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Don Lemon Tonight

General Mark Milley Wants To Know What's With The White Rage; Parents In Virginia Push Against Critical Race Theory; President Biden Laid Out Plans To Reduce Crime Rates; Bail Reforms That Went Wrong; Britney Spears Wants Her Life Back; Recidivism At The Highest Level. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired June 23, 2021 - 22:00   ET

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

[22:00:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN HOST (on camera): Thank you for the opportunity to be with us tonight and to get after it. It's now time for the big show, "DON LEMON TONIGHT" and the big star, D. Lemon.

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: As I saw you start your broadcast earlier, you said there is lots of big news going on. And there is. We have lots to talk about. We got to talk about crime, we have to talk about what you were just talking about. But I'll tell you big story today is Britney Spears.

Britney Spears in court. Not often you get a star that big being as candid and as open. I'm traumatized, traumatized, I've told the world I'm happy and OK, but I'm traumatized. I'm not happy, I can't sleep, I'm so angry. It is insane. She said that she was forced to use birth control against her will. She wants her father out and she wants out of that conservatorship.

I -- I don't know where we go from here, but this is certainly something we should be paying attention to. Where does the conservatorship end, and autonomy for Britney Spears, a fully grown woman begin?

CUOMO: And a finding that she can be in charge of her affairs, and she will not be susceptible to undue influence. And this -- this is -- I've never seen another one of these, by the way. Yes, it's Britney Spears. But to me the issues are more interesting than the person involved. Because kids get this.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: The elderly --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: But she does bring light to it and attention which is good.

CUOMO: Yes. Absolutely. That's why we are talking about it.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: But the elderly disabled get this.

LEMON: Right.

CUOMO: A men -- an adjudicated mentally ill person gets this. Not a 40-year-old person who can speak for themselves and act for themselves. I know she's had problems, but this isn't even a limited conservatorship. It's complete. So, what happens next is her getting a day in court where these doctors finding that she is non compos mentis, meaning that, you know, her mind doesn't work, she can't be in charge of our own affairs is not accurate. It's got to be litigated. I believe she will win and the it's what choices she makes in her life.

LEMON: I hope that she is OK, and I hope that she does win, and I hope she's able to be the Britney Spears that she -- the person that she wants to be. Especially with her kids and with her entire family. But I think it's also important, Chris. You know, you and I talk about mental health and taking the stigma off of mental health. There should be no stigma on mental health.

You know, every -- everybody in this country went through a dramatic year, or 14 months or however long, still going through it. Some people can't -- or some people are having trouble with reentering into society and you can certainly understand we should give people some time.

But I hope that this works out not only for Britney Spears, but it helps to take the stigma and lifts the veil on mental health in this country so that we can all talk about it openly. And people can actually get help the help that they need. Is that too much to ask?

CUOMO: No. But we also have to be straight about it, which is you can be mentally ill and in charge of your affairs --

LEMON: Amen.

CUOMO: -- like 99 percent of people who are mentally ill.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: You know, the mentally ill are much more likely to be victims of violent crimes, the perpetrators of it.

LEMON: Exactly.

CUOMO: So, if you are depressed, it doesn't mean they are going to take all your stuff.

LEMON: Right.

CUOMO: This is about whether or not somebody is so ill -- it's like, yes, I have cancer, but I's still working. Versus you are in the hospital, on a chemo drip, and it's not going to end well.

LEMON: Yes. CUOMO: That's what a conservatorship is for.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: That's nowhere near where she is, by all reckoning including by her former lawyer that we had on the show tonight. So, this is not about her being mentally ill. So, you got to lose everything because everyone is crazy --

LEMON: Yes,

CUOMO: -- if they are mentally ill.

LEMON: No.

CUOMO: This is a good way to take that down, if she can make the showing important.

CAIN: There are different things that you can, you know, that you can -- as far -- when it comes to mental illness, right? Look at what's happening with the tennis player. All sorts of things. And it can come in different forms.

