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More Than 4,200 Civilians Evacuated Through Humanitarian Corridors; Mariupol Evacuee Described Apocalyptic Conditions Inside City; Interview with Chef Jose Andres About Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine; Senior Ukrainian Defense Official Says Kyiv Region Liberated; Senior Ukrainian Defense Official: Kyiv Region "Liberated"; Will Smith Resigns from the Motion Picture Academy; Oscars Producer: Police Were Ready to Arrest Will Smith for Slap; Bruce Willis "Stepping Away" from Acting after Aphasia Diagnosis. Aired 3-4p ET

Aired April 02, 2022 - 15:00   ET

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

[15:00:25]

JIM ACOSTA, CNN HOST: You are live in the CNN NEWSROOM. I'm Jim Acosta in Washington.

In Ukraine today, an ongoing attempt to keep seven evacuation corridors open, as civilians across the country face intense Russian shelling.

Just incredible video here showing explosions and gunfire, sending peaceful protesters in Ukraine running for their lives. Look at this fire power one more time from another angle.

Explosions just rocking that area. At least four people were injured. Right now 100,000 people are still trapped in the port city of Mariupol, and Russia's siege has reduced it to ashes, or as one Ukrainian presidential adviser put it, the city is now gone. A Red Cross Committee left for Mariupol today, but CNN is learning they have not made it there as of yet and will spend the night along the route.

Ukrainian officials say more than 4,000 civilians have been able to evacuate via humanitarian corridors. Today CNN's Ivan Watson is in one Ukraine-controlled city where some convoys are now arriving safely.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

IVAN WATSON, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: The buses have finally arrived from the Russian occupied city of Berdyansk. It's supposed to be a two-and-a-half-hour drive. And we were told that they left around noon local time. It was around noon local time, and they've come in just before 11:00 p.m. and these buses have red crosses on them, and there are dozens and dozens and dozens coming behind them.

And they're pulling into this parking lot. It's all rather dark because the city is blacked out to protect it from the threat of air strikes and so on. And people here are piled in and exhausted. This has been close to a 12-hour journey for people who were already trying to flee the besieged city of Mariupol. So people have already had to endure bombing and weeks without -- weeks without electricity and connection to the outside world, cell phone signals.

And they're finally here reaching a Ukrainian-controlled piece of territory. But it has been an incredible ordeal to try to help these people through. You can just see kind of exhaustion here, if you take a look at some of the faces of folks, these are people who didn't have cars to make their own escape. They were waiting for this kind of transport. Everybody has been forced to leave their homes. Many of the people who arrived earlier today with their own cars said that their homes were destroyed by Russian artillery, by Russian air strikes.

I saw people bruised and bashed up as a result of surviving explosions and blasts. There are estimated to be more than 100,000 civilians still in Mariupol. The International Committee of the Red Cross, they were trying to reach those people, and they publicly announced that their convoy, just kind of five vehicles or three vehicles, nine people were not allowed in to the city. And Russia controls the entrance because it encircles it with its troops.

So here you have people coming in after just an incredibly long day. And what happens is they're brought in by Ukrainian police and then Ukrainian volunteers who register people, they check their documents, and then they're welcomed into a super store that the city government and volunteers -- they've organized medics, hot meals, clothes for free if they weren't able to get out with their clothes in time.

And then further information about where to go from here with free transport because then again, everybody -- a lot of these people, this is all they have left, a bag, a suitcase, perhaps, and if they're lucky, their family member is with them. So this is a major evacuation. There are estimates of at least 2,000 people on some 52 buses that have finally made it through many, many Russian checkpoints through Ukrainian-controlled territory.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: And my next guest escaped Mariupol but not before he was nearly killed twice by the Russians.

Andrei Marusov, thank you so much for joining us. We appreciate it. You watched Russian missiles blow off the top floors of your apartment building earlier this month, I understand.

[15:05:02]

Give people an idea of the conditions that people are living in right now, as they deal with this constant shelling. I can't imagine living through a bombardment of this magnitude.

