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Publisher Recounts Bombshell Interview With O.J. Simpson; NCAA Basketball Tournament Field Is Set; Tiger Woods Ties For Second At Valspar Championship; Trump Stumps For PA GOP Candidate And Himself In Raucous Rally. Aired 7:30-8a ET

Aired March 12, 2018 - 07:30   ET

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

[07:30:05] ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: In a bombshell interview, O.J. Simpson gives a hypothetical confession to the 1994 murder of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend, Ron Goldman.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O.J. SIMPSON, ACQUITTED OF THE MURDER OF NICOLE BROWN SIMPSON AND RONALD GOLDMAN: As things got heated, I just remember Nicole fell and hurt herself, and this guy kind of got into a karate thing. And I said well, do you think you can kick my ass?

And I remember I grabbed the knife. I do remember that portion -- taking the knife from Charlie. And to be honest, after that I don't remember except I'm standing there and there's all kind of stuff around, and --

JUDITH REGAN, EDITOR, BOOK PUBLISHER, TELEVISION AND RADIO TALK SHOW HOST, INTERVIEWED O.J. SIMPSON IN 2006: What kind of stuff?

SIMPSON: Blood and stuff around.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Joining us now exclusively is Judith Regan. She conducted that interview with O.J. Simpson back in 2006. Judith, thanks so much for being on.

REGAN: Hi, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: So Judith, listen, before we get to the jaw-dropping things that O.J. Simpson tells you in this interview, just tell us -- you did this in 2006. Why didn't it air in 2006?

REGAN: Well, that wasn't my decision. It was a News Corp decision to cancel the whole project and it was not something I wanted to do certainly, at the time.

CAMEROTA: Well, were they afraid of a lawsuit? Were they afraid that the Goldmans wouldn't be getting money? I mean, what went into that decision to cancel it back in 2006?

REGAN: Well, you know, there was a -- there was a huge controversy. It involved a lot of different factors.

The Goldmans, at the time, didn't know anything about the content of either the book or the interview -- neither did the Browns -- but they both objected to it. And there were other controversies that were ginned up at the time that really had nothing to do with this project and I think there was just a groundswell of negativity and it was a corporate decision that was out of my hands.

CAMEROTA: OK, so 12 years later, last night, it airs. So what was it like for you to see this again and what were your impressions at the time when you interviewed O.J., sitting across from him as he said these remarkable things?

REGAN: Well, you know, watching it last night and, of course, participating in the panel it was the first time I had actually seen it because I hadn't seen the interview. I had done the interview but I had never had a chance to actually view it because I was fired shortly thereafter.

It was traumatic. It was a traumatic time just getting fired and what I went through during that period of time, but it was something that I found incredibly disturbing. It was disturbing when I did the interview.

I had a friend text me last night and say remind me never to play poker with Judith Regan because she said I kept my poker face throughout the interview. It was very difficult to sit and talk to him with the things that he was saying without reacting in the way in which I felt, so it was traumatic to revisit it.

It's a traumatic, sad, tragic story that I think affected a lot of people in a lot of different ways.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

REGAN: And, you know, I was really saddened by revisiting the whole thing.

CAMEROTA: I mean, listen, it was remarkable to watch your exchange with him because you did have a poker face. And for the rest of us hearing all of these things for the first time it was so stunning because the premise -- the very premise of the interview that he was supposed to hypothetically be imagining what it would have --

REGAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: -- been like had he killed his ex-wife and her friend.

However, he kept saying things like I remember. So in that --

REGAN: Right.

CAMEROTA: -- bite that we just played, he said I just remember Nicole fell and hurt herself. That's information we didn't know. I remember taking the knife from Charlie, he said. Who's Charlie? REGAN: I don't know who Charlie is. You know, we can all try to take a guess whether it's his alter ego or it's O.J. himself. You know, the interview reveals who he really is, I think, and he does it just if you study his language. I do remember the knife, he says.

And it isn't a hypothetical. He framed it as a hypothetical, I believe, so that he could tell the story with deniability. But anyone watching the interview and listening to him, I can't imagine that they could think anything other than this is a real confession and it's his way of confessing.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

REGAN: I might not be, you know, my choice of how I would have confessed to something but it's how he chose to do it. Framing it as a hypothetical is not something an innocent person would do. It is utterly tasteless and horrifying, but it's how he chose to tell the story.

