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Prince Harry Mirrors Princes Diana; Jury Selection in Chauvin Trial; Morgan Quits TV Show. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired March 10, 2021 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PRINCESS DIANA, PRINCESS OF WALES: And, obviously, that it was daunting because if you've never seen it before, how do you support it.

ANNA STEWART, CNN REPORTER: Harry and his brother, Prince William, put mental health awareness at the forefront.

PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: You want to, with a little bit of experience, you want to help as much as you can.

STEWART: In 1997, the Princess of Wales shocked the world when she walked through a live mine field in Angola. Steps Harry retraced 22 years later. For both mother and son, official tours of Australia were a turning point in their royal careers. Diana felt all the positive attention from that trip created jealousy on the part of other royals. Something harries and Meghan alluded to in their own lives after their 2018 trip to Australia in that bombshell interview with Oprah Sunday.

OPRAH WINFREY: Are you saying that there were hints of jealousy?

PRINCE HARRY: Look, I -- I just wish that we would all learn from the past.

STEWART: In her life, Diana made it her mission to reach the most desperate of people, some of the first on the global stage to advocate for AIDS patients.

PRINCESS DIANA: HIV does not make people dangerous to know. So you can shake their hands and give them a hug.

STEWART: Similarly, Harry co-funded (ph) a charity for AIDS orphans. The British army veteran also launched the Invictus Games to support wounded soldiers.

Diana tried to make life as normal as possible for her sons. Walking them to school and taking them on ski trips and to Walt Disney World. Harry, now cherishes the normalcy he can have with his family.

PRINCE HARRY: The highlight for me is sticking him on the back of a bicycle in his little baby seat and taking him on these bike rides is something that I never was able to do when I was young.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

STEWART: Prince Harry has splintered from the royal family, but there are hopes this big royal rift can be healed. It would have been Princess Diana's 60th birthday in July and already there's speculation that the brothers may unite to mark that.

Alisyn.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: Anna, thank you very much for that reporting.

Joining us now is Diane Clehane. She is the royals editor for "Best Life" and authors of two books, "Diana: The Secrets of her Style," and "Imagining Diana."

Diane, great to see you.

There are eerie echoes here this week of what happened to Diana, obviously, and what Meghan is going through. And, also, I was so -- it was so sort of poetic to find out -- to remember that Diana was killed, died, when she was 36 years old. That's the same age that Harry is right now. And so how could all of this not be at top of mind for him as he tries not to have history repeat itself.

DIANE CLEHANE, ROYALS EDITOR, "BEST LIFE": Well, thanks for having me, Alisyn.

I think that it's very clear that Diana's influence on Harry is stronger than ever, which I find really interesting. It does come because of the fact that he is her age now. He can look back and see what she must have been going through and relate to it far better than when he was a 12-year-old boy, when he knew that his mother was sad but he didn't understand why. So it's really extraordinary. I think Diana's presence was felt throughout that interview on Sunday night.

CAMEROTA: In that tell-all -- so-called tell-all interview that Diana did famously, she talked about, as you just heard there, struggling with depression. She resorted to bulimia. In different tapes, she talked about actual suicide attempts. And then, on Sunday night, we hear Meghan Markle talking about how she has struggled with depression since becoming -- since getting married and right around her wedding and that she had suicidal thoughts.

Diane, what is it about becoming a princess, about having to live in that royal family that does this to some women?

CLEHANE: Well, I think the basic idea that everyone in the royal family is there to support the crown. So the queen is the star, and they don't like anyone to sort of get out of line, so to speak. Diana had overtaken the royal family in terms of her stardom, her influence and the royals were jealous. There was a problem there. And, similarly, Harry and Meghan are among the most popular or were among the most popular couple in the U.K. before it all went wrong and certainly here. So that's a problem. And the other problem is, as we see, they just don't seem to know how

to deal with emotion. They don't seem to understand that people struggle and that you have to address that. I think it's incredible given the fact that they know what happened to Diana and, subsequently, they know what they had to do. They had to be more humane. They had to change. And it would seem, based on what Harry and Meghan said on Sunday night, that there really hadn't been very much change and I think that's really, really sad. And it is really coming back to haunt them right now. They're really in a bad way over there.

