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Inna, Ukrainian Parliament Member Discusses the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and Peace Negotiations; Academy Members Held Meeting to Discuss Will Smith Slapping Chris Rock; SCOTUS Nominee Inspires Black Women to be Themselves. Aired 1:30-2p ET

Aired March 28, 2022 - 13:30   ET

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

[13:30:00]

ANA CABRERA, CNN HOST: And yet, about 160,000 residents still are in Mariupol today, the mayor says.

Let's get back out to Don now in western Ukraine.

Don?

DON LEMON, CNN HOST: It's just heartbreaking, Ana. You're exactly right.

Thank you very much. We'll check back in.

We'll be back with Ana in just a moment.

But I want to bring in now Inna Sovsun. She is a Ukrainian member of parliament and is in Kyiv right now.

Inna, thank you so much. Good to see you again.

How are you doing?

INNA SOVSUN, UKRAINIAN PARLIAMENT MEMBER: Well, we just, literally three minutes ago, we got the air raid alert yet again. I think the fourth one during the day.

So that means they have sent yet another missile to hit the city. We do hope the air defense system will work, but, well, we never know for sure. So that is -- it is what it is here in Kyiv right now.

LEMON: Yes.

Let's talk about -- Ana was talking about Mariupol, a man, his message to his family was, I'm alive.

The mayor there earlier today said that his city was, and I quote here, "in the hands of the occupiers."

Has Mariupol officially fallen?

SOVSUN: Officially not. But from what we're hearing the Russian troops are really close in the city center. They are recording some videos from the city center.

Apparently, they are even close to the theater where they've killed 300 people a week ago. So it appears that if Mariupol has not fallen as of yet. It is, unfortunately, very close to that.

We could not save it unfortunately. In order to do that, we would have needed the long-range weapons to destroy Russian artillery. But we didn't have that one.

So unfortunately, it was a desperate situation for all of us here. But there was -- with the weapons we had, there was no military solution to this issue of saving Mariupol.

So even if it hasn't fallen as of yet, it probably will most likely.

LEMON: I just want to get some of the video up from Kyiv where you are.

Because you mentioned, when I just came to you moments ago, that you had -- that the sirens were going off. We understand there was some smoke seen earlier.

But besides the sirens, have you heard any blasts? Is there anything you can tell us about besides sirens and the smoke we saw?

SOVSUN: We did. I think I just heard another one. I think we heard -- I think I know we heard big blasts about an hour, hour and a half ago. That was like really loud. And everybody did hear that.

We, again, we don't know if that was the Ukrainian air defense system working and preventing from the strikes.

But you have to realize that even if the air defense system does function and it hits the Russian missile, the missile itself is so heavy that when it falls onto the ground, if it falls onto the building, it will still cause lots of damage.

And actually many of the buildings that have collapsed, have been damaged in one way or another were damaged by the missile, which was hit by the Ukrainian air defense system around Kyiv, but it still kills people, unfortunately.

So that is still an --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: That debris has to fall somewhere, even if it's --

SOVSUN: Yes.

LEMON: Yes. Right.

SOVSUN: The bad thing is --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: So --

SOVSUN: About a couple of hours ago, we just heard from the mayor of the town of Irpin that the Ukrainian army has regained control over Irpin, which is, frankly speaking, great news. Probably a single piece of great news we have heard in a matter of a week.

We understand there are still some fightings on the outskirts of Irpin. But it seems like the majority of the city has been taken back by the Ukrainians, which is great.

Trust me. We were all so inspired to learn about that. And we do hope the Ukrainian army will proceed further and will regain control over all the cities around Kyiv.

But that will take time and effort, of course. We hope to have enough manpower but also weapons to do that.

But that is just a good piece of news that I want to deliver from Ukraine.

LEMON: So, Inna, I'm sorry about the -- I know it's frustrating for the viewers at home, and for you as well, but we have a delay. Because of communications to go from me here in Ukraine, back to the U.S. and back to you, and the reverse when it comes to you. So pardon me for that.

Ukraine negotiations are set to resume in person in Istanbul. The President Zelenskyy has said that peace and restoration of normal life are the obvious goals of Ukraine.

Are you confident there's a clear path to peace in these talks?