ANDREI MARUSOV, ESCAPED MARIUPOL: Yes, actually, you are right that -- I mean, the Russians, they keep shelling by cannons, by artillery, and then by bombing, bombing through the airplanes, and actually bombs from airplanes these are the worst nightmare that I have ever seen. And you can ask any Mariupol refugees that for them airplanes were the worst thing that happened to them because you cannot predict where the missiles will go. And the destructive force is so immense that it can destroy, I mean,

very quickly the multi-story buildings. And so basically it happened to me when I lived in nine-story building on the third floor. And Russian missile just hit the upper top of the top of the building, just like 10 meters above me, and just destroyed completely the seventh, eighth, and ninth floors. And only, like, two people just by miracle, they survived. Folks just like rescued them from remnants.

But the destiny of other people, we didn't know what happened to them. And it is kind of -- and, again, there is no water, no drinking water, no connections, no food, nothing. No (INAUDIBLE).

ACOSTA: And your own escape from Mariupol sounds like a nightmare, walking for days, I understand, sleeping in the forest in the bitter cold. How did you do it?

MARUSOV: No, actually, yes. I decided to leave just because, like, two days before I was detained, arrested, and searched, and actually almost led to the execution by Russian military police. And the last moment, they cancelled it and led me back to kind of like underground and said, OK, next morning we will come back, and we will decide what to do with you. Next morning, I just fled and decided, OK, as soon as they go to the community, I will go away.

And that's what I did. And I just went by feet. I didn't have the car. But luckily, many people, they gave me a ride while I was moving through Zaporizhzhia, actually to the city where today Mariupol refugees were brought, as has been earlier reported. And I don't know. I just took with me like matches then like a little bit of gasoline which I like found in the building, and that gasoline actually saved my life.

I just made a fire in the middle of Stepa (PH), you know, just a little to heat me up somehow. Then, recall, you know, any survival skills or what I read about it, when what you've got like minus 10, 15 Celsius, what to do. Not to go to sleep is the main, you know, challenge for you.

ACOSTA: Right, and finally --I was just going to ask you, you were just saying you a few moments ago that you were detained by Russian troops and you thought you were going to be executed.

MARUSOV: Yes.

ACOSTA: What happened? If you could explain that, did they tell you why they were going to kill you? What was going on? Or was it just -- they were executing random people and you happened to be swept up? Can you explain that for us?

MARUSOV: Yes. The main reason was that they searched and they found my smartphone. And I took pictures of buildings destroyed by them throughout the city. And so it became the reason for them to, I don't know, to think that I am a kind of nationalist Nazi or something like that, you know? And it should actually be emphasized that for them, I don't know, they were always asking, looking, OK, where are those Nazis? Where are those nationalist forces, something like that. And so they

searched almost all males and asked them, do you have any nationalist tattoos, et cetera, et cetera. And so I expect that actually before the (INAUDIBLE) two civilians on the same grounds, So I overheard the soldiers who were like speaking behind me. And one of them told, OK, this is not a problem. We already killed two civilians. So, let's -- let's execute another one. OK, he might be a spy or something like that. And then so they led me.

[15:15:02]

ACOSTA: And Andrei, is this because Putin lied to his people, because the Russians lied to their troops and said that they were going off to fight Nazis in Ukraine, and so they just randomly pick people up and say, where are the Nazis? Is that what you're essentially saying?

MARUSOV: Yes. In fact, yes. No, I wouldn't say that randomly. In my case, and I guess, unfortunately in the cases of those two unnamed people, they detained me just because, OK, there is a smartphone, there is a photo and there is the kind of grounds, kind of lots of Nazi spy or nationalist spy, you know. But, again, I overheard them speaking, and they were so persuaded that, OK, they're hunting those mythical nationalists.

And it's been, you know, so surrealistic when they were looking around and I looked around. OK. Everything was destroyed by them. I mean, dead people were just the civilians laying on the ground while they were keeping this hunting nationalists and liberating Mariupol from nationalists. I mean, it's been, you know, kind of like nightmare. I mean, in their thoughts, you know, what cold dream, you know, like they were by this propaganda that they still kept believing in.

ACOSTA: Well, Andrei, we appreciate your time very much. It's a very scary, frightening story that you're telling. We're so happy that you're safe. Please stay safe. And thanks very much for your time. We appreciate it.

MARUSOV: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Coming up, he is the chef and humanitarian doing incredible work helping feed Ukrainians on the front lines. Jose Andres shares his experiences on the ground, including a trip to a city left in ruins by the Russians. That's coming up.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:15:59]

ACOSTA: This week, Ukrainians took back the Kyiv suburb of Irpin from the Russians. But as you can see, it now lies in ruins, in desperate need of supplies. As part of his mission with World Central Kitchen, Chef Jose Andres travelled to Irpin to deliver meals to citizens who have been sheltering there for weeks. And today his organization has distributed more than five million meals to hungry Ukrainians. That's roughly 250,000 meals every day.