But yes, you can be in charge of your life. If you should be on medication, you should do that. If you need therapy, talk therapy, psychotherapist, you should be able to do that. But you know what, I think everyone should be able to do, and that's talk, just like we do, and we do it not only here, but also on the Handoff.

The Handoff which is available on Apple podcast. Chris and I, talking very candidly, even I think more openly and candidly than we do on this handoff right now.

CUOMO: We want deep on this one.

LEMON: We did.

CUOMO: The one that we -- the one that we just did that's coming out, we went deep.

LEMON: We did. We talked about crime, we talked about history. We talked about what --

CUOMO: We talked about Juneteenth.

LEMON: Juneteenth. Yes.

CUOMO: We talked about the Supreme Court and where the line is between religious liberty and a secular society, and we talked about, most importantly, I think you guys will love this most, please let us know, let him know more on social media than me.

LEMON: Boy.

[22:05:02]

CUOMO: Is, what is family about?

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: What goes into the decision of whether or not to have kids? What's the up, what's the down? And you heard it from one wise and old parent, me, with the three kids, one going to college.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: And about Don who is thinking about sticking his toe in the pool.

LEMON: Yes.

CUOMO: It's deep, but it's real

LEMON: Yes. So, a little secret before I go in two seconds, with Chris this weekend for Juneteenth. They are great parents. They don't often feed their kids, so their kids and up hanging out with me to have lunch because --

CUOMO: You know, if I were Don, I would've been embarrassed. Because first of all, I swim him over to his boat first to mooch a little bit of food, but my son went over to his boat --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: It is not half of the boat.

CUOMO: -- And I could see on the faces of Don's guests that they were a little, like, kind of like uncomfortable with how much this kid was eating. And I don't even think he said thank you. It's just like jump off the boat --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: He just went back and said, by the way --

CUOMO: It was like a seal got on the boat.

LEMON: Yes. Can I have one of those ice cream sandwiches for me and my four friends? I was like sure, take them, Mario.

CUOMO: You are a good uncle!

LEMON: I got to go.

CUOMO: And let's be honest --

LEMON: Thank you very much.

CUOMO: -- a little food is not going to kill you.

LEMON: Nor you fatty. Thank you very much.

CUOMO: I love you, D. Lemon. LEMON: I love you too, sir.

This is DON LEMON TONIGHT.

And we have got some big news on multiple stories on a very -- it's a very busy news night. I promise you there's a lot going on. The Justice Department releasing six never before seen videos from police body camera and surveillance footage, it shows rioters harassing and attacking police. Police trying to defend the capitol on January 6th.

Now these videos are chilling, they are a chilling reminder of just what happened when a Trump supporting crowd fought police, stormed the halls of Congress, and I have to warn you again as we have been with these videos, you are going to see violence. You are going to hear some graphic language. We aren't beeping the language because this is the way that it actually happened. And we want you to get the full context of it.

Now this video it shows officers in a skirmish with a man in a red MAGA hat. Police fall to the ground, and the chaos continues with another man yelling, get out!

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNKNOWN: Get out! Move!

UNKNOWN: Get the fucking out!

UNKNOWN: Get out! Get out! Move! Move!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): Yelling at officers to get out. And then there is another video, this one shows a man with a skateboard who prosecutors say is 21-year-old Grady Owens of Texas attacking police with it.

Sickening. Sickening. Sickening. We have a lot more to come in just a minute on these never-before-seen videos and that what they tell us really about what happened on one of the darkest days in our history.

But I want you to listen to joint Chiefs Chairman General Mark Milley. He's talking today about why it is so important to understand, and I quote here, "white rage behind what happened on January 6th." And why members of the military should study theories like critical race theory.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARK MILLEY, U.S. CHAIRMAN OF THE JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF: It is important that we train and understand and I want to understand white rage. And I'm white. I want to understand it. So, what is it that caused thousands of people to assault this building, and try to overturn the Constitution of the United States of America? What caused that? I want to find that out.

I want to maintain an open mind here and I do want to analyze it. It's important that we understand it because our soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and guardians, they come from the American people. So, it is important that the leaders now, and in the future do understand it.

