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Anderson Cooper 360 Degrees

Anthony Weiner Sexting Scandal; Will and Kate Debut Royal Baby; Diana and Catherine; Close Friend of Princess Diana Reflects

Aired July 23, 2013 - 20:00   ET

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

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Good evening, everyone.

We'll, of course, have the latest on Britain's new prince, making his public debut today. That -- a lot in-depth tonight.

But, first breaking news and there's no prince charming in it. Anthony Weiner, the sexting congressman who resigned in disgrace and is now running for mayor of New York, admitting to sending additional sexually explicit messages more than a year after stepping down from Congress and not long after a flattering spread in "People" magazine about his new son and rebuilt family life.

Again he was doing this a full year after he shamefully resigned from Congress, after he apologized to his constituents, after he publicly apologized to his wife.

And speaking of his wife, Huma, she was by his side when Weiner spoke to reporters today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANTHONY WEINER, NEW YORK CITY MAYORAL CANDIDATE: Some of these things happened before my resignation, some of them happened after. But the fact is that that was also the time my wife and I were working through some things in our marriage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, the explicit messages were sent on Form Spring according to a Web site called the dirty.com which published them. Weiner allegedly using the online handle Carlos Danger. The question tonight, what drove him to keep at it long after it seemed he was over it, long after it wrecked his career and strained his marriage.

A sex relationship expert joins us later in the program but first Dana Bash has the latest.

So you covered the Weiner scandal when it broke around two years ago. Did you ever in your wildest imagine think you would see what you saw today?

DANA BASH, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: No, I mean, not a chance. And first of all, let's just go back in time. I still couldn't believe what happened happened at the time. But certainly, knowing the people who are close to him, knowing the people who are around them, it seemed very clear that this was his wife giving him a second chance, and that he was going to therapy and dealing with it.

And what was one of the many things that was extraordinary about the press conference today was that it was Huma Abedin herself, his wife, who revealed the news that it was just a year ago that he was still engaging in this activity.

Listen to what she said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUMA ABEDIN, ANTHONY WEINER'S WIFE: Our marriage, like many others, has had its ups and its downs. It took a lot of work and a whole lot of therapy to get to a place where I could forgive Anthony. It was not an easy choice in any way, but I made the decision that it was worth staying in this marriage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: So, Dana, I mean, the timing of this, I'm assuming this means that he was sending these explicit sexual messages to other people while his wife was pregnant, even after his child was born, is that correct?

BASH: It certainly seems that way. I mean, if you sort of do the math going back to when he resigned in the first place, Huma -- that was when she revealed that she was pregnant. She was just pregnant. I think she was in her first trimester. If you look at what was on dirty.com it said that he was sending these messages in July and August of 2012. Their son was born in December of 2011.

So it appears that way. But we don't know for sure that those are the dates but he did make clear that it happened well into -- well into last year.

COOPER: There are obviously -- you know, one of the -- when this press conference ended, when they were walking away, one reporter was kind of yelling out, why should anybody trust you, and it was a question he didn't answer.

You know Huma Abedin personally. How unusual is it for her to speak publicly like this? Because I don't think I've ever heard her speak like this.

BASH: Well, you know, I don't know her well, but I certainly know a lot of people who do know her well, and she's very well respected. And, you know, she's almost like Cher and Madonna is and the rest of the world here in Washington, she's just known as Huma because she is such a fixture especially in Hillary Clinton's inner circle. She has been for decades now.

And there has been a lot, Anderson, written about how private she is. And she certainly is. She has a very tight loyal circle of friends but she's also incredibly politically sophisticated. Not only did she learned on the knee of Hillary Clinton, the most famous kind of stand-by-her-man political wife, she also was the go-to person for anyone who wanted to get to Hillary Clinton, which means that she had to be one of the most discerning, savvy figures in politics, so we have to remember that about her, as well.

COOPER: Must be an extraordinarily difficult day for her.

Dana, we'll get back to you shortly.

BASH: Absolutely.

COOPER: More to talk about on this.