SOVSUN: I think, right now, as we speak, actually, I hear the explosions on the street. And I think that says it all about the perspective for the peace talks to bring in any practical results.

You see -- I believe you have to realize that in order for any peace talks to achieve its goal, to achieve the peace resolution, you need to be able to trust the person that you are making a peace deal with.

I believe not a single person who -- sorry. There's -- really loud.

(EXPLOSIONS)

[13:35:04]

SOVSUN: I'm sorry -- I'm sorry, I will have to turn my lights off. I don't know if you will still be able to see me, but we are having some --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: We can hear you, Inna.

What's going on? Is that explosions?

SOVSUN: Yes, they just --

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Go ahead and turn your light off. We don't have to see you. We can see you. If you have to turn the light off, go ahead and do it. We'll just talk to you.

SOVSUN: OK. Sorry.

LEMON: So what are you hearing? What's going on?

SOVSUN: Well, there's major explosions, one after another. So I don't know what there's and whether it is close or not.

(CROSSTALK)

LEMON: Talk to us about what happens when you hear the explosions. What's going through your mind? What happens when you hear -- when you experience this?

SOVSUN: I just tried to realize that they are getting in close. And if my House will be next.

Sometimes when those explosions come I can actually feel my house trembling. And that is very scary.

I had to spend the night -- because we were having constant sirens during the night, and I was afraid to sleep in my bedroom because it has the window in it.

I actually slept in my wardrobe, which sounds ridiculous, but it felt at least if the windows are blown out by the blast, at least that will not hurt me.

That is part of life here in Ukraine.

So if I'm sounding pessimistic about the talks taking place in Turkey right now but as long as I hear those explosions around Kyiv and many other cities taking place, I just can't trust the person that we are trying to make a deal with.

You have to realize that Putin's goal is to destroy Ukraine just because we are setting an example of a Democratic state functioning right next to his border. So I think that is just impossible to make a deal with that person.

And also the demands that he's put through, like give up part of your territory? Well, I wonder which part of your territory the United States would give up if Putin started bombarding you? I don't think any single state should be asked to do that.

But also it's important to know -- there's another demand. Putin saying that, you know, if you claim neutrality, that will be good, and then we can make a deal.

I'll remind everyone listening to this that we were officially a neutral state in 2014 when Putin annexed Crimea. So again, this demand of neutrality, like taking it would just be -- (INAUDIBLE).

So given all of that --

(CROSSTALK)

SOVSUN: I'm sorry, but I'm very pessimistic about the talks, yes.

LEMON: Yes. Well, Inna, listen, we want you to be safe. Get to safety. And we're going to continue to check in with you. We'll do it off the air.

But we're glad that you're OK in the moment. We can certainly understand the situation and the trauma and the drama that you are dealing with, and so many others.

So be safe. We'll continue to check in with Inna Sovsun, a member of the Ukrainian parliament.

Thank you, Inna.

Ana, that's a reality of what we're dealing with right now.

CABRERA: It is such a dire situation there and a horrific reality.

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[13:43:08]

CABRERA: Breaking news. A heated, divided meeting, we are told, just took place between at least a dozen members of the Academy of Arts and Sciences over this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

CHRIS ROCK, COMEDIAN: Jada, I love you. "G.I. Jane 2," can't wait to see it. All right?

(APPLAUSE)

(LAUGHTER)

ROCK: Oh, wow. Wow.

Will Smith just smacked (EXPLETIVE DELETED) me.

(LAUGHTER)

WILL SMITH, ACTOR: Keep my wife's name out your (EXPLETIVE DELETED) mouth.

ROCK: Wow, dude!

SMITH: Yes!

ROCK: It was a "G.I. Jane" joke.

SMITH: Keep my wife's name out of your mouth.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: "G.I. Jane" joke.

(SHOUTING)

ROCK: I'm going to, OK?

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: That was the uncensured version, I'm told, aired by broadcasters in Japan.

But 45 minutes later, Smith, who you saw return to his seat, would go on to win the Academy Award for best actor for his portrayal of Serena and Venus Williams' father, Richard, in the film, "King Richard."

But all that everyone is talking about today is that slap.

