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Jury Finds Maxwell Guilty, Tied To Epstein Sex Trafficking Ring; Man Seriously Injured In Tiger Attack At Florida Zoo; Top 10 Sports Moments Of 2021. Aired 3:30-4p ET

Aired December 30, 2021 - 15:30   ET

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

[15:30:00]

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN HOST: The survivors of Jeffrey Epstein and his associate Ghislaine Maxwell say they are finally getting some justice. Maxwell was found guilty on Wednesday of five charges related to her role in Epstein's sex abuse of young women, including the most serious charge of sex trafficking minors. She faces up to 65 years in prison. One of the women who took the stand during the trial said this conviction is just the beginning.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNIE FARMER, VICTIM OF JEFFREY EPSTEIN AND GHISLAINE MAXWELL: This is one important step towards justice. I wasn't sure that this day would ever come, and I just feel so grateful that the jury believed us and sent a strong message that perpetrators of sexual abuse and exploitation will be held accountable no matter how much power and privilege that they have.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CAMEROTA: Joining me now is former BBC investigative reporter and creator of "the Hunting Ghislaine" podcast, John Sweeney. He's also writing a book of the same name that will explore this case. That will be out in April. John, good to have you. You have covered this entire case, the Epstein case, for years. And so, when it was stretching into day six of deliberations, did you think she would be found guilty?

JOHN SWEENEY, CREATOR, PODCAST "HUNTING GHISLAINE: I'll be honest with you, no, I phoned up a pal and I said they're not going to do it. There was a particularly bleak moment when the jury asked for the evidence of professor -- of the professor who believes in false memory. And this was absolutely the cornerstone of the defense case, and I thought, oh, gosh, if they're going for that, then they're not going to convict.

And to be honest with you, I went on the drink, because I was so depressed. When suddenly because, you know, because this is kind of London, we're hours ahead. It's night, it's drink o'clock. It's Christmas -- da, da, da, da, dah. And then suddenly my friend tuned into a kind of late, it seemed like they were throwing bombshells.

And it does think -- and I understand -- I think I understand a lot of the stuff and it makes me feel sorry for Ghislaine Maxwell. But nevertheless, I think this was a great moment where justice was finally beginning to be done. It's not over.

CAMEROTA: And what does that mean, it's not over?

SWEENEY: So, what about the other men who credible witnesses say that they were sexually abused by team Epstein and team Ghislaine?

CAMEROTA: Well, that's interesting, John -- hold on a second. I want to ask you about that. Just one second, because we had heard for years there is this alleged black book or this metaphor black book of other high-profile powerful men and it was all going to come out in trial, and we were going to hear about what they did on Jeffrey Epstein's island and his private plane, but that didn't happen. I mean, is it possible that that sort of stuff is more solacious than reality?

SWEENEY: Yes, it's much more solacious than reality. The black book was basically Ghislaine's fancy contact book with everybody, including a bunch of people who never met Epstein, or if they did meet Epstein never saw the dark side of him. And it is fundamentally unfair for all of those people in that address book to be kind of found collectively guilty.

[15:35:02]

Collective guilty is always wrong. It's not a run-up.

Having said that, then you've got to look at the people who went on the jet. The usual who spent lots of time. For example, Trump, Donald Trump, Bill Clinton. None of the women who said when they were more child and adult, they were under age and they were sexually by Epstein. Groomed by Ghislaine sexually abused by Epstein.

Have said they ever were required to have sex with either Trump or Clinton. That makes me think that it's in time possible that both men might have been having extramarital sex with people who are not their wives, but they're 23 or 24, they're not 14, 15 or 16.

CAMEROTA: Maybe, or maybe they weren't having any extramarital sex.

SWEENEY: Indeed, that that's a generous and chargeable reviewed, and I take your point, and I commended. However, what happened is on the Lolita Express was not criminal in regards to them. And there's no strong evidence about that.

Prince Andrew and Alan Dershowitz are two different cases. Now both men, the second son of the Queen of England, probably America's most famous lawyer, both men admit any wrongdoing. Virginia Roberts Giuffre is being insistent that it did happen, and that she was required to have sex with both men.

So Ghislaine is going to spend the rest of her life in prison. If she cuts a deal with the feds, then she might be reduced her time in prison from 30 years to 7. So, what's fascinating -- and I don't know the answer to this. I don't know if it's going to happen is, does she try and cut a deal with the feds and who does she give up? And does it work? I don't know. CAMEROTA: Yes. That's interesting, John. That's interesting to see that it's not over and what might happen next. Because we haven't reached the sentencing portion of this. Well, John, I'm sorry we're out of time, but it's really interesting to talk to you and obviously we will circle back with you about her sentencing because I know that nobody knows about this like you do. So, thank you very much for your time.