Now let's go to London, though. St. Mary's Hospital, the moment everyone was waiting for. Prince William and Catherine giving the young prince of Cambridge his first look at the world and vice versa. For now at least it's a world of paparazzi, press and cell phone cameras. The young prince won't say his first words for awhile, obviously, so for his first interview, he let mom and dad do the talking.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: Well, he's got a good pair of lungs on him, that's for sure. He's a big boy, he's quite heavy. But we're still working on a name. So we'll have that as soon as we can. But it's the first time we've seen him really, so having a proper chance to catch up. Very emotional.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: Yes, it's very emotional. It's such a special time. I think any parent, I think probably, sort of know what this feeling feels like.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: It's very special. It wasn't. I'll remind him of his tardiness when he's a bit older. Because I know long (INAUDIBLE), so hopefully the hospital and you guys can all get back to normal now and we can, you know, look after him. So --

(CROSSTALK)

He's got her looks, thankfully.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: No, no, no.

(LAUGHTER)

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: Wait and see. Wait and see. We've done that already.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: Yes, he's done his first nappy earlier.

UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: How he's done?

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: Good.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: And very, very good.

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: He's got way more than me, thank god. Thank you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: A short time later the royal family left, daddy carrying the car seat, leaving the same way that he himself did with his mother, Princess Dianna, more than three decades ago. The parents and baby rode home in a black SUV, home being Kensington Palace, where Will and Harry grew up. Meantime the country is still celebrating.

Let's go to Max Foster who's outside Buckingham Palace.

Describe the mood outside St. Mary's Hospital when William and Kate stepped out, Max, with their son for the first time.

MAX FOSTER, CNN ROYAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it was electric. I have to say. We've been waiting so long for this moment, obviously, not as long as Kate and William. And they were right at the heart of it. But there was a huge crowd outside of journalist that had been gathered for, you know, one, for some people two weeks. So it was a truly electric atmosphere and we were getting briefings from the palace about what to expect when. So there was this sense of anticipation.

And I have to say, I've never seen such a vast press pack. I mean, you've got the camera going in one direction. So it was terribly so interesting to have had a camera on the other side of the street because it was just endless, you couldn't see the end of it. A bank of cameras and photographers and journalists. Right while they were talking as they come out of here.

And, you know, that in many ways would be William's worst nightmare, but he was relaxed and smiling, I mean, that huge smile on his face and the duchess, she looked relaxed, and the baby seemed pretty happy. There are some pictures of him crying, but I was right there. He wasn't crying a lot.

This was a family that was bonded. And this is the interesting thing about yesterday because after the baby was born, they had a four-hour gap before they announced it. That was to the frustration of some of the journalists there, but what they were doing was trying to have a bit of time together. They didn't have visitors until today. This was just the three of them and he stayed overnight.

So I think William's priority and Kate's priority is to create a little family unit, and she was brought up in that. His little family unit was sort of, obviously, hit very hard when his mother died and he wants to make sure this little boy has a perfect little family.

COOPER: It was interesting, Max, because, I mean, it was obviously very carefully choreographed, their appearance, the passing of the new baby from Kate to William, the putting the baby -- you know, the baby was put in a car seat inside, and then William brought him around to the car, and then actually drove off in the vehicle together.

It was all very, very thought out, very sweet, but these things are all planned, yes?

FOSTER: Yes, I mean, we were told exactly what was going to happen. And apart from their handing the baby over, but you can see the way they were doing that. That could have been planned, as well. So that was exactly what we expected to happen.

I mean, it's often the case for those two. They do sort of plan exactly what they're going to do. And this is what -- how Kate looks so relaxed and so in control because she plans what she's going to do. She thinks about what she is going to do.

But I think there was a bit of emotion there, as well, with Kate and that was the first time I've seen that with her where she -- it's understandable, of course. But this was a -- you know, a big, big moment for them, and to have that little boy exposed to that, you know, Torrance of media, I think is so symbolic, says so much about the world he's being born into.

COOPER: Also seeing William driving off, actually driving the vehicle himself, I mean, that's something I don't think I've ever seen before from a member of the royal family. Certainly, you don't see Charles kind of driving his own car.

FOSTER: No, and crucially he didn't have to do it, did he? I mean, he's got this bevy of staff that could have done it for him. And I remember when my boy was born I was very scared about driving him for the very first time and putting him in the car seat even. And I would have gladly had a driver drive me home. But he wanted to do that, and as you say, they thought about everything, so that was symbolic, and I think something about them more than monarchy perhaps, but really it's about them doing it their way.

They keep control of their lives, they keep a sense of normality by doing everything their own way. And, you know, him carrying the car seat, putting it in. Him being there overnight and not having lots of visitors and aides around him. It was all about them having their unit, but it says a lot about modern monarchy because it just wouldn't have happened that way 30 years ago, although they didn't need car seats in the same way either.