With us now is global brand and P.R. brand strategist, Marvet Britto. She's president and CEO of The Britto Agency.

Marvet, thanks so much for being with us.

I still have to just kind of catch my breath when I watch that. What goes through your mind?

MARVET BRITTO, PRESIDENT & CEO, THE BRITTO AGENCY: What immediately went through my mind was that Will Smith brought the weight of his wife's wounds and his character into the room.

Immediately, you saw that he saw her pain. It was funny at first. But when he saw the way that joke fell on Jada, it was no longer a joke to him.

And he took it very personally. He took it as an assault on his black wife, on his black queen, on black women. And that is the response that we saw from him.

[13:45:04]

When you think about this role that he played, and when you think about "King Richard" and the way that he referenced that role, we know that he had to advocate for his co-star, Aunjanue Ellis, throughout the process. He spoke of that.

So I think, for Will, to see Jada -- remember, he had the context, but Chris didn't have the context of --

(CROSSTALK)

CABRERA: The fact she has alopecia --

BRITTO: Exactly.

CABRERA: -- which is an autoimmune disease that causes hair loss.

BRITTO: Exactly. So for him, it wasn't about Will Smith, the actor. It was about Will Smith, the man. This is who we saw. That is how we responded.

CABRERA: Yet, we look at his apology, which did not mention Chris Rock by name.

Let's watch how he addressed this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SMITH: Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family.

(CHEERING)

SMITH: I want to apologize to the Academy. I want to apologize to all my fellow nominees.

(APPLAUSE)

SMITH: Art imitates life. I looked like the crazy father, just like they said.

(LAUGHTER)

(APPLAUSE)

SMITH: I looked like the crazy father, just like they said about Richard Williams.

(APPLAUSE)

SMITH: But love will make you do crazy things.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CABRERA: Love will make you do crazy things, he says.

How does that explanation hold up for you? Is it enough?

BRITTO: I think that understanding the context. Will wrote about in his book how he saw his father be abusive to his mother and he wasn't able to do anything about it. And he holds that as a regret.

Not that that's an excuse for his behavior, an excuse to assault Chris Rock, who did not deserve that and who showed grace and humility in a very difficult moment.

But it does give you insight into Will Smith's mind, into his heart, into what he felt. He jumped into protector mode.

He didn't -- wasn't able to protect his mother when he was a 9-year- old, but he was certainly able to protect his wife in that moment. And that's what he did.

CABRERA: But yet, he is in the public eye so you have to have thick skin being in his role --

BRITTO: Absolutely.

CABRERA: -- in his shoes. And physical abuse of somebody else is never the answer, right?

BRITTO: Yes.

CABRERA: And here he was -- before you respond, I want to show -- his mindset, as it appears after the Oscars ceremony is he is getting jiggy with it at this after party with his Oscar, some might say.

He doesn't look remorseful for hitting Chris Rock. He wasn't punished in the moment by taking -- being taken out of the Academy Awards. So, I mean, the optics here aren't good, right?

If you were to advise him, what would you tell him?

BRITTO: I agree. What he did was a mistake. But you can't judge a man, particularly Will Smith, by one mistake. The totality of his career, he's exemplified great character, dignity, integrity for the most part.

Going and partying without really speaking and atoning and showing remorse may not have been the smartest behavior.

If I or -- if I had an opportunity to talk to him, that might not have been the optics. Because the optics that the world was left with was an assault, a global assault on a fellow colleague.

That assault, that slap went around the world. And so to celebrate or to see people celebrating that behavior was not the right optics.

But again, I do think, in the moment, it was a mistake that Will will now have to carry. It will be a part of his brand and a part of his handprint for the rest of his life and the rest of his career.

But I do think that him and Chris will come together and move past this. I think, culturally, we can move past it. And I think, as two black men, they can move past it.

But we saw him protecting a black queen. And we saw Chris understand what that was and understanding it was just a joke, but it wasn't a joke to Will.

And I think that, hopefully, everyone can move forward having learned a lesson that, yes, you have to have a thick skin being in this industry, but people still feel.

And he felt and that was the response of the way he felt.

CABRERA: Now we know the Academy is contemplating next steps as far as any kind of discipline in their shoes.

Thank you so much for being here with us and providing that perspective -- BRITTO: Thank you.