CAMEROTA: And so what are they going to do because, in their statement, they said that, you know, recollections can differ. So, in other words, their recollection of if there was some sort of racist comment or conversations are different than Harry and Meghan's.

[08:35:01]

Their recollection, perhaps of Meghan coming to ask for help is different. And so what will they do now?

CLEHANE: Well, I think it was extraordinary that they made that statement. I think that they had to do something very quickly because they didn't want to be perceived as ignoring it or being cold.

I think that the message in that message was that the queen is quite concerned. She's hurt. She's -- she loves Harry. She was very fond of Meghan and loved -- loves her. She loves Archie. She hasn't seen that child in almost two years. So I think the queen is pulling back and wants the family to sort of regroup and see if there's some kind of way they can get back together in some way that sort of erases some of this. But I really saw that statement as an olive branch to Harry and Meghan from the queen.

As far as the other royals, there's a lot of very hard feelings that still exist and I think it's going to take a great deal to fix all that.

CAMEROTA: I mean, how hard would it be to allow the women who marry into that family to have some semblance of an identity? How -- why was it so bad for Meghan to want to go out to lunch with her friends? Why do they have to confiscate the car keys and the ATM and the passport? I mean it does feel like you become a prisoner in the palace and why can't they loosen up that now?

CLEHANE: Well, the palace has always been about controlling their image. They aren't used to again someone coming in that wants to hit the ground running, as Meghan had said, and sort of look at doing things a different way. You can't change a centuries-old institution, you know, within months.

And, frankly, I think the bigger problem is that she was American. I mean the Brits really understand, as much as they can, what goes on in the royal family. An American coming into something like that, it bears no resemblance to what our life is here. So, as much as she is an old -- you know, was older, you know, had life experience, it was nothing like what she was coming into. They want everything to be the same. I mean Kate is someone that is admired over there tremendously. You don't hear her speaking out on anything remotely controversial, and she is always basically there to support William. And it took a long time for her to even start saying what she is saying now. So to have -- the idea of having an American come over and talk about things independent of what the palace wanted her to say was just astonishing to them. And I think it's a real culture clash in addition to the fact that they just don't seem to know what to do with strong women.

CAMEROTA: Yes. I mean Meghan said that it was hard for her to even fathom what it would be like and the restrictions there. It is hard for us, as Americans, to understand that.

Diane Clehane, thank you very much for your expertise in this. We really appreciate talking to you.

CLEHANE: Good to see you.

CAMEROTA: It's day two of jury selection for the former police officer charged with killing George Floyd. What could we hear in Derek Chauvin's defense, next.

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JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, jury selection resumes for ex- Minneapolis Police Officer Derek Chauvin's trial in the death of George Floyd. Three jurors have now been seated. Chauvin has pleaded not guilty. The question this morning, what will his defense strategy look like?

Joining us now, CNN legal analyst and criminal defense attorney Joey Jackson and retired LAPD Police Sergeant Cheryl Dorsey.

So, Joey, you know, what are the main arguments you expect to see from the defense?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: Yes. Good morning to you, John.

You know, I think the defense is going to do a few things. Let's start with, number one, causation. What do I mean? I think they're going to speak to -- you'll see a lot of medical testimony around the issue of cause of death, right? I think the defense will say, don't believe your lying eyes. I think they'll point to pre-existing conditions that he may have had. I think they'll look and explore the issue of any drugs that was in his system. So that will be central. You'll hear a lot of expert testimony with respect to that.

Then they're going to pivot to the issue of the use of force and talk about and blame, right, George Floyd. Hey, he was noncompliant. The force we used was necessary under the circumstances. We thought he could get out of the controlled hold he was in. If he did, he would represent a danger. From the outset he was causing a problem. So you'll see a lot of blame placed on him. Again, John, be ready for the experts as it relates to police force, the appropriateness of the force. And then finally, I think they will try to use as much adverse

material against George Floyd as they can with regard to his past, his background, what he did or didn't do. As much as the judge will allow, they will try to make him as unsympathetic.