[07:35:14] CAMEROTA: There was another incredible moment where he talked about his reaction at Nicole's wake and how angry he was, so let's listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMPSON: I just remember seeing here there and I still had so many feelings of -- if you're angry with a person upon their death when they die it's not like that anger disappears, right? It was almost like I want to say I told you. Didn't I tell you? Didn't I say to you --

You know, it's whatever the hell was going on, you know. I mean, then like -- so you still got those kind of feelings in you and you still are trying to deal with I'm not going to be able to say this to this person. I'm never going to be able to change this person's mind. I'm never going to have an effect on this person again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Judith, when he says --

REGAN: I'm not going to be able to control this person is what he's saying. To me, this was one of the most stunning moments in the interview and one of the most horrifying.

CAMEROTA: Yes.

REGAN: And it reveals the man he truly is, which is a batterer, a man who wants to control the woman in his life. And even in death, he's saying he cannot control her. It is absolutely stunning.

CAMEROTA: And what about the part where he was saying --

REGAN: Absolutely horrifying.

CAMEROTA: -- I wanted to say I told you. Didn't I tell you? Didn't I --

REGAN: Of course.

CAMEROTA: -- say to you? I mean, do you read that --

REGAN: Didn't I tell you I would kill you? Absolutely. That's what I heard when he said that to me.

CAMEROTA: I mean, I'm not sure how else you can read that. Basically, he's saying I warned you. Didn't I tell you that this -- I would do this?

REGAN: It's really, really stunning and horrifying, maddening, and saddening.

CAMEROTA: Judith, please stick around. We have -- we have many more questions for you and play more of that interview. So stick around for our exclusive interview with Judith Regan, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[07:41:08] CAMEROTA: In a never-before-seen interview, O.J. Simpson details the domestic violence against his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson, including a fight on New Year's Eve in 1989 that sent Nicole to the hospital.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMPSON: She wouldn't say what it was about except something about the earrings. And I locked her out of the room and somehow she finds a key and comes back in the room and I threw her out. And I really threw her out with no concern for her well-being.

I mean, she got physical with me and obviously, I'm bigger. I got physical, I was wrong. Nicole had admitted that she initiated it. And somehow I came out of all of that -- because of that night -- as the poster boy of an abuser.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Let's bring back Judith Regan who conducted that interview in 2006.

What did you hear there in that response, Judith?

REGAN: Once again, somehow I came out as an abuser and batterer. I have no idea how that happened. I mean, here he is in denial, blaming her. She hit me, she fought with me, she admitted it.

This is textbook abusive man -- textbook.

CAMEROTA: You talked to him about when police finally decided to arrest him. Obviously, the nation was gripped by the Bronco chase. So many of us can remember exactly where we were when that happened and watching this unplay -- unfold live on T.V.

But we never knew what was happening inside the Bronco until this moment where you asked him about it. Listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMPSON: I'm in the back of the -- still in the back of the truck and I can't believe what I'm seeing because every time we go by intersections it was like where did these people get the time to make these signs -- "Go O.J" and stuff.

And what was strange is I had been -- I was being depicted as a fugitive on the radio, but from the side of the roads it was more people cheering. (Laughter)

I said A.C., this is B.S. what they're doing here. Get me to my house, right? Take me home.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: I mean, he was most struck that people were cheering and had signs for him.

REGAN: It's just unbelievable because again, he's such an egomaniac and such as narcissist.

And in that interview, at that moment, he goes on to say that Dan Rather changed his life at that moment because when he heard that he was being characterized as a batterer -- which to him it was inconceivable that anyone would say that about him even though the police had been to their house eight times, even though he had battered her and, in fact, murdered her -- he was excited about the fact that he now had an opportunity to defend himself against what Dan Rather was saying about him.

And he went on to say that when he saw the people with the signs saying "Go O.J. Go" he was just absolutely delighted by that.

CAMEROTA: Well, I mean, I --

REGAN: It's chilling.

CAMEROTA: So much of it is chilling because, you know, you and I are not therapists but it sure sounds like the dictionary definition of a sociopath, particularly this next bite that we're about to play where he doesn't think that Ron and Nicole are the victims. He thinks he is.

So listen to this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMPSON: I don't think any athlete had ever had the goodwill of the public that I had of them -- certainly no better than the goodwill that I had had. And in three short days, from Monday to Friday -- or four short days -- just listening to the T.V. screens to see all that goodwill evaporated, you know.

In many ways -- REGAN: Did you feel lost?

SIMPSON: Yes, it was almost like you were -- Ron and Nicole were physically dead and it's almost like they killed me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: They killed him, he thinks.

REGAN: They killed him because he's the victim of every story. He views himself as the victim. He views -- in every story that he tells she hit me, she did this to me, she hurt me. And now, he has the utter gall to say they killed him.

[07:45:15] CAMEROTA: So --

REGAN: It is shock -- it's shocking --

CAMEROTA: And so, what was it like --

REGAN: -- and so disturbing.