I've read Mao Zedong, I've Karl Marx. I've read Lenin. That doesn't make me a communist. So, what is wrong with understanding having some situational understanding about the country for which we are here to defend? And I personally find it offensive that we are accusing the United States military, our general officers, our commissioned -- non- commissioned officers of being, quote, "woke" or something else because we are studying some theories that are out there.

[22:09:59]

That started at Harvard Law School years ago and a propose that there were laws in the United States, antebellum laws prior to the Civil War that led to a power differential with African-Americans that were three quarters of a human being in this country when it was formed. In a way the Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation to change it. And we brought it up to the Civil Rights Act of 1964, it took another 100 years to change that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): The truth is tough sometimes to hear, isn't it, for some folks. And while the chairman of joint chiefs makes an eloquent defense of the truth and stands up for America's military, embattled Congressman Matt Gaetz lobs a despicable tweet attacking the general, and I quote here. "With generals like this it's no wonder we fought considerably more wars than we've won."

Gross. It's just gross. And it should be expected considering the behavior of this, whatever you want to call it. A congressman denigrating our own armed forces. And there is more. Gaetz asking Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin what he thinks of critical race theory and claiming that some service members, some have complained to him about how the military is fighting extremism in its ranks. Here it is.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REP. MATT GAETZ (R-FL): They say that your stand down regarding extremism did not help our military. It hurt the military. And I want to share with you that perspective that it caused service members to otherize one another. It impaired group cohesion, and interesting to me is that I've heard those sentiments most frequently from units that are majority minority. How should the Department of Defense think about critical race theory?

LLOYD AUSTIN, U.S. DEFENSE SECRETARY: I don't know what the issue of critical race theory is, and what the relevance here with the department. We do not teach critical race theory. We don't embrace critical race theory, and I think that's a spurious conversation.

And so, we are focused on extremist behaviors and not ideology, not people's thoughts, not people's political orientation. Behaviors is what we are focused on. And one final point, and thanks for your anecdotal input, but I would say that I have gotten 10 times that amount of input, 50 times that amount of input on the other side that have said, hey, we are glad to have had the ability to have a conversation with ourselves, and with our leadership. And that's what we need.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): Well, first he said that's what we need. But people are upset in the military. I want you to hear that perspective because you are teaching critical race theory. And then he says, no, we don't teach critical race theory. Matt Gaetz, come on.

OK. And while the chairman -- so, listen, it's exactly what we need in the military in this country. We need to talk to each other about the problems that we face. We really do. But Republicans like Matt Gaetz they just want to sweep it all under the rug, distract you from revving up the old outraged machine. It is an outrage machine. They are using this as a bogeyman critical race theory.

And I'm going to talk in a second about that's not even taught to young kids. We said that last night. It's not -- they are -- they're trying to give -- they want you to fall for the okeydokey. There is no there-there. Outrage machine, that's what they are doing. Ginning it up.

First it was masks, then it was the big lie of nonexistent election fraud. And now this new bogeyman is critical race theory. Which has been around forever. It just picks something out of it. This sounds ominous. So, let's use this. This word sounds ominous. Antifa sounds ominous. Right? Black Panthers, that sounds ominous. Acorn sounds ominous. Now critical race theory, the new ominous bogeyman word. Strawman, nothing there.

They are using it to stoke outrage in schools across the country, even though as I said, it is not even taught to kids. A school board meeting in Virginia, erupting in chaos last night over critical race theory which the superintendent says they don't even teach.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:14:59]

LEMON (on camera): Shame -- again, falling for it. And the people who are pushing it should be ashamed of themselves because they are exploiting the lack of information that people have. They are exploit -- you are being exploited. It's not being taught to your kids, I'm sorry. That's the truth.

It is such a cynical game, they take one little grain of truth, school districts in the country that are becoming more and more diverse doing a long overdue reset of how they teach history and they blew out that grain of truth with lies about critical race theory. Preying on parent's fears that the world is changing around them. That's all it is, fear. They want to -- they're preying on your fear,

co-opting you, exploiting that fear and the division. And that's all happening when there is a very real problem in this country, that we have been talking about on this program.