And Chef Jose Andres joins me now from Ukraine.

Chef, great to see you, as always. Tell me what it was like to go to Irpin. I'm seeing you tweet out some pictures and some video. It just looks like utter devastation.

CHEF JOSE ANDRES, FOUNDER, WORLD CENTRAL KITCHEN: Let me -- let me say one word was intense. We didn't only go there, but we were able to go all the way to Bucha. What we got to Irpin, the mayor welcomed us. He was so happy that within hours of the city being free from the invading forces. He said the place that people need the most help is Bucha, can you come? And we went there. We gave 250, 300 meals we got with us.

And what we found, imagine, people that more than 30 days they've been surrounded or even living within Russian troops that were shooting at anything moving, children included. And the woman, mainly elderly, that they couldn't move, many of them, you know, with no ways or means to go away. They welcomed us with hugs, with the smiles. But you could see in their eyes what they've been going through for more than 30 days.

We had to be there next to them. I went back today again. Today we brought 6,000 kilos of food, more than 600 meals that we were able to distribute between the elderly population remaining there. It was good because they're about to be going probably I got notification before we left into curfew during two or three days until the security forces, the defense forces of Ukraine make sure that there is no enemies around the surrounding area.

ACOSTA: And Jose, I know you strongly believe in the power of food and the idea of building long tables for people to come together in the hardest of times. This has been on my mind for the last four weeks. Can people get food in many of these places? Or is it essentially a situation where people have to rely on the kindness of strangers, like yourself, organizations coming in, providing this kind of food?

ANDRES: Listen, World Central Kitchen is very proud to be here next to the Ukrainian people. But let me tell you, these Ukrainians are something else. Everybody has a mission. This is not only the military defending their nation. But everybody is doing something. The women are cooking in the restaurants, making sure that everybody in the shelters is fed. Everybody's finding a way and a reason why to serve.

Obviously in those areas, food is hard. Even you can see sometimes that they start moving -- I'm having some issues around me -- that they start moving with little markets, that they pop up in different parts of the outsides of Kyiv, as the Ukrainian forces are moving the enemy away. But this takes time. That's why we decide always to be there right in front to make sure that we are able to bring food when it is needed the most, which is in the very early hours and days.

You know, the railroad has been working unbelievably well. It's not been only the right road to move people in normal times, but it's been moving people away from cities that sometimes were even under siege. Nate Mook, the CEO of World Central Kitchen, was able to go thanks to the railroad all the way to Kharkiv. I'm going to be going myself tonight to Lviv.

[15:20:08]

What I'm trying to say that even the railroad in this moment is becoming vital to be moving food. We are using them. I have here next to me the director of the railroad, Vladimir. He's been doing an amazing job, moving food, moving people, putting people to safety. You see everyone here from a schoolteacher to a firefighter to a cook all the way to people within the government, everybody is hands-on to take care of every Ukrainian.

ACOSTA: And we were just showing our viewers some of the footage of your organization's efforts and what Nate and others are doing. He's been in Kharkiv. Let me ask you, when you see this kind of devastation in these cities, how is it that Ukraine is going to get back on its feet after all of this? What are your thoughts?

ANDRES: Obviously we saw back in the Marshall plan that helped Europe come together, obviously Europe and hopefully the rest of the world led by the United States, too, I hope, we're going to have to put all hands on to make sure that we are next to the Ukrainian people and the Ukrainian government to hopefully once this war ends quick and fast, they can start dreaming of a better tomorrow. These many areas that we see the destruction was total.

Today when I was in Bucha, it broke my heart. When I saw cars that clearly they had in Russian the word children in the top, on the sides, in the front, and those cars were being shot down like there was no tomorrow, holes all over. It breaks my heart maybe to think there were children in those cars that were men and women, that they had nothing to do with war, but just paying the consequences by somebody deciding to attack a country, a democratic country.

So what we have to do? These people, they are fighting for democracy not only for Ukraine, not only liberty for Ukraine. They are fighting for democracy and for liberty for Europe and I would say for the whole world. We are going to have to be next to them to make sure that they can go back to this future that every man and woman in Ukraine deserves.

