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Terrorists Find Times Square to be "Attractive Target" on NYE; According to Intel; Gypsy Rose Blanchard Released from Prison; Interview with "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard" Executive Producer and A&E Factual Studio President Sharon Scott; Biggest Entertainment Stories of 2023. Aired 10:30-11a ET
Aired December 29, 2023 - 10:30 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[10:30:00]
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JOHN BERMAN, CNN NEWS CENTRAL CO-ANCHOR: This morning, a new intelligence memo obtained by CNN says, the New Year's celebration in New York's Times Square is an attractive target for terrorists who might be motivated by the Hamas terror attack on Israel and Israel's response. No credible threats are reported right now. But the memo warns that lone offenders are a cause for concern.
CNN's John Miller with the latest on the security preparations that are underway.
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JOHN MILLER, CNN CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT AND INTELLIGENCE ANALYST (voice-over): New Year's Eve in New York City. Security, always tight, has been increased this year. While officials stress there is no specific reporting regarding any threat, a joint threat assessment based on analysis from 10 law enforcement agencies warns, the Israel- Hamas conflict has created a heightened threat environment. Therefore, the intelligence community remains concerned about lone offenders using online platforms to express threats of violence against Jewish, Muslim, and Arab communities, as well as committing simple unsophisticated attacks that are difficult to detect in advance.
The assessment, obtained by CNN, reminds police that massive live televised events remain an attractive target for foreign terrorist organizations, as well as domestic violent extremists. It's a threat stream that will be monitored minute to minute, leading up to midnight New Year's Eve in multiple command posts.
From the NYPD's Joint Operations Center, to its Intelligence Bureau, to the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force gathered in an operations center in Lower Manhattan.
ROBERT KISSANE, SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, COUNTERTERRORISM DIVISION OF FBI'S NY FIELD OFFICE: October 7th was something of a flashpoint. The horrific attacks on Israel and the ongoing war and conflict that's happening right now is certainly motivating and inspiring people to do bad things. MILLER (voice-over): Last year, a 19-year-old man from Maine traveled to Times Square with an attack plan that investigators believe was inspired by online ISIS propaganda. New York City Police say Trevor Bickford was shot by officers after he attacked three of them with a machete at a Times Square New Year's security checkpoint.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: -- man.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, my God.
MILLER (voice-over): Bickford has pleaded not guilty and is awaiting trial.
The security package, not just crowd control and traffic, but what they call the counterterrorism overlay includes a network of cameras.
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NYPD counter sniper teams in skyscrapers above, bomb detection canines moving around the perimeter, dogs that can pick up the whiff of explosives even moving through a crowd 100 ft away, radiation detectors worn by police on the street, and an especially equipped NYPD helicopter high above.
Police are also focused on potential demonstrations.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No justice.
CROWD: No peace.
MILLER (voice-over): The war between Israel and Hamas has brought on protests in New York and clashes with police when some protesters announced their intent to disrupt the lighting of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree. The live televised event in Times Square is another potential target for disruption.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We know what their tactics are. We're going to make some adjustments to our tactics. No one's getting to that ball. I can put it to you that way.
MILLER (voice-over): But protests, and even disorder, is not what keeps the NYPD or the FBI up at night. Terrorism is. And while the officials say there is no specific credible threat on their radar, this year, they are doing more than ever, they say, to ensure that.
John Miller, CNN, New York.
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DANNY FREEMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Thank you, John. All right. Coming up, released from prison. Gypsy Rose Blanchard now free after serving eight years for helping kill her abusive mother. Now, she's ready to tell her story. Coming up.
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FREEMAN: Gypsy Rose Blanchard, who helped her boyfriend kill her abusive mother, has been released from prison and is now a free woman. Now, Blanchard pleaded guilty to second degree murder in 2016 and was sentenced to 10 years. She admitted to convincing her boyfriend to kill her mother, Dee Dee Blanchard, who was victimizing Gypsy by forcing her to pretend she had multiple serious illnesses, including leukemia, muscular dystrophy and brain damage leading to dozens of unnecessary surgeries.
It's a syndrome known as Munchausen by proxy, that's when a caregiver fakes or exaggerates a child's sickness to get attention. Gypsy told her then boyfriend about the abuse by her mother and they came up with a plan to kill her. He was sentenced to life in prison. Lifetime now will soon air a new docuseries on the crime called "The Prison Confessions of Gypsy Rose Blanchard".
Joining me now is Sharon Scott, the executive producer of this miniseries. Sharon, thank you so much for being here. Just for those viewers who might be unfamiliar with this story, remind us, what was it actually like for Gypsy and what was her mother doing?