COOPER: Yes. Max, stick around.

I also want to bring in CNN royal analyst Katie Nicholl and Victoria Arbiter. It really was kind of interesting to watch the symbols of the modernization of the monarchy through this appearance today.

VICTORIA ARBITER, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: It really was. Even just looking at what William was wearing. I know that seems a little bit superficial but when Diana and Charles came out of the hospital, Charles was in a double-breasted suit, it was very formal.

Charles is always sort of dressed befitting his position. And he's ongoing position. You rarely see him in sort of casual clothes, and I think, again, William is just showing this modern world in which we live, how the monarchy is adapting to be included in that modern world.

People often don't wear suits to work anymore. He's sort of chilled, he's casual, and the fact that he was so hands-on leaving the hospital as well. I think his -- Dianna was very keen for him to have play dates and do things that all his friends did, and we saw that play out today in the sense that his friends walk out of the hospital with their wives carrying the car seats, then they drive to their new family home. And so --

(CROSSTALK)

COOPER: And Katie, we're looking at these pictures of 31 years ago, the exact same steps as William himself was introduced to the world. It's hard to believe that he is now a dad.

KATIE NICHOLL, CNN ROYAL COMMENTATOR: I know. It was 31 years ago. You just can't believe that time goes so quickly, and I don't think anyone would have watched this couple come down the stairs today with their little bundle and not have thought of Dianna and Charles coming down with baby William.

They really were following very famous steps but as Max and Victoria just pointed out, this is -- this is a new modern royal family. They are doing things differently. William and Kate have already paved the way for this future monarch which will be leading us into a different century, so it'd be very different times.

COOPER: And Victoria, in terms of the naming of the baby. How -- what is that process?

ARBITER: Well, it took seven days to release William's day back in the day. It took a month to release Charles' name. I think William is not going to make us wait that long. He's going to be eager for the furor to die down so that he can get to the business of just being with this child.

It was quite interesting that he said to the press, you can go back to doing what you do, while we take care of the baby. So he's going to be keen for everything to get sort of quieted down. So I think we'll probably have a name by Thursday or Friday when the Queen heads Balmorals.

COOPER: And Victoria, Kate Middleton's, the duchess' parents actually visited before Prince Charles and Camilla Parker-Bowles.

ARBITER: There shouldn't be anything read into that. It was just purely scheduling. Charles and Camilla were up in the north of England today doing engagements and Charles, being the generation that he is, it was duty, duty, duty, don't disappoint anyone, do the job at hand and then whiz down to London as quickly as he could to see the baby.

COOPER: Katie, Kate and William so seem to have a respectful understanding the role of the press, William joked that when his son is going to be older he has to remind his son of his tardiness because how long reporters had to camp outside. That's something that -- I mean, obviously he has grown up in the public eye and sort of in a way sympathetic to reporters, but at the same time wanting his own privacy.

NICHOLL: Yes, it's been a difficult relationship with the press for William and for his younger brother Harry, of course, because of what happened to their mother but I think things are moving on. It is a better relationship particularly with the British press, and I'm not sure it will ever be completely amicable but I think both William and Kate accept and appreciate that there is a demand for information and for pictures.

And what we'll see now going forward how is how that's going to be balanced, how it's going to be managed. They've got some very good private secretaries looking after them at the moment, a very experienced team, and I think there has to be a happy compromise and I think it will be found.

COOPER: And, Max, where do they go from here? I mean, their apartment, I guess, is not -- is not ready yet.

FOSTER: Apartment is not ready. That will be their family home. So it's a big, grand apartment. They called it apartment. It's effectively a mansion but it's part of the palace. That will be ready in the autumn. They're currently -- tonight staying in a two-bedroom cottage on the grounds. It's not really a family home.

I suspect they're going to end up in Bucklebury, it's all speculation, really, but that's going to be a private sort of space. They enjoyed their time there. I think Kate will certainly want her mom involved once the family unit has bonded properly. But I think there's something interesting about Kensington Palace right now because they're taking their baby back there.

I spoke to a palace aide when Prince Harry moved into Kensington Palace. And it was made pretty clear to me that William wanted Prince Harry in Kensington Palace. This month you got a whole team, the team that Katie is talking about, that fantastic team of private secretaries and press secretaries. They're really good at their job and he's created a little court there, William, in Kensington Palace, and this really solidified it today.