We have police chiefs from all around n the country during the middle of the pandemic talking about this problem. It's not something that's new to us, especially on this program if you've been watching. It's a spike in crime, violent crime, spreading all across the country.

The major cities chiefs association has found that homicides in the first quarter of this year are up over last year across this country. From Portland, and to -- and L.A., to Chicago, and Louisville, Baltimore and Philadelphia. Yes, we were dealing with a pandemic last year but a lot of people feel that that's exasperated the issue. Here is the president of the United States today.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

JOE BIDEN, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: Crime is historically rises during the summer, and as we emerge from this pandemic where the country opening back in, the traditional summer spike may even be more pronounced than it usually would be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): So, the president vowing to crack down on gun dealers who break existing laws and making it clear that he wants to invest in not defund the police. The FBI director Christopher Wray, attributing the surge in crime in part to bail reform. That is a conversation we have had on the show as well.

The former New York City police commissioner talked about that, other law enforcement folks have been on talking about bail reform, moving too fast, police departments around the country doing too much too fast when it comes to bail reform.

The exact quote from the former Commissioner Bratton is that what people need to realize, especially those who are around the quote, unquote, "defund the police movement, some people need to be in jail."

So, this bail reform according to law enforcement in the FBI, that is what is preventing people accused of crimes from being incarcerated before going to trial.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SEN. LINDSEY GRAHAM (R-SC): Do you believe that one of the reasons crime is on the rise is that in certain jurisdictions have basically eliminated bail. You catch them on Monday morning and they're out on the streets Monday afternoon.

CHRISTOPHER WRAY, DIRECTOR, U.S. FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION: Well, I guess I would put it this way. I think there is nothing more disheartening to a law enforcement officer to see somebody that you worked hard to arrest promptly back out, committing a crime again. GRAHAM: Yes.

WRAY: There's enough people to go after the first time about the same person over and over again.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): It's also disheartening to people in the community, when they see that happen as well. Because their communities are not as safe as they should be. So, I mention the former police commissioner of New York City, NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton he is going to be on in just a moment. You don't want to miss that and we are going to have a candid conversation about what's going on in this country with crime.

That as the world is watching a courtroom in L.A., Chris and I just talked about this where Britney Spears is pleading to be removed from the nearly 13-year conservatorship that gave her father control of her finances and a whole lot of her life. Still, still, this is far beyond, Chris is right, this goes beyond Britney Spears that's why we talk so much about it.

This is about happens to people in this country when they have issues with mental health. As many, many people do, it should be -- it should not be a stigma. And what we're learning about her testimony is really shocking.

Britney Spears speaking for more than 20 minutes as she read from a letter beginning this way quote, "I haven't been back to court in a long time because I don't think I was heard on any level when I came to court the last time."

She says that she was put on lithium, forced to use birth control against her will and she was quote, she says, quote, "I told the world I'm happy and OK, I'm traumatized. I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry. It's insane."

[22:19:54]

A lot more to come on this later on in the show and everyone should pay attention to this, because we all have someone, and maybe even ourselves who are dealing with issues in our family and we're going to talk more about that. Britney Spears and the broader issue.

And like I said, a lot more news tonight. I want to bring in CNN's Paula Reid with more on these never-before-seen videos from the capitol insurrection. Paula, good evening to you. Thank you for joining us.

You had new videos last night. You had new videos last week and now these new videos are showing rioters, more new videos, harassing and attacking police. The violence and what we can see and hear on these videos it is absolutely chilling. Go on, what do you have for us?

PAULA REID, CNN SENIOR LEGAL AFFAIRS CORRESPONDENT: It is completely chilling, and what's so extraordinary about these, never-before-seen clips is that many of them are from the viewpoint of police as they were overrun. The footage which come from body, body cameras and surveillance cameras. It's the latest chilling frame by frame account of how these pro-Trump supporters broke into federal buildings as the police to try to protect themselves and the capitol.