SWEENEY: By the way, that's not true, but thank you and happy New Year.

CAMEROTA: Thank you. You as well. You as well.

OK, meanwhile, a tiger bites a man at a Florida zoo. Police say he was not supposed to be there, the man. He is badly hurt and we'll tell you what happened next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: A critically endangered tiger was shot and killed on Wednesday after it attacked a man inside its enclosure at a Florida zoo. This happened after hours, the zoo was closed. Police say the man should not have been so close to the tiger. CNN's Nadia Romero is following the details. Nadia, why was the man in there?

NADIA ROMERO, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Alisyn, I mean, if we start with the tiger, we know what tigers do, right? This tiger did what tigers do. It's a big cat, it's a predator, so that was expected. What was unexpected was the 26-year-old man's actions. So, he was there because he was hired to work in a cleaning crew, to clean up the restrooms and the gift shops, you know, the areas for humans. He was not hired to be anywhere near the animals.

But on that night, on Wednesday night, he was found -- deputies say that he reached his hand through an enclosure after already going around one barricade, reached his hand through a tiger enclosure, and that tiger latched on. And it was then that the deputies from the Collier County Sheriff's Office showed up, they asked for a tranquilizer. All of this happened in less than a minute. They ended up shooting the tiger in order to save the man's life. Listen to the zoo's director of marketing and public relations talk about the protocol around this incident.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COURTNEY JOLLY, NAPLES ZOO: The protocol is when the zoo is open, we have a shooter here, we have a lead darter here. The zoo wasn't open when this happened. The incident occurred after hours and the zoo was closed. But we fully support CCSO and what they had to do, and you know, at the end of the day, if the person is in imminent danger, they have to take that action.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMERO: So, this was a difficult day for the zoo calling it almost a day of mourning. Saying it was a sad day for the zoo. Counselors for They brought in grief counselors for all the staff. They are closing the zoo. It'll be back open again tomorrow. What we know about the 26- year-old man is that he was critically injured from that tiger. Latching on to him. The tiger is eight-year-old Echo -- that was his name.

Critically endangered species. We're learning that there are only some 200 of those species -- of those tigers left in the entire world. So, now one less because of this incident that happened last night. Alisyn, so many people are remembering Harambe, another incident when people have gone around the barricades and into enclosures, and wild animals do what we expect them to do.

CAMEROTA: Yes, so unfortunate and it sounds like so avoidable. Nadia Romero, thank you.

And we'll be right back.

[15:45:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: Well, no one had the lucky Powerball numbers last night. The last drawing of 2021 and now the prize is up to $483 million. The next drawing will be Saturday night, January 1st. Perfect way to ring in the new year. Powerball, though, estimates your chances of winning are 1 in 292 million.

Statisticians who apparently have a lot of time on their hands say you are much more likely to be hit by a meteorite, win an Olympic gold medal, or go to the E.R. with a pogo stick-related injury. First of all, why is that one so rare? And I guess I have a chance at a gold medal. Good to know.

[15:50:00]

OK, now for a look back at the year in sports. CNN's Andy Scholes has the top ten sports stories of the year.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANDY SCHOLES, CNN SPORTS ANCHOR: Number ten. In 2021, age proved to be just a number. Fifty years old Phil Mickelson becoming the oldest golfer ever to win a major, earning his second PGA championship 16 years after his first. This was Phil's sixth major title first since 2013.

PHIL MICKELSON, 2021 PGA CHAMPIONSHIP WINNER: It's very possible that this is the last tournament I ever win. But there is no reason why I or anybody else can't do it at a later age. It just takes a little bit more work.

SCHOLES: Number nine. Tom Brady, meanwhile, looks like he may never age.

UNKNOWN: Forty-three-year-old Tom Brady wins an historic seventh title in his first season with a new team. SCHOLES: Brady leading the Buccaneers to a convincing 31 to 9 wins over the Chiefs. The Bucs the first team ever to win a Super Bowl in their home stadium. Brady and the team celebrating with a boat parade that saw him completing yet another pass out on the water.

UNKNOWN: Oh, wow.

SCHOLES: Twenty twenty-one was the year of the Bucs. Milwaukee also claiming their first NBA title since 1971. Giannis Antetokounmpo capping off an incredible playoff run becoming the finals' MVP.