Once they got their home, they got their staff around them. They've moved away from Clarence House and Prince Charles and that whole machine. You're going to start seeing their little machine really taking shape, and it really is Kate, William and Harry. They've always been seen as a threesome and they work together, and now there's a little prince involved as well.

COOPER: Max Foster, Katie Nicholl, Victoria Arbiter, thanks very much.

Next, more on the haunting parallels between young Catherine and young Dianna and how the woman would have been her daughter-in-law is setting herself apart.

Later, the image of Huma Abedin today standing beside a man who has now embarrassed her more than once. What must she be going through. A lot more ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Introducing their new son to the world, the royal couple was quick to give credit where credit is due.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRINCE WILLIAM, DUKE OF CAMBRIDGE: He's got her looks thankfully.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: No, no, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, if in fact the prince is right, it's fitting in a way because so many people have said that William bears a striking resemblance to his mother, the late Diana, Princess of Wales. If you're a certain age, you can't help but have the memories, as we talked about at the top. You can't help but notice the parallels between now and a time when another young couple was coming home from the very same hospital.

More on them then and now from 360's Randi Kaye.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

FOSTER: There's the baby. The new royal heir.

RANDI KAYE, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Britain's newest prince was introduced to the world in a manner that may seem familiar.

FOSTER: It's so iconic after when William and Diana appeared there 31 years ago, and Charles, of course.

KAYE: Thirty-one years ago it was Princess Diana and Prince Charles coming down the steps to introduce their royal baby, Prince William.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: May we see your son, Your Royal Highness?

KAYE: Who is now in the role of the proud happy father. But all eyes were on Catherine today just as they were on Princess Diana 31 years ago. Both new mothers in polka dot dresses, Catherine in blue, Diana in green.

CATHERINE, DUCHESS OF CAMBRIDGE: Very emotional moment. Such a special time. I think any parent, I think, probably sort of know what this feeling feels like.

KAYE: This is not the first time she's been compared to Princes Diana. Take a good look at these pictures. Notice anything similar? That's Princess Diana in Milan in 1985 and Kate Middleton at a London fundraiser in 2008, both in the same color pink.

CINDI LEIVE, EDITOR IN CHIEF, GLAMOUR MAGAZINE: Lots of people ask, is Kate trying to dress like Diana? I don't think so. I think this is her style. She is too smart to try to emulate an icon like Diana. She knows she has to wade her own path.

KAYE: And that's exactly what she is doing, despite some remarkably similar outfits. And despite headlines like this one, suggesting she is Diana 2.0.

Unlike Diana, Catherine has a confidence about her with good reason. She's known her prince for years. She and Prince William attended university together and they'd lived together. Diana and Prince Charles had dated for only six months before he proposed, and their interest could not have been more different. The blushing bride seems so uncomfortable around her prince she earned the nickname "Shy Di."

CNN's Richard Quest covers the royals.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN HOST AND CORRESPONDENT: There isn't that shy mouse rabbit in the headlight looks that we saw with Diana who finally broke down under the pressure of all of this, even before the wedding at a polo match. But there is none of that. Kate is confident because she has the support of William and she has the support of the royal family who have learned from the mistakes.

KAYE: The Duchess of Cambridge also has the advantage of age and maturity. She was nine years older than Diana was on her wedding day. She's also five months older than William. Diana was 13 years younger than Prince Charles. But despite their differences, the two women will inevitably continue to be compared, especially now.

Catherine and Diana both mothers to the future kings of England.

Randi Kaye, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: It's amazing to see it side by side like that. I want to explore the parallels of it more now with a close friend of Diana, Princess of Wales, Lana Marks.

Welcome. Thanks very much for being with us. As I said, you were a friend of Prince William's mother, the late Princess Diana. When you saw the royal couple today with their newborn baby, what was your first reaction?

LANA MARKS, CLOSE FRIEND OF PRINCESS DIANA: My first reaction is how sad it was that Diana wasn't here to share this wonderful, wonderful moment, Anderson. She would have been so proud, so overjoyed. And totally besotted (ph). But I know that she's here in spirit.

COOPER: She must -- I mean, as you said, she would be so extraordinarily proud about both -- how both of her sons have turned out.

MARKS: Oh, she would be absolutely delighted, and she is delighted, and the fact that William has done such a great job. He's doing everything perfectly and with Catherine by his side, being especially support system, Diana would be beaming from ear to ear. She would be so thrilled that William do such a perfect job, with Catherine also doing such a perfect job. And that all her lessons with her majesty at the Buckingham Palace and all her one-on-one with William and being William's confidant all those years would have worked out so well, so perfectly today.