Now, Don, you and I have talked before on the show about why it's so important for the public to see these videos. Especially as some lawmakers and right-wing outlets continue to try to shift blame away from the former president and his supporters by distorting what happened that day.

But videos like this, they leave no doubt. But these videos are only available to the public because over a dozen outlets led by CNN, fought to make them public. Now I want to toss to one of the clips, again this is an extraordinary moment where you have rioters clashing with police, while chanting USA, USA. Let's take a look.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CROWD: USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA! USA!

UNKNOWN: I got you. I got you.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

REID (on camera): I mean, that's absolutely incredible. These videos have been used in court in the cases against defendants charged in the attack but they have not been made public, which is why news outlets have been fighting for them to be released. Now the specific clips that we've seen throughout your show they are from the case against a man named Grady Owens, he's accused of attacking officers with a skateboard after he and his family allegedly came to D.C. to support the former president's efforts to overturn the election.

Now Owens has been charged with six crimes, including assaulting officers with a dangerous weapon, impeding passage to the capitol and other violence on the grounds. But Don, he has pleaded not guilty.

LEMON: Paula, thank you for your reporting, we'll see you soon, thanks so much. The judicial summer spike in crime may be worse than usual this year. And the director of the FBI says that he is concerned about that. Can it be fixed? And how long will it go on? That is next.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WRAY: We absolutely are concerned about the rise in violent crimes, specifically the most dangerous type of violent crime namely the homicide rates all over the country.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

[22:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): This is important for everyone, OK? Everyone watching. President Biden warning the traditional summertime jump in crime maybe even worse this year with crime already spiking across the country. The president billing a strategy to reduce violent crime, with a focus on getting more guns off the streets and sending additional resources to law -- local law enforcement agencies.

So, I want to discuss now with Bill Bratton, the former New York City Police Commissioner, also the author of "The Profession: A Memoir of Community, Race, and the Arc of Policing in America."

Commissioner, it's good to have you on. Thank you so much.

Listen, I just want to lay it out here with the president proposing, and then get what you think about the strategy. The strategy is to tackle the surge in violent crime by cracking down on illegal gun trafficking and rogue gun dealers using the American rescue plan dollars, to hire more law enforcement and other policing efforts. Will that help, Commissioner?

BILL BRATTON, FORMER NEW YORK CITY POLICE COMMISSIONER: Well, actually what you've outlined, Don, is only a portion of the strategy that the president discussed today. More details hopefully would be coming. But I was very surprised to see how comprehensive that strategy was and various tactics within it. I'm encouraged by it, that this is something we've obviously been working on for a while.

Because he's not talking only about refunding the police, we desperately need that refunding. We are down from over 800,000 police officers in the 90s. I think the latest count is about 675,000, and police departments around the country are losing additional officers every day.

He's talking about refunding to hire more police in a short term to get overtime money to cities that put officers on overtime in the summer months. But the comprehensive aspect of this plan is that he is also talking about other efforts to prevent crime. The whole idea of putting money into things that we know do work in many cities around the country.

The idea of street work is going into the various communities to deal with the gang violence. Because most of this violence in most cities around this country is gang violence. People who have access to guns.

The police executive resource forum yesterday did a town hall with police chiefs around the country, and five of those chiefs talked about the situations in their city. New York, Portland, Louisville, Baton Rouge and Baltimore. They were all very pessimistic about the summer, about the levels of violence and that inability to slow down the trend of that violence.

[22:30:05]

But the president's actions today are very important because it's shows at a national level this thing has risen to the level of a national crises. And before you can fix the crises you have to admit that you have one. Finally, we are recognizing that as we are dealing with the coronavirus, we let other crises grow unimpeded. In fact, facilitated it with bail reform, criminal justice reform and on seizing attacks on American law enforcement. American law enforcement there is a lot that you can criticize it for, but the attacks were so comprehensive that it undermines confidence on the part of the public and undermined morale with policing. And we're seeing some of the effects of that impact, if you will.