CABRERA: -- Marvet Britto.

[13:49:30]

We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CABRERA: Welcome back.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is set to meet just a little over an hour from now to consider the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is not expected to include a vote because Republicans could ask to hold the vote over until the next meeting. So that means committee vote is expected to happen on April 4th.

And if approved by the full Senate, Jackson would be the first black woman to sit on the high court.

Her nomination breaks barriers and inspires women of color who are often judged and misjudged on cultural issues, including the way they wear their hair.

CNN correspondent, Adrienne Broaddus, reports.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ADRIENNE BROADDUS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Unfolding on a small device --

JUDGE KETANJI BROWN JACKSON, U.S. SUPREME COURT NOMINEE: My parents were public school teachers.

BROADDUS: -- a big moment in America.

JACKSON: They gave me an African name, Ketanji Onyika, which they were told means lovely one.

BROADDUS: The Senate confirmation hearings for Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson capture Chicago stylist, Portia Egbon --

PORTIA EGBON, CHICAGO STYLIST: That's empowerment. That's empowering.

BROADDUS: -- and her client, Lauren Buford.

LAUREN BUFORD, ATTORNEY: Seeing her potentially become a justice is inspiring. To be able to see yourself and see what's possible.

REP. AYANNA PRESSLEY (D-MA): She is overqualified and this confirmation is overdue.

SEN. RICHARD BLUMENTHAL (D-CT): Not only will you make the court look more like America but hopefully, think more like America.

BROADDUS: She thinks like other moms.

JACKSON: I've tried to navigate the challenges of juggling my career and motherhood. And I fully admit that I did not always get the balance right.

I love you so much.

BROADDUS: Across the city --

ARLANDA DARKWA, OWNER, ACHOTI SALON: The acceptance that others are giving her just to be herself is just a beautiful thing.

BROADDUS: -- admiration despite the grilling.

JACKSON: These are very horrible crimes and --

(CROSSTALK)

SEN. TED CRUZ (R-TX): Do you have anything to say about the test case? I'm asking you specifically about the test case.

SEN. JOSH HAWLEY (R-MO): So my question is, do you regret it or not?

BROADDUS: If confirmed, Jackson becomes the first Black woman serving as a justice.

IDA NELSON, MOTHER IN CHICAGO: It's almost like one of those kind of "power to the people" moments for all of the Black women who have been denied opportunities.

[13:55:01]

BROADDUS: Ida Nelson --

NELSON: Did I get it right? Yes.

BROADDUS: -- a parent advocate, who sparked a new hair discrimination law in Illinois, says the judge's first name breaks barriers.

NELSON: Each of my children had names based on whether or not it was going to pass the resume test. I was considering names that would look good on a resume or that would allow them to get a job.

She stands for the essence and the embodiment of blackness. I think what she symbolizes is the pride in embracing who you are.

BROADDUS: Embracing what the salon can't change hasn't always been easy.

Representative Iyanna Pressley gets it.

PRESLEY: She is wearing her hair in a style -- a protective style called "sister locks." It's also incredibly an important and powerful statement. DARKWA: Locks have been seen as negative for so long.

BUFORD: It's not just hair. I mean, I'm a woman who has practiced law for 15 years. And in the beginning of my career, I wore my hair straight. Like, I wasn't able to be my authentic self in the workplace.

BROADDUS: To understand requires walking in their shoes.

SEN. CORY BOOKER (D-NJ): It's hard for me not to look at you and not see my mom. Not to see my cousins. I see my ancestors and yours.

BROADDUS (on camera): Is this about more than hair?

NELSON: Oh, absolutely.

BROADDUS (voice-over): Hair is essential to black culture and often misunderstood.

And now, a reflection of themselves changing the image of justice and beauty.

BUFORD: Beauty and professionalism was basically just exemplified by fair skin, straight hair. And everybody who didn't look like that, was breaking their neck to try to fit that mold. I just see a shifting in the tides and it's great to see.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CABRERA: That was CNN's Adrienne Broaddus reporting.

That does it for us today. Thank you so much for me with us. I'll be back tomorrow, same time, same place. Until then, join me on Twitter, @AnaCabrera.

The news continues after a quick break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)