VICTOR BLACKWELL, CNN ANCHOR: Major League Baseball is moving its all- star game out of Georgia because of the state's new law that critics say suppresses voting.

SCHOLES: In April, Major League Baseball pulled the all-star game from Atlanta. In October, Atlanta hosted the World Series and pulled off one of the most unexpected runs in baseball history beating the Astros to win their first World Series title in 26 years. The team's unlikely championship coming in the same year that the world lost Braves' legend Hank Aaron who passed away at 86 years old.

Number seven.

UNKNOWN: NCAA March Madness is the biggest tournament in college basketball for women. This is our weight room. Let me show you all the men's weight room.

SCHOLES: The NCAA admitting failing the women in providing facilities for the NCAA tournament last March and vowed to do better after being cancelled in 2020, March Madness was back in 2021. But it wasn't the same with limited fans and men's tournament taking place solely in Indiana. The women's in Texas.

JON GRUDEN, FORMER HEAD COACH, LAS VEGAS RAIDERS: I'm not a racist. I don't -- I can't tell you how sick I am.

BRIANNA KEILAR, CNN ANCHOR: Breaking overnight. Jon Gruden stepping down as head coach of the NFL's Las Vegas Raiders hours after "The New York Times" reported on homophobic, misogynistic, and racist remarks that he made in e-mails over a seven-year period.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: The e-mails discovered during a probe into workplace misconduct within the Washington Football Organization. After resigning, Gruden filing a lawsuit against the NFL accusing the league of selectively leaking his e-mails to ruin his reputation.

SCHOLES: Number five. Vaccinations in sports were a polarizing topic.

AARON RODGERS, GREEN BAY PACKERS QUARTERBACK: Yes, I've been immunized.

ERIN BURNETT, CNN ANCHOR: Superstar quarterback Aaron Rodgers defending his controversial comments where he raised doubts about the COVID vaccine after he tested positive for COVID. He also addressed when he lied and claimed he was immunized. RODGERS: I misled some people about my status which I take full responsibility of.

SCHOLES: Rodgers missed one game for the Packers while battling COVID.

WOLF BLITZER, CNN ANCHOR: Golf legend Tiger Woods hospitalized right now after a very serious rollover car crash.

JAKE TAPPER, CNN ANCHOR: Golf legend Tiger Woods is in the hospital right now after having to be cut out of his vehicle.

TIGER WOODS, GOLFER: I am lucky to be alive also still have the limb. That -- those are two crucial things.

SCHOLES: Nearly 10 months after the crash, Tiger hosted his golf tournament in the Bahamas and said he continues to make progress in his recovery. And in December, he surprised many by competing in a tournament with his 12-year-old son Charlie.

Number three. Despite the pandemic and calls to cancel the games, the Tokyo 2020 Olympics taking place without spectators in most venues and it was another historic game for team USA.

KATE BOLDUAN, ANCHOR: The most decorated U.S. track and field Olympian ever. Allyson Felix secured that title at the Tokyo Summer Games.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's an historic moment for team USA. Suni Lee wins gold.

BERMAN: Team USA Katie Ledecky is basking in the glory of having made Olympic history like again and again and again.

SCHOLES: Number two. A big theme in 2021 was athletes continuing to campaign for mental health awareness.

NAOMI OSAKA, JAPANESE TENNIS PLAYER: Peng.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Sorry.

OSAKA: No, you're supergood.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: OK. I think we are just going to take a quick break. Just, we'll be back in one moment.

[15:55:00]

SCHOLES: Naomi Osaka revealing that press conferences give her anxiety and she had dealt with depression since winning her first U.S. Open title in 2018. The four-time Grand Slam winner pulling out of both Wimbledon and the U.S. Open to work on her mental health.

And number one. Major breaking news out of the Olympic. We just learned Simone Biles has pulled out of the team competition.

SIMONE BILES, OLYMPIC GYMNAST: At the end of the day, we are not just entertainment. We're humans and there are things going on behind the scenes that we are also trying to juggle with as well.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The way Biles put a spotlight on mental health showing the world that no matter who you are, even if you are superwoman, it's OK to not feel OK. She is going to go down as one of the greatest Olympians ever for the impact she's had.

SCHOLES: Biles would return to competition to take the bronze medal on the balance beam.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CAMEROTA: Thanks Andy for that. And I'll see you all from New Orleans tomorrow night and "THE LEAD" with Jake Tapper starts after this quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)