LEMON: So, listen, I want to continue on to discuss this. Because, you know, over -- during the quarantine or during the pandemic, we had -- and I'm sure we reach out to you and to others, but we had police commissioners on from different cities around the country, and they talk to us about this issue as we were dealing with the coronavirus and people at home were starting to see these major spikes in crime in New York, in Los Angeles and Chicago.

They have increase -- look -- put these number up. Homicide rates in these cities have increase from the same point last year and even the year before. They're there before you. And you mentioned bail reform, and you mentioned some other things and last time you were on you said that cities were moving too quickly with one of some of these reforms. And they were actually hurting. What can you attribute these rise in homicide rates to, Commissioner?

BRATTON: A number of things, and we're still not certain in terms of some of the things that may have caused the rise. Certainly, one of them was during the coronavirus year, the American criminal justice system shut down. The court system shut down. At the same time, we are releasing across the country tens of thousands of people from our state prisons and our jails.

Those coming out of the state prisons are particularly problematic, as 80 percent of the people in state prison have been there for violent crime. The jails oftentimes, people have been there for minor crimes. But state prisons, you don't go to state prison easily. You go for major violent crime.

So, as we emptied out the state prisons, New York City, New York state is a prime example. We had no resources to deal with those people as they were released, usually to deal with the overcrowding and to basically try to deal with the COVID crises. But they come out into the streets with no place to go, no support services, no supervision.

And at the same time, our court shut down. That you make an arrest, you might get an arraignment but effectively there are no trials. New York City currently has 5,000 individuals who've been arrested on serious gun charges who have been arraigned but the vast, vast majority of them are out in the street. In New York to date has had one murder trial this year.

So, the idea is the cause of some of what you're seeing is so many violent people let out of prison, so many others who have been arrested for violent crime for which nothing has happened to them. And I'll make a prediction for you, in New York City I can guarantee the district attorneys in New York City, because they're not able to meet the speedy trial mandate. Many of those thousands of people who were arrested for gun violence, their cases will be dismissed. And what's going to happen, they're going to be back out on the street.

Now, Don, it's a national crisis in our criminal justice system at the moment that's not being acknowledged or recognized. And to fix it, a lot of what the president is proposing is going to help. Because he's talking about money to be poured into all of these issues, including, not just the police in the courts but also into a lot of the social needs that are out there for the emotionally disturbed, the homeless --

LEMON: Right.

BRATTON: -- and the drug addicted. The loss of lives and the drug addicted population are still continuing, the opioid crisis is phenomenal. You talked about the homicide rates, so many focuses on the homicide rates, I'd focus more on the shooting rates. Because we've become so adept and our trauma hospitals are dealing with shooting victims that we save a lot of lives, in the 90s we would not have saved.

Homicide rate would be a lot higher, but from the medical expertise in our hospitals, so let's pay a little more attention to the shooting victims --

LEMON: Right.

BRATTON: -- because those numbers are much higher than the homicide rate.

LEMON: Commissioner, you know as always, I'm grateful to have you on to talk about these issues, and I know it's tough and there are people, especially in the reform the police movement who may not want to hear your words. But people are feeling this in their lives, and they're seeing it, it's personal especially when you lose someone, or someone is affected by gun violence or crime in your neighborhood.

[22:35:03]

Commissioner, please come back we are to continue to talk about this problem, highlighted and try to make it better. Thank you so much. We'll see you soon.

BRATTON: All the best, good to be with you.

LEMON: Thank you. Thank you very much.

So, let's talk about now, you know, the former police commissioner mentioned mental health, right? And you know, this one has nothing to do with crime but it's all comprehensive. We all need to be paying attention and helping everyone in our society right now.

So, Britney Spears now saying that she just wants her life back after years of being forced to work and take medication she says against her will. And she is pleading for a judge to end the conservatorship that she says let her father control her life. (COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LEMON (on camera): OK. Now to Britney Spears who is pleading with a judge today to end her court ordered conservatorship which she calls, and I quote here, "abusive." telling the judge, again, I quote, "I just want my life back."