COOPER: Do you think -- I mean, do you see Diana's influence on these two young men about how they live their lives, the choices they make, the careers they pursued, the life they live?

MARKS: Oh my gosh, it's such an enormous influence of Diana on both William and Harry. All her day-to-day conversations with them, sharing with them, and teaching them how to be the royals for the next generation. Diana has ensured that William is going to be the perfect king for our generation, for the next generation, to all his two billion subjects worldwide.

And she has brought him into the modern era in a way in which it could not have been done by anybody else. She's done a magnificent job and the fact that William is performing so perfectly.

And another thing, Anderson, Diana would be so proud of William and incredible correct choice he made in Catherine and her family. It's working out so well and I suspect going forward that the press are going to have the most marvelous love affair with the two of them and also Harry. And also particularly the new royal heir.

COOPER: There is such a risk in growing up in that kind of a bubble that William and Harry grew up in, and yet they both seem to have whether I assume it was really Diana's influence but they both seem to have figured out ways to pierce that bubble and to be in touch with people from all different walks of life. Even their career, you know, on a daily basis, and their service, their military service puts them in contact with regular people every single day.

MARKS: Oh, yes, absolutely. Dianna's influence 100 percent and everything is thought out so carefully and so wonderfully with William's future role as king, his military career which is impeccable, his university career together with Catherine, both of them which are impeccable. And she has to an art history degree which is going to be incredible in her assistance with William in the future.

And also, the fact that they're doing things in such a normal way, in such an abnormal setting, in such a crazy world setting, and the fact that they are able to satisfy the media and then go back and have a wonderful private, normal family life with the Middleton family, who obviously have been enormously protective as well as William.

And I think this is a huge formula for incredible success and Diana, I know, would be beaming from ear to ear that every little thing day in and out, at all the time she spent with William and all the teaching to William in his future role as king. She would be so delighted and so proud of him, and she'd say, good job, Will, and give him English high five.

(LAUGHTER)

COOPER: Well, Lana Marks, thank you so much for being on. It's really wonderful to talk to you. Thank you.

MARKS: Thank you very much, indeed. Great honor.

COOPER: Well, for more on the new prince, you can go to CNN.com.

Just ahead, more on tonight's breaking news. Anthony Weiner has now admitted he was still sexting more than a year after he resigned from Congress but he isn't dropping out of the New York mayoral race. He's been down this road before. We'll see what impact it may have on the race this time.

Also an incredibly close call for two divers who almost became dinner for two humpback whales. You no doubt have seen this video. It's gone viral around the world. Tonight, I will talk to the divers ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Welcome back. More on tonight's breaking news. New York mayoral candidate Anthony Weiner, with his wife at his side, admitting to sending additional sexually explicit messages more than a year after he resigned from Congress a disgrace. He called a press conference a lewd online exchanges surfaced today on a Web site called the dirty.com.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEINER: As I've said in the past, these things that I did were wrong and hurtful to my wife and caused us to go through many challenges in our marriage that extended past my resignation from Congress. While some of the things that have been posted today are true and some are not, there is no question that what I did was wrong. This behavior is behind me. I've apologized to my wife, Huma, and I'm grateful that she has worked through these issues with me, and that I had her forgiveness.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: One of the most extraordinary moments during the press conference came when Huma Abedin herself took the mic and publicly backed her husband.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

HUMA ABEDIN, ANTHONY WEINER'S WIFE: Anthony has made some horrible mistakes, both before he resigned from Congress and after. But I do strongly believe that is between us and our marriage.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: Well, to some people it was a big dose of deja vu. You may remember when the scandal first broke in late May of 2011. Weiner flat out denied he tweeted a photo of a man in under pants. He said his Twitter account had been hacked and he stuck to that story for days then he backed off a little and said he couldn't be sure if the photo was of him or not.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You will not flat out deny that photograph is not you?

WEINER: Here's what I will. I will say that we're trying to figure out exactly what happened here.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: This is strange. You can't tell me definitively that is a photo of you or not?