Final point, the defense has already indicated to the judge that they don't want George Floyd referred to as the victim. So that will be the strategy for sure from a defense perspective.

BERMAN: So, Cheryl, it's victim blaming. It's blaming George Floyd, to an extent. How hard do you expect the defense to lean into that and how will that affect what we're seeing right now, which is jury selection?

CHERYL DORSEY, RETIRED LAPD SERGEANT: Well, I expect them to lean in very hard. And if you wind up with a jury that doesn't look anything like me or Mr. Floyd, it won't be very difficult for them to dirty him up is what they're trying to do.

And so, listen, the bottom line for me is this, and everyone needs to understand, George Floyd was in handcuffs. So he was under their dominion and control. It wasn't about getting compliance or gaining control of him. He was in that. And for Derek Chauvin to sit on his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds translated in my mind only to punishment. There was no other reason for it. It didn't matter what happened before. It doesn't matter who George Floyd is then or now. He was in handcuffs. He was in control.

BERMAN: And, Joey, the judge says the state only needs to prove that Chauvin's actions contributed to the death. Not that they were the sole cause of death. So that gets to the issue of drugs there, right? Maybe the knee on the neck contributed to it even though there were drugs in the system. How does the defense get around that?

JACKSON: Well, that's a very important point and it's not so much even the judge saying it, that's the law, right? It's the contributing factor, not the sole factor. But I think that's when you'll hear a lot of the medical testimony, a lot of the medical evidence with respect to what he had, if it were not for the things in his system, would he have died anyway?

[08:45:06]

If it was not for his pre-existing condition, would he have died anyone? This is an appropriate hold that is used.

And to raise, you know, the very important point that Cheryl just did, it's important to note he was in cuffs and expect blowback on that. You're going to hear the defense say, notwithstanding the fact that he was in cuffs, and in dominion and control, he could have represented a danger. So they will go after him hard.

And finally, John, as to the sole issue, they will say, yes, you know, the neck compression, that was something that they needed to do under the circumstances because he simply was not complying. There's going to be a lot of victim shaming here. And, again, they're going to ask you not to believe your lying eyes. This was egregious (ph). Everyone had a visceral reaction to it. It's very tough for the defense to overcome this, but they're going to attack, attack, attack in that regard.

BERMAN: So, Cheryl, three jurors selected yesterday. What stood out to you in terms of the questions that they were asked and who exactly was chosen?

DORSEY: Well, what stands out to me is that the questions seemed to be designed to benefit the defense. Certainly there's reportedly only about 12 percent of the prospective jurors that are actually black. And so if any black person in my mind answers affirmatively to the questions that we've heard posed, then that's a reason, in my mind, for the defense to strike. And they've got 15 strikes, many more than the prosecution.

So I think the fix is in. They want a predominantly white jury. And they will be sympathetic to Derek Chauvin's shenanigans.

BERMAN: Joey, there's this issue of third-degree murder, which is working its way through the courts right now.

How much does the prosecution want that?

JACKSON: I think they want it quite a bit, right? So just to be clear very briefly, they have -- if they get the third-degree murder charge, they have three bites at the apple. The first as it relates to unintentional murder. They merely have to show, that is the prosecution, that there was an action here by Chauvin and that action of assault, right, in the commission of a felony, there was a death, right? And, of course, the defense will say, oh, he wasn't assaulting him, he was getting him under control.

When you pivot to the issue of manslaughter, now the prosecution, John, just has to show an unreasonable risk, that there was negligence on the part of Chauvin.

But, to your point, if they don't get that, now you get to third- degree murder. What does that mean? It means your actions were depraved, they were reckless. Now, it has been used very briefly with regard to firing a shot into a crowd where you put a whole bunch of people in danger and one dies. The whole legal issue surrounding this is if it's been used in that regard to mean you represent a danger to a crowd and only one person died, how can you apply here. That's the legal issue going through the courts. The courts have said in the past that depravity can apply to one person. If the prosecution gets that, they get three shots at the apple. Any one of those could send them to jail, that is Chauvin, for a very long time.