[22:40:07]

More on the story now from CNN's Stephanie Elam.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE ELAM, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice over): Britney Spears is angry. She wants her life back and she wants the world to know it. Speaking remotely to a Los Angeles County courtroom the pop singer saying her wish and dream is for the conservatorship to end. A legal arraignment she's been living with for nearly 13 years.

In the status hearing Spears expressing frustration over the lack of control of her own life saying quote, "I'm traumatized. I'm not happy. I can't sleep. I'm so angry. It's insane." Even adding she wants to marry and have another child both major life moments she says the current conservatorship doesn't allow.

Her father's only response to the artist's stinging criticisms was that he loves and misses her. The trouble for Britney Spears began in 2007. Her girl next door image unraveling in front of the paparazzi who were always chasing her capturing her every move especially the uncomfortable moments in the singer's personal life.

The following year multiple health and psychiatric issues landed Spears in the hospital in January. Her father Jamie Spears filed a petition with the Los Angeles County superior court that February to place her under a temporary probate conservatorship. Jamie Spears and attorney Andrew Wallet becoming permanent co-conspirators of Britney's estimated $60 million estate.

In October 2008, her father getting control of her medical care, something Spears spoke emotionally about saying quote, "I want to be able to get married and have a baby. I was told I can't get married. I have an IUD inside me but the so-called team won't let me go to the doctor to remove it because they don't want me to have any more children. This conservatorship is doing me way more harm than good.

LISA MACCARLEY, CONSERVATORSHIP ATTORNEY: Usually most conservatorship in public court are for the elderly. People that have exhibited memory deficits or judgment deficits that are pervasive and most likely going to endure for the rest of their life.

ELAM: But through all this, Britney Spears kept working while under this conservatorship releasing several albums, two that went platinum.

BRITNEY SPEARS, SINGER-SONGWRITER: What's up, Vegas!

ELAM: Holding down her "Pieces of Me" Las Vegas residency reportedly earning her $30 million and serving as a judge on The X Factor. Andrew Wallet resigned in the spring of 2019 leaving Spears' father in control of just about every aspect of Britney's life. But last year Britney pushed back. In legal documents her court appointed lawyer stating Britney is, quote, "strongly opposed to having her father as conservator and requested that Jamie be removed."

Instead, a judge in November added Bessemer Trust, a private wealth and investment management firm as a co-conservator to oversee her estate. Now Spears wants to pick her own lawyer and as she said in court, quote, "I just want my life back."

Stephanie Elam, CNN, Los Angeles.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LEMON (on camera): Stephanie, thanks so much. Strong word from Britney Spears but will the judge grant her request to get out of her conservatorship?

[22:45:00]

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LEMON (on camera): Britney Spears pleading with a judge to end the court-ordered conservatorship that she has been living under for almost 13 years, saying that the situation is quote, "abusive."

So, joining me now to discuss, Samantha Stark is here. Samantha is a director of a documentary "Framing Britney Spears." I loved the doc, by the way, Samantha. It was really, really great. So, thank you for that. And CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson, a criminal defense attorney. Joey, always a pleasure to have you on. Good to see you as well.

Joey, so Britney Spears wants to end her conservatorship. She has been under it for nearly 13 years, she doesn't want to have a clear -- she doesn't want to have a health evaluation. She's 39 years old. She's incredibly successful. Will it happen? What's going to happen?

JOEY JACKSON, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: So, it could, Don. Good evening to you. So, what happens is we obviously know that she's had her share of issues, right? She had some mental health problems. A lot of people do. That is the thing and so unfortunately, with that, and some alleged drug use, what have you, about 13 years ago her father thought it was appropriate to act her guardian.

A lot of things at stake. A lot of assets at stake. A lot of decision to be made and a lot of predators quite frankly as it relates to all of her money and all of her income.

And so, there was this conservatorship and I think at that time, perhaps for very good reason and that's continued over the course of the years to guide her. To look over her, to ensure that things are as they should be. But now as she apparently gets better, she's in court indicating that she's competent, she's able, she's responsible and that she wants back in. And so, look, we live in a society where all of us should be able to tend to our fears if we're competent and able to do so. And the argument she's making is that she is. And so, to you question in the event that she can demonstrate to a court satisfaction after psychiatric and other evaluations happen that she should be in place and that everyone else should be removed, I think that's exactly what should happen.