WEINER: Look, I'm reluctant to say to you definitively anything about this.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Is there a picture out there of you in your drawers that you are worried about that you can't defend what you say that it's not you --

WEINER: Here we've been sitting down a brief moment and you're already asking if there are pictures of me in my drawers.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: And there were. After more photos of Weiner surfaced along with explicit messages, Weiner came clean in front of the cameras.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WEINER: Over the past few years, I have engaged in several inappropriate conversations conducted over Twitter, Facebook, e-mail and occasionally on the phone with women I have met online. I've exchanged messages and photos of an explicit nature with about six women over the last three years. For the most part, these communications took place before my marriage though some have said they took place after. To be clear, I have never met any of these women or had physical relationships at any time.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

COOPER: But 10 days later, Weiner resigned from Congress. Dana Bash joins me now. Again, I want to bring in chief political analyst Gloria Borger and relationship expert, Simone Bienne who is a form co- host of "Love Lines." So Dana, let's talk about more about the timeline of when this behavior was going on. He left Congress in 2011 so it seemed like it was going on for a long time after that.

DANA BASH, CNN SENIOR CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It certainly does. He didn't give, neither he nor Huma gave an exact date of when it was happening, but they both admitted it was happening after he resigned. If you believe "thedirty.com," which is of course, the web site that posted this initially, it said that the exchanges that it posted, which were pretty explicit at times happened in July, August of 2012, which was a year ago and a full year after he resigned.

So that really is what is shocking. People who have covered him and who have covered his attempt to resurrect his political career with the mayor's race in New York, but also with some sources who I've been talking to here in Washington who knew him very well when he was in Congress saying you've got to be kidding me.

You know, they thought that this was his chance at a second chance, many of whom told me that they thought he was trying to do it too soon, but this is just unbelievable even the people who went through the very difficult scandal with him two years ago.

COOPER: And Gloria, I mean, you can't under estimate the importance of having Huma Abedin by his side today, correct?

GLORIA BORGER, CNN CHIEF POLITICAL ANALYST: No, you really can't. It was stunning to hear her speak. You know, a lot of times we hear the good wife. We don't -- we see her, but we don't hear her. Today we heard from Huma. She was very direct. She said I have forgiven him, and I believe in him. So a wife can really be a very strong character witness. She said they've been through a lot of couple of therapy.

I think the question voters in New York will be asking is running for mayor another part of couple's therapy, or is this somebody we can trust, whose judgment we can trust? Maybe he needs more time to work it out with his wife, and his family, and not also try to be the mayor of a big city like New York.

COOPER: Simone, as you look at this through the lens of a psychosexual therapist, what do you ever of this? I mean, he says he's been through therapy and put this behind them as of a year ago. Is it that easy? Is that something you stop doing?

SIMONE BIENNE, RELATIONSHIP EXPERT: No, you have to have treatment for a long time, but the language he was using, Anderson, gives us indication of how much work he needs to do on himself because he was talking about he caused stress on his marriage. What causes a stress on your marriage is not taking the garbage out, not what he did.

When he talks about when I made a mistake, he's talking like a cognitive process. He's not using the sex addictive and recovery language where he would be very much talking about, you know, I've seek forgiveness. Don't forget, sex addicts know they are in pain and feel bad about it. I can't see him feeling bad about it.

COOPER: Is this some sort of compulsive -- I mean, that word addiction is thrown around a lot and whether or not there is sexual addiction, is this some sort of compulsive behavior? What goes into this?

BIENNE: I think it could be acting out, it could be thrill seeking, power, hungry, you know, acting out in itself, we don't know whether it's narcissism he is doing it because he feels entitled to or whether he has an addiction. But what we're certainly saying he's ruining his political career, but he isn't showing any remorse and that's why I'm sort of sifting on the line. I would love to call him a sex addict because guess what? There is more chance of him recovering and the marriage staying strong if he is. If he's a narcissist, there isn't because he'll continue doing what he wants.

COOPER: Gloria, from a political standpoint, I mean, you know, in this city, people are willing to give people a second chance.

BORGER: Sure.

COOPER: I guess now the question is, is this a third chance that people would be giving him? Will people buy sort of this latest story, which is basically a new one?

BORGER: Well, you know, I think voters anywhere don't like to be fooled. They are willing to forgive and we talk about the politics of redemption and all the rest of that, but the notion here is that Weiner, while he sort of vaguely eluded to the fact early on that there were other women, the timeline of this, as Dana pointed out, is so important because the feeling was after he left the Congress, he was working on his life.

He was working on getting his head back on straight, and now we discover for another year, he was still sexting. And New Yorkers may say you know what? You probably tried to get away with this without telling us all the details until it was put on a web site and they probably won't like that.