CAMEROTA: And so, Judith, when you -- what were your impressions as you sat across from him and did you both speak during some of the camera set-up and the breaks during this? I mean, what -- did he have a different persona off the camera with you?

REGAN: Well, I mean, he would -- he had his own version of charm. He was trying to be charming.

And halfway through the interview he leaned over to me during one of the breaks and said when you came here today you didn't think you'd like me but I changed your mind, didn't I?

And, you know, just that comment also was chilling because he has no insight into what's actually happening and he had no awareness of what he was actually saying to me, which was so disturbing. The fact that he didn't think it was disturbing was also disturbing because he didn't seem to understand the gravity of his statements and how bizarre and frightening and incriminating they were.

CAMEROTA: So, he also talked to you about the moment that he had to tell his children that they had -- that their mother had -- was gone and had been killed. So, he -- let's just play this moment of the -- the moment that he tells the kids.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SIMPSON: Right before it was time to go to bed I read them a story and I had started to tell them about mom. I went to tell them that their mother had gone to heaven. And -- but they -- Sydney said no, I know dad. Mom's in heaven.

And I think -- I don't -- I think I was in shock up to that point but I think that moment is when I broke down. I mean, literally broke down because the way she said it, it was not like -- it was sort of sad but not -- she had no idea that she had lost her mother. She had no idea how this was going to affect her life.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: How do you interpret that?

REGAN: Again, he's a narcissist and he's -- you know, he's not really explaining what's happening here which is that he took their mother away from him -- away from those children. There's nothing that saddens me more than the thought of those two children and what happened to them. To me, you know, I think of them and my heart just breaks.

CAMEROTA: So what's been the reaction that you've gotten in the past 12 hours since this aired?

REGAN: You know, the reaction has been really overwhelming. I'm in Los Angeles and it's only a few hours ago, in fact, that I watched it.

And I've had an incredible, overwhelming, positive response so -- you know, from the Goldmans, the Browns, and a lot of the people that I know who've watched it. The media has largely been positive about it, I think.

Aside from the obvious tragedy of the whole situation just in terms of my own personal experience going through this, after I was fired the media really did go after me in a dramatic way even though no one had actually seen the interview and no one had actually read the book.

And I'm glad that Fox decided to air it. It was their decision. They called me a couple of weeks ago and said they were going to air it and it came out of the blue, but I'm glad they did.

I'm glad that people got to see inside the mind of an abusive, battering murderer and I think that people can judge for themselves just by watching it who this man really is.

CAMEROTA: Well, it was truly illuminating, and mostly jaw-dropping, and just remarkable after 12 years to see this. And as you say, chilling.

So, Judith Regan, thank you very much for sharing all of that with us.

REGAN: Thank you, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Chris --

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right.

So, Pennsylvania's special congressional election is tomorrow and it is a big measure of Trump country. He won that place big, by 20 points, and he should have. So, why is this race going down to the wire?

We have a live report of the implications, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK) [07:53:55] CUOMO: All right. The NCAA Tournament field is set. You ready to fill out your brackets?

Andy Scholes has more in the "Bleacher Report." This is a good time of the year, my friend.

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS CORRESPONDENT: Oh, I love it, Chris. Best time of the year if you're a sports fan.

You can cue the loss of productivity in the workplace, right, because everyone's going to be spending time filling out their brackets between now and Thursday. And the experts say this actually could be the craziest year yet with just so much parody in college basketball.

All the teams all over the country rejoicing while watching the selection show on TBS last night, finding out whether or not they were in the big dance.

I want you to check out Arizona State. They were so happy that they jumped in Coach Bobby Hurley's pool after they found out that they had made it.

And somehow despite going two and eight in their final 10 games, Trae Young and Oklahoma did make the tournament. The Sooners were pumped. Most people were shocked that they are in.

Now, Virginia getting the top overall seed. Your other one seeds, Villanova, Kansas, and Xavier. Vegas has Nova as the favorite to win it all.

And if you think you can make better picks than all of us here at CNN, prove it by going to cnn.com/brackets. Just make sure to fill out your bracket by Thursday, morning.

[07:55:00] All right, it's official. We can now say that Tiger Woods is back.

Tiger two shots back of the lead yesterday at the Valspar Championship with just two holes to play when he sank this putt from 45 feet out. The gallery and Internet just going crazy at that point.

Then on 18, Tiger had a 40-footer to tie but it would fall just short. But still, an awesome weekend for Tiger. He placed second which is his best finish since 2013.

And Chris, everyone is so excited about Tiger right now. He actually has the third-best odds to win the Masters in a few weeks and that's just incredible considering he hasn't won a tournament since 2013.

CUOMO: Well, it's the potential. Everybody knows that the potential is there and they've waited so long --

SCHOLES: So long.

CUOMO: -- to see it recaptured.