We're a way from that but I think certainly that's what the movement is that she would like to see moving forward.

LEMON: So, Samantha, Britney Spears didn't hold back today. She talked about not being able to get married or have a baby. She said that her so-called team won't let her get off birth control. I mean, you really opened a lot of people's eyes to what she is going through in your documentary. Are you surprised by what we learned today?

SAMANTHA STARK, DIRECTOR, FRAMING BRITNEY SPEARS: I'm absolutely not surprised because we knew most of it from our investigation that we published yesterday about how Britney has been wanting to get out of this for so long. I also have to disagree with my fellow panelist's position. That, you know, I think a lot of people assume, just say, she needed it. It really helped her and saved her life but now is a different story.

[22:50:01]

This woman was guest starring on national TV, releasing an album and doing international tour of 100 shows within one year being put in this conservatorship and she -- that's part of what she was expressing. She said I know that I can provide for myself. I'm bringing in all the money and I'm also paying all of you to the lawyers and to all the people around her.

She said - she said she felt forced into a mental health facility and forced to perform. She said she would be retaliated against with visits from her kids and visits from her boyfriend taken away if she didn't agree to these perform performances and tours that she felt too tired to do. She didn't want to do anymore.

And forcing somebody to work and forcing someone into a mental health facility and she said they forced me to take lithium, which I had never taken before, this is in 2019, she said that and, you know, she also said to the judge when she said I told you all of this two years ago in 2019 and you didn't -- it felt like you didn't listen to me. I felt like I was dead, I felt like I didn't matter.

And those are strong words for a strong situation. I mean, this woman is -- was completely cognizant and had so many points about how she was taken advantage of. She also said she was abused.

LEMON: So, Joey --

JACKSON: Can I --

LEMON: I'm out of time. I literally have five seconds left. If that much. So, what's next? So, what is next?

JACKSON: So, what's next is I think she has to demonstrate she's competent and able. And remember at the end of the day we have to be about facts. I'm not here as a Britney Spears fan or someone who is saying she is abused.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Yes, you're a legal analyst, that's why you're here.

JACKSON: At the end of the day, right, it's up to whether she's competent. Apparently, that indication was made she wasn't. A judge agreed. There is a lot that sealed that we don't know and so we can't take one side or the other. I would caution we have to be objective in our evaluation.

Many of those documents are sealed. we don't know what we don't know. What we do know is a judge felt it was appropriate to keep in place, a judge will make the assessment moving forward as to whether or not it will be removed. That will be up to her and whether she's competent and able.

LEMON: OK. So, we're going to continue to follow this. There is so much that happened. This is a big story. Samantha, we appreciate you having you on. Joey, we appreciate having you on.

JACKSON: Thanks.

LEMON: We'll be right back. We'll continue with this. Thanks a lot.

[22:55:00]

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LEMON (on camera): So, take this. Remember Javanka? Well, they hope that you will forget. Here's why. Twelve former Trump White House officials telling CNN's Kate Bennett that Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner are actively putting space between themselves and the former president. Apparently driven away by his ongoing rants about the election and surrounding himself with people like the My Pillow CEO, Mike Lindell as if we'd forget their roles as top administration officials.

Can you believe they were top administration officials? Wow. After becoming the Trump administration's go-to guy tackling everything from Middle East peace, that sounds just as ridiculous, as well, doesn't it? To criminal justice. Just as ridiculous.

Jared reportedly isn't involved in the president's upcoming rallies and political endorsements this summer. Sources telling CNN that Trump has begun questioning Kushner's role in his legacy and that he is jealous of a seven-figure book deal and his son-in-law -- that his son-in-law signed with Broadside Books. Whatever Trump's next phase is, it looks like his former two top advisors aren't going to be a part of it. Here is a question, when it actually mattered, isn't that when they

should have like distanced themselves from the craziness? So, who cares? Have fun. Javanka. Ba-bye. We'll be right back.

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