll just fall to his knees or I'll just come up with a "Titanic" quote. Jack. Jack.

(END VIDEO CLIP) VAUSE: And he really was king of the world.

SESAY: He really was. And can I say, he's very dashing in person. Leonardo DiCaprio.

VAUSE: Really?

SESAY: Yes.

VAUSE: Good to know.

SESAY: So are you. I've got say that, haven't I?

VAUSE: I know when you're lying.

SESAY: I thought I was acting wonderfully there. Thank you for watching CNN Newsroom, live from Los Angeles. I'm Isha Sesay.

VAUSE: I'm John Vause. Please stay with us now for World Sport. Then we'll be back with another hour of news from around the world. You're watching CNN.

("WORLD SPORT" AIRED)