Appreciate all that news, my brother.

SCHOLES: All right.

CUOMO: Always good to see you on a Monday morning.

All right. So, Pennsylvania's 18th congressional district is holding a special election. The election is tomorrow.

The race, statistically, seems to be a dead heat and that is a shock because this region is Trump country. The president won by 20 points over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

Yes, you'll hear people say well, there's a lot of Democrats there. They register Democrat. The place goes Republican more and more so this would be a big deal, but we don't know what's going to happen.

The president went there, OK? That also shows you how big a deal it is. He had a big rally.

He was there, supposedly, to talk about the Republican in the race, Rick Saccone, and he does have this tough challenge from the Democrat Conor Lamb, but that rally wound up being all about Trump.

CNN's Alex Marquardt is live in Canonsburg, PA -- that's the place to be -- with more.

This race is one of the ones where it's not about hype. You need to see how it comes out. You need to understand why it will project into our understanding of the midterms at this point in time.

ALEX MARQUARDT, CNN SENIOR NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Absolutely, it will, Chris, and this race really has no business being this close. The polls in these final few hours show it to be neck-and-neck, as you noted.

This congressional district is about as red as they come. In the past two congressional races, Democrats didn't even field a candidate in 2014-2016. There is so much on the line for Republicans, for the president.

Now, we saw the president down here this weekend for that rally, highlighting the fact that perhaps more than anything this race is about him.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT (voice-over): It's the weekly Sunday chess meet-up at the Mt. Lebanon Mall. John Surlow is a longtime chess coach and supporter of President Trump, who enjoyed the freewheeling raucous rally.

JOHN SURLOW, VOTING FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE RICK SACCONE: Well, I think he's very successful and I want to see him continue to be.

MARQUARDT: And that means supporting Republican state Rep. Rick Saccone over the 33-year-old Democrat Conor Lamb, a retired Marine and former federal prosecutor. MARQUARDT (on camera): How much of your support for Saccone is actually about Saccone versus the Republican Party of Trump?

SURLOW: Very little.

MARQUARDT: Really? You don't even care about Conor?

SURLOW: I think Conor Lamb has got a great personality, a great persona. He's like Jack Kennedy all over again. I mean, he's just terrific.

MARQUARDT: But still, you'll just vote for the Republican?

SURLOW: Oh yes, definitely.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): Surlow and Trump know that this race is seen as a referendum on the president.

DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: The world is watching. This -- I hate to put this pressure on you, Rick.

They're all watching because I won this district like by 22 points. That's a lot. That's why I'm here. Look at all those red hats, Rick.

MARQUARDT: Here, this corner of southwestern Pennsylvania, is also where he's hoping his announcement of steel and aluminum tariffs will resonate with voters as they have with Surlow.

SURLOW: I feel like the Republican Party has got a Wall Street wing and a Main Street wing and the tariffs are mainly in support of the Main Street wing.

CAROL THOMAS, VOTING FOR REPUBLICAN RICK SACCONE: If it actually has the effect that he says it will have I would be for it.

MARQUARDT: At a diner in nearby Canonsburg, Carol Thomas isn't convinced nor is her husband, Bob.

BOB THOMAS, VOTING FOR DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE CONOR LAMB: It's going to come around to bite us.

MARQUARDT: Lifelong Republicans who don't like the president now at odds with their daughter, Michelle, who supports his agenda but not his attitude.

MICHELLE GRIMPE, VOTING FOR REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE RICK SACCONE: I don't necessarily like how the president presents things. I don't like his persona of speech. That's why I'm still supporting Saccone. It did cause me to look a little towards Conor Lamb.

MARQUARDT: And for some like Carol who are wavering even more, Trump's visit didn't help.

C. THOMAS: If anything, if I was Conor, I'd tell Trump to stay away because he puts his foot in his mouth. But I look at Saccone as someone who has a really good background and a lot of experience. He can probably negotiate the politics.

MARQUARDT (on camera): You're saying that the president's support of Saccone and his rally for Saccone would make you less inclined to support him?

C. THOMAS: Much less inclined.

MARQUARDT (voice-over): In the end, mother and daughter will vote for Rick Saccone. Father for Conor Lamb, though. One American family struggling as so many are and will this year to reconcile their beliefs with deepening political divisions.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

MARQUARDT: And Chris, another indicator of how important this race is for Republicans, outside Republican groups have spent more than $10 million on Saccone. This should be such an easy win for Saccone that even if he manages to eke out a victory it could still be seen as a loss -- Chris.

CUOMO: Yes, I think you're right on that and it's interesting how there's this -- you know, this divergence of opinion or diversity of opinion on the president but they're all for Saccone that you were talking to in that diner.