SHARON SCOTT, EXECUTIVE PRODUCER, "THE PRISON CONFESSIONS OF GYPSY ROSE BLANCHARD" AND PRESIDENT, A&E FACTUAL STUDIO: It was horrific for Gypsy and her mother abused her, really, from the time that she was a little tiny baby to the time that, you know, the moment where she and her boyfriend decided to kill her mom.
She, as you mentioned, was diagnosed with leukemia, muscular dystrophy. She had her -- she had glands removed and she was fed through a feeding tube. She lost 16 of her 32 teeth. It rotted out. She had to wear diapers. She was chained to her bed. I mean, it goes on and on. It was, you know, truly horrific every single day of her life. And all because her mom wanted to get the story out there, appear on television, make everybody feel so sorry for Gypsy, and, you know, get attention.
FREEMAN: And Sharon, can I ask you, how did Gypsy's mom do it? I mean, she convinced everyone, as I understand, even doctors that Gypsy, for example, had leukemia.
SCOTT: I think that's the best question in this entire story. They changed doctors all the time for that reason. I don't know why anybody didn't put two and two together or look at medical charts together. It's kind of shocking, as you say, that child to the moment where she, you know, was sentenced to prison, nobody figured it out. And by the way --
FREEMAN: Sharon, can you --
SCOTT: -- her dad --
FREEMAN: Oh, yes. Please.
SCOTT: -- was kind of not in the picture -- I'm sorry. He didn't even know. He knew something was up, but didn't even really know what the mom was doing. So, she had no advocate and nobody knew her story.
FREEMAN: Sharon, can you explain to me the difference that really spending time in prison has made? I mean, you see some of these images of Gypsy as a child and then you see her just being released from prison. She actually looks better, right?
SCOTT: Yes. Well, you know, the one line out of everything that is my favorite and the most telling is that she said on day one of being in prison that she's never felt so free. So, that kind of says it all, right? She finally got a chance to make some decisions on her own. She got her GEG in prison. She -- you know, made friends in prison. She had a life that was, you know, in her mind, 100 percent better than the life she left behind.
FREEMAN: That's wild to think about, but it makes sense. Sharon, can you tell me what are Gypsy's plans now that she's out?
SCOTT: Well, she wants everything. You know, she met her husband in prison. He'd written her a letter. She wrote back. They had a -- you know, a letter or online dating experience. She's only seen him seven times in her whole life. He went to pick her -- he was the one in the car. It was like crack of dawn, 3:00 a.m. yesterday, car goes to prison. Gypsy sneaks into the car. You know, we obviously had a lot of fear of paparazzi and trying -- you know, hoping that we could get her out safely.
She jumps in the car. I just can't wait to see this scene, right, where he's shooting her on an iPad or an iPhone. And she's like, well, hey, husband. So, they are in the car. And they -- you know, are whisked away and now they are at a location, which is obviously, you know, we're not telling anybody where it is. But she's with her dad. They are trying very hard to build a relationship. She has two half siblings, a step mom, and then the husband. So, she's now, like, living with her husband for the past 24 hours.
[10:45:00]
FREEMAN: Wow. Just an amazing reversal right here. Sharon Scott, thank you so much for joining us. And I cannot wait to watch this docuseries on Lifetime. Appreciate your time.
SCOTT: You're welcome. It starts January 5th. I hope you watch it.
FREEMAN: Thank you.
BERMAN: It's a really interesting discussion.
SCOTT: Thank you.
BERMAN: All right. Bombshell celebrity tell-all's, "Barbie's" box office domination, and the strikes that brought Hollywood to a halt. A look at the biggest entertainment stories of 2023.
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BERMAN: Even with Hollywood on hiatus for much of the year, there were plenty of entertainment stories to talk about. CNN's Stephanie Elam unwraps the top 10 entertainment stories of the year.
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STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): "Barbie" takes over the box office. Britney and Prince Harry spill their own tea. And Hollywood goes on strike.
ELAM: Behind the scenes and in front of the camera, it was a wild year from start to finish. Here's a look at the top entertainment stories of the year.
LISA VANDERPUMP, TV PERSONALITY: I didn't see it coming. Nobody saw it coming.
ELAM (voice-over): Lisa Vanderpump reacting to news that cast members Tom Sandoval and Raquel Levis Had carried on an affair, unbeknownst to fan favorite, Ariana Madix.
TOM SANDOVAL, TV PERSONALITY: Do you want anything?
ARIANA MADIX, TV PERSONALITY: For you to die.
ELAM (voice-over): The betrayal sent viewers spiraling, as Madix received an apology from the pair. Ratings for the show reportedly doubled as the drama played out.
Coming in at number nine, the end of a TV dynasty.
BRIAN COX, ACTOR, "SUCCESSION": I love you, but you are not serious people.