COOPER: He's a formidable campaigner, though, Dana.

BASH: He is a formidable campaigner and he is for lack of a better word of saying it very, very stubborn. Remember go back to two years ago, he didn't admit or didn't just come out that he sent these pictures and sent these texts and then he resigned the next day. It was weeks, Anderson, and it was after many, many phone calls from the closest confidence from closest friends, saying enough already Anthony, get out.

And him saying, no, I'm not going to go. It frustrated them and a story that went on and on. It would not be surprising if he stays in for awhile, even at the end and let the voters decide based on the way he was so determined to stay in, even in the face of unbelievable pressure from even his closest friends two years ago.

COOPER: All right, Dana, thanks very much. Gloria Borger and Simone Bienne, it's good to have you on. Thank you very much.

Coming up, the NTSB steps in to try to figure out why the nose gear of that Southwest Airlines jet collapsed as it arrived at LaGuardia Airport causing that scary landing for passengers. We have the latest in the investigation.

And also the incredible encounter caught on tape between scuba divers and hump back whales. I'm going to speak with the divers who were in the water when that happened.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Tonight a close encounter of the huge kind, scuba divers off the coast of California got the shock of their lives and caught it on camera. Shawn Stamback and some friends were out diving when two hump back whales chasing a school of fish right near them jumped out of the water. I'll speak with Sean in just a moment. He was actually filming under water as his friend was filming from the boat. But first take a look at the incredible video.

It is amazing. Shawn Stamback and the other diver, Francis, made it back to the boat safe, shook up. They join me live from California. Sean, the video is amazing. I've seen it so many times. Watching that video, it gives close call a whole new meaning. Did you have any idea that there were whales in the area?

SHAWN STAMBACK, DIVER IN CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH HUMPBACK WHALES: We knew that there were whales in the area, but, you know, they were three quarters of a mile to a mile away from us. So we had no idea those two had snuck in and decided to take a meal right from underneath us.

COOPER: Shawn, there is a moment on the video when you see a school of fish, I don't know if those are sardines or krill or what, but did you sense then --

STAMBACK: Anchovy I think.

COOPER: Did you sense then that something might be up because clearly there were predators there?

STAMBACK: Right, well like you said, I had my face down in the water and the anchovy swam underneath me going horizontally and all of a sudden, they changed direction trying to get out of the water. At that moment, I knew that there was a -- something going on and as -- I had no idea that there was a hump back whale behind them chasing them and seconds later, I pulled my head up out of the water because I heard some yelling and I just made a beeline to the back of the boat.

COOPER: Francis, what was going through your mind when you realized what was happening?

FRANCIS ANTIGUA, DIVER IN CLOSE ENCOUNTER WITH HUMPBACK WHALES: You know, I kind of sensed a little bit of danger before that happened. If you watch the video, I kind of turn back and try to go towards the boat, and I relaxed a little bit and I didn't even know that the whales were behind me at first. I saw them come down, but I didn't see them like reach out of the water.

COOPER: So neither of you actually saw the whales as they were coming up?

ANTIGUA: No, I saw them coming down. I thought Shawn was behind me. I knew he was behind me and I thought he was inside the whale. So I looked back and saw he was safe, you know, I had relief and was able to laugh about it later.

COOPER: Wow, Shawn, were you concerned that the tail might hit you because getting hit with one of those things I would imagine could easily kill you.

STAMBACK: That was the first thing that went through my mind. As soon as I seen all the fish boil come up in my face and I heard the yell and looked up and saw the whales, you know, just feet from me, the first thing that came through my mind is all the pictures you see with the tail coming out of the water. And I was right in the path of where that might happen, so I made a beeline to the boat and tried to get out of the way, you know, as fast as I could, and, you know, fortunately, everything happened the way it did and nobody got hurt.

COOPER: Did they make any sound or just the sound of the water turning?

STAMBACK: I didn't hear any sound from the whales. All I heard a bunch of yelling and commotion on the boat and I looked over and saw these two mountains sticking out of the water.

COOPER: Francis, do you think the whales knew you were there?

ANTIGUA: I think so. I think they are fairly intelligent creatures, and I think they avoided us, for sure. You know, they are really intelligent, and I think they managed to avoid us.

COOPER: Francis, do you have any plans to get back in the water? I don't know if you're incredibly lucky or not. Does this ever you think twice about going for another dive?