BERMAN: Joey Jackson, Cheryl Dorsey, thank you both very much, raising a lot of interesting legal questions we'll watch over the next few weeks.

DORSEY: Thank you.

JACKSON: Thanks, John. BERMAN: Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: John, here's what else to watch today.

ON SCREEN TEXT: Soon, House votes on COVID relief bill.

12:30 p.m. ET, White House press briefing.

3:00 p.m. ET, President Biden holds vaccine event.

CAMEROTA: OK, we've had some breaking news this morning.

CNN just learning new details about how Meghan Markle is fighting back this morning. And what led British TV anchor Piers Morgan to storm off the airwaves. That's next.

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[08:52:52]

CAMEROTA: CNN just learning that Meghan Markle, the duchess of Sussex, lodged a formal complaint with the ITV network following Piers Morgan's on-air comments about her mental health. Morgan stormed off his morning show on Tuesday amid very heated discussions about Markle.

CNN's Max Foster is live in Windsor, England, with all of the breaking details.

What have you learned, Max?

MAX FOSTER, CNN ANCHOR AND ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, on Monday, Piers did go on what can only be described as a tirade against the Duchess of Sussex following her Oprah Winfrey interview. He said he didn't believe a word of what she was saying, including all of the mental health issues that she brought up there.

It prompted tens of thousands of complaints to the British TV regulator Ofcom. Next thing we know, Piers is called to the chief executive's office at ITV and then he resigns. We don't know what went on in those meetings.

But now, in the last couple of hours, we've had it confirmed that the Duchess of Sussex made a direct complaint to ITV, not against the personal attacks that Piers was making on her, they go back years, it's point -- it's been pointed out to me. What she was particularly concerned about and the basis of his complaint is the fact that he didn't believe her mental health claims and she was worried about the impact that would have on others and reduce -- or the impact it would have on the seriousness of mental health issues. So, for her, it's not about the attacks on her, it's about the impact on mental health awareness and the stigma against mental health.

But for Piers Morgan, it's something else. It's a debate about free speech. And he's refusing to apologize.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP) PIERS MORGAN, FORMER HOST, "GOOD MORNING BRITAIN": If people want to believe Meghan Markle, that's entirely their right. I don't believe almost anything that comes out of her mouth. I think the damage she's done to the British monarchy and to the queen at a time when Prince Philip is lying in hospital is enormous and, frankly, insensible. So if I have to fall on my sword for expressing an honestly held opinion, perhaps Meghan Markle and that diatribe of bilge that she came out with in that interview, so be it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[08:55:01]

FOSTER: It's amazing how this story has really blown up from, you know, a family breakdown effectively into all of these massive, seismic, cultural issues. And they're playing out here and people are getting increasingly divided about this in the United Kingdom, it has to be said, Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: Yes, Max, there seems to be breaking news on this almost every hour. So we'll see now if there is more response from the palace.

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: Thank you very much.

BERMAN: I will also say, for Piers Morgan, it may not just be about Piers Morgan for Piers Morgan, it's really just about him. I mean it's not about -- I'm sorry, it's not about free speech for Piers, it's about Piers more than anything else.

CAMEROTA: Well, he also seems to have a personal beef with Meghan Markle.

BERMAN: Yes.

CAMEROTA: And as has been reported, she -- he said that she ghosted him.

BERMAN: Right.

CAMEROTA: She stopped taking his phone calls. I think we now know why you might want to ghost Piers Morgan. I mean is that an unreasonable position for her?

BERMAN: Maybe a case closed (INAUDIBLE).

CAMEROTA: OK. Yes.

The House will soon vote on President Biden's relief bill.

CNN's coverage continues, next.

BERMAN: Don't ever ghost me.

CAMEROTA: I wouldn't. I wouldn't.

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