ELAM (voice-over): After four storied seasons, HBO's hit series, "Succession", bowed out with thunderous praise, as Logan Roy's adult children engaged in business battles and betrayals to take over the family empire.
SARAH SNOOK, ACTRESS, "SUCCESSION": Excited to get into this knife fight?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Let's blow it up.
ELAM (voice-over): Critics and fans largely agreed the series finale was a knockout finish to their Succession obsession.
Number eight belongs to the "Avengers" actor, Jeremy Renner, who made a remarkable recovery after he was crushed by his runaway snowplow outside his home in Nevada. He broke more than 30 bones and suffered internal injuries. But just over three months later, Renner was back on the red carpet for his Disney Plus show, "Rennervations".
Number seven, Ed Sheeran's courtroom battle.
ED SHEERAN, SINGER: I'm thinking about -- ELAM (voice-over): Did a pop star copy Marvin Gaye? The family of the
co-writer of "Let's Get It On" filed a lawsuit against Sheeran, saying his "Thinking Out Loud" wrongfully used melodies from the 1973 classic.
MARVIN GAYE, SINGER: Let's get it on.
ELAM (voice-over): A jury found the Grammy winner independently created his song and did not infringe on any copyrights.
Number six, a serious health scare for Jamie Foxx. The Oscar winning actor was hospitalized in April but hasn't publicly disclosed why. Rumors ran rampant about his condition for months, until July when he resurfaced on social media.
JAMIE FOXX, ACTOR: I went to hell and back, and my road to recovery had some potholes as well.
ELAM (END VIDEO CLIP): Foxx found himself in some legal troubles as well. He faces a sexual assault and battery lawsuit, dating back to an alleged incident from 2015. He denies the claims.
Number five on our list, the stars tell all. Prince Harry did it. So did Britney. They led the long line of celebrities who published a memoir in 2023.
PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX: Writing this book has been a cathartic experience for me.
ELAM (voice-over): Prince Harry's explosive memoirs details his highly publicized split from the senior royals.
And in "The Woman in Me", Britney Spears writes about public scrutiny, rocky relationships, her court ordered conservatorship, and the Free Britney movement, saying, finally, I'm roaring back to life.
Number four, "Barbie kicked" off a summer of pink fever. She revived a cultural phenomenon. Broke box office records and unlocked a women powered boost to the economy.
Taylor Swift's "Eras" tour became the highest grossing concert tour of all time, according to Polestar. Beyonce sold out concert arenas with her highly anticipated "Renaissance" tour. And Pink got the party started with her summer carnival tour.
Coming in at number three, Hollywood goes on strike. Two of the entertainment industry's biggest labor unions, the Writers Guild and SAG-AFTRA, went on strike. Seeking better contracts with the studios.
FRAN DRESCHER, PRESIDENT, SAG-AFTRA: You have to wake up and smell the coffee.
CROWD: We are the union.
ELAM (voice-over): Negotiations dragged on for months before deals were reached and ratified. Number two, the loss of a beloved friend.
LAURA COATES, CNN SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR, AND SIRIUSXM HOST, "THE LAURA COATES SHOW": We are back with breaking news. Just in to CNN, actor Matthew Perry has died.
VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN NEWSROOM ANCHOR: The police found him. They believe he drowned at his home in Los Angeles. He was just 54 years old.
MATTHEW PERRY, ACTOR: And when I dance, I look like this.
ELAM (voice-over): Matthew Perry's humor often hit his personal pain of addiction. In the pages of his 2022 memoir, he revealed his darkest days began as his career skyrocketed on screen.
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His co-stars mourned his loss, saying they, "We're more than just cast mates. We are a family."
TAYLOR SWIFT, SINGER: Welcome to the Eras tour.
ELAM (voice-over): And number one on our list belongs to -- who else? Taylor Swift.
SWIFT: Welcome to the acoustic set.
ELAM (voice-over): She put on a buzzy head turning concert tour for the ages, had albums skyrocket to the top of the charts, debuted a new relationship with NFL player Travis Kelce, and was named "Time Magazine's" Person of the Year. 2023 was Taylor Swift's biggest year yet.
ELAM: Two of our top 10 news makers, "Barbie" and HBO's "Succession", shared the same parent company as CNN. And there's big things to come from other favorites on our list. The drama returns to "Vanderpump Rules" in January. And Britney Spears has hinted volume two of her memoir will be out next year.
In Los Angeles, I'm Stephanie Elam.
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FREEMAN: Stephanie, thank you.
All right. Coming up in a moment, Donald Trump booted off another ballot. Maine, the second state to remove him, Trump's lawyers now vowing to fight the decision. We'll be right back.
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