ANTIGUA: No, I love the ocean. You know, I'll go back right now if I could but I got to work.

COOPER: Shawn, same with you?

STAMBACK: Yes, this is my passion. So, you know, I won't let -- I won't let some whales that gave me a bad day, you know, stop me from going out and having a good time and enjoying life.

COOPER: Well, it's just incredible video and something you'll have forever. Shawn and Francis, thank you so much.

STAMBACK: Thank you, sir.

COOPER: Glad you guys are OK. Just ahead, new details about a woman's final moments after falling from a roller coaster at Six Flags over Texas. Plus new word about investigation on the failed front landing gear on a Southwest Airlines jetliner.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Let's get caught up on some of the other stories we're following. Isha is here with the 360 Bulletin -- Isha.

ISHA SESAY, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Anderson, breaking news on same sex marriage, California Supreme Court denying a San Diego official's request to stop them. Last month, you'll recall the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that same-sex marriages could resume in the state.

New details tonight on the Texas woman killed while riding a roller coaster. A medical examiner reports that 52-year-old Rosie Esparza was thrown out of her seat as the coaster called the Texas Giant was on a steep descent. She fell 75 feet, struck a metal beam and landed on a rooftop.

Federal officials will conduct a full investigation to determine why the front landing gear of Southwest Airlines Flight 345 collapsed. It happened yesterday as the plane from Nashville arrived at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

The Massachusetts cop who released photos of the captured Boston bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has been assigned to desk duty pending an investigation. Sergeant Sean Murphy was not authorized to release them. He did so in response to "Rolling Stone" magazine's cover photo of Tsarnaev which Murphy called an insult.

And Taco Bill will stop selling kids meals at its restaurants by next year. In a statement the CEO said, that selling kids meals and toys doesn't make sense for the company anymore. Anderson, let's toss Taco Bell to the side and talk about the conversation you had with those divers, incredible.

COOPER: Yes. It was. Is that it?

SESAY: No, I guess, the thing that really struck me was how he said he wouldn't let humpback whales get between him and his passion.

COOPER: Yes.

SESAY: I think he might want to rethink that.

COOPER: You think so? Why? I don't think so. I think it make sense.

SESAY: You're weird. People shouldn't go by you.

COOPER: Well, that's probably true. Isha, thanks. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: Before we go, a programming note, tonight, we assembled a town hall on race and justice in America. It's the second one in our on-going series. We think it's an important topic. I can tell you it was very engaging conversation. It's going to be on at 10:00 tonight, one hour from now. Here is a sample.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: That study, you were talking about the doctors prescribing -- doctors are more likely to prescribe invasive surgery for African-Americans than they are for whites and it cuts across all socioeconomic lines?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In addition to that, the last time I mentioned pediatricians and how cruel it was and how bias shows up in cruel ways. The pediatricians were less likely to prescribe pain management for young black kids than they were for white kids. How cruel is that?

COOPER: But I did understand -- I was looking into the studies and my understanding was when they were informed about that bias, they were able to correct --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: They were able to correct.

COOPER: Which is interesting --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's the education point in the insurance industry and in your own life. I've looked at that particular field from an insurance point of view. One, access and ability and what you're plans carry. Two, education which is a key part of that, if you don't understand what you need to do for yourself, what your role as a patient or with a patient advocate or whatever the case is, then your decision may not be the same as someone who has a better level of education --

COOPER: But you know what? I don't challenge my doctor. I don't educate myself on being a patient --

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: But you should.

COOPER: Why should an African-American do that? I kick back and my doctor, he goes out of his way to be nice to me and it's not that he likes me I think.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is your responsibility as the patient.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here is the other thing, you cannot separate, which I think you're getting at is personal responsibility from historical trauma. There is this much African-American history life, this much free African-American history in American life. There is very few periods in American life that you can look at black people and said you had a chance to catch your breath and catch up from slavery to systematic wide spread social and cultural violence to Jim Crow to mass incarceration, war on drugs, which is a war on black and brown people. You go down the line all the way until you march up until now and say black people, we want you to turn on a dime or turn on a decade and fix it all and pull it together and get over it -- cultural memories go -- don't work that way.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COOPER: We're focussing on this town hall on hidden biases that a lot of people have on this society and don't know it. It's at 10:00 Eastern. I hope you join us. It's our second all new 360 town hall "Race and Justice in America Part Two." Thanks for watching. "PIERS MORGAN LIVE" starts now.