ACOSTA: Jose Andres, I know you have to roll, and we appreciate your time so much. You're a great chef but also a great human being. Thank you so much for what you do and what your organization does. Just incredible work. Please, please stay safe. I've been thinking about you over there. We all want you to get home safe. Thanks so much for your time. We appreciate it.

ANDRES: Thank you.

ACOSTA: Thank you, Jose.

And for more information about how you can help humanitarian efforts in Ukraine go to CNN.com/impact. CNN audiences, we should note, have already donated more than $7 million. But obviously more is needed. And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:27:30]

ACOSTA: Breaking news into CNN, a senior Ukrainian Defense official now says that the Kyiv region has been liberated. That is significant news. CNN cannot independently verify that, that the region around Kyiv has been cleared of Russian troops as of yet, but the Ukrainian military has in recent days regained control of suburbs around the capital.

And with me now to talk about this, retired Air Force Colonel, CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, and retired Army Brigadier General Peter Zwack who served as a senior U.S. Defense attache to the Russian Federation.

Colonel, let me start with you first. This news coming just in the last several minutes, the Ukrainians say that the area around Kyiv apparently has been liberated. How significant is that, if confirmed? We have not been able to independently verify that. But very significant.

COL. CEDRIC LEIGHTON, CNN MILITARY ANALYST: Absolutely, Jim. This is a huge deal because of course Kyiv was one of the first target areas for the Russians when they came in. I still believe it is a major objective of theirs. But the fact that they have -- well, the apparent fact that they have abandoned this at least for the time being is a very significant development. And what it does mean is that the Ukrainians' effort to resist the Russian onslaught has at this point been successful for Kyiv, if this is confirmed.

ACOSTA: Yes. General Zwack, your thoughts on this news. Obviously it has to be confirmed. And this is from the Ukrainian military standpoint. But, I mean, considering that the Russians thought, you know, here we are more than four weeks into this, and the Russians thought they were going to roll into Kyiv and just be in control almost overnight, to be at this point now where the Ukrainians believe this region has been liberated, that is significant. That is -- it's remarkable.

BRIG. GEN. PETER ZWACK (RET.), U.S. ARMY: Jim, I agree with you and Cedric. And remarkable is a good word. If we remember where we were on the first 48 hours, for me, the symbolism, and it's more than that, is the fact that the Ukrainians have recaptured Antonov airfield about 20 miles north, which on that first night was where the Russians brought in the south forces, special operators. And we all thought they were going to try to storm and decapitate the Zelenskyy government that night or the next subsequent night.

And then they held. And now they've held for over five weeks.

[15:30:00]

And there's no way the Russians can deny it, though they will say as they're doing, if they're now redeploying and focusing on their primary mission. No. This was colossal for -- first of all, for the sense of

Ukrainians, among the pride there. And this is a smack in the face to the -- to the Putin regime. And a disaster for the military, even though they are still very lethal.

ACOSTA: And, Colonel Leighton, what do you think is behind this potential liberation, this apparent liberation, of the Kyiv region?

Is there one specific thing you can put your finger on that the Russians were overconfident in? Was it that massive convoy that was stuck for days and days? They were not able to resupply themselves. Obviously, that was a big factor initially.

LEIGHTON: It was. It was. But, Jim, there's one big thing I think takes care of many of these factors. The logistical factor was absolutely essential.

But the other thing is leadership. The Russians appeared to be lacking field generalship, field leadership. And that makes a huge difference when it comes to operations like this.

If you don't have a leader and a coherent mission, that is going to be a major, major problem for any fighting force, and especially if that fighting force doesn't know what it's fighting for. That makes it even worse.

They can go through the motions. They can take territory for a brief period. But they can't hold it for the long term. And that makes a big difference, I believe.

ACOSTA: No question.

General Zwack, and then you also have these reports that British intelligence is saying that the Russians are so demoralized that they're sabotaging and equipment and so on.

This is a problem for the Russians, obviously.

ZWACK: It's a mess. And you can see it in their retreat.

And I believe that in part of the -- you can see them breaking down the ill-discipline, the chaos, the horrific scene of the bodies in Bucha on the roadside.

Which were, to me, it looked like Russian vehicles were going by or soldiers or National Guard Russians were taking pot shots, tragically. There's one fallen person with a bicycle.

I believe the atrocities were done on the way out. And this is probably, in variations, happening in a lot of places in Ukraine.

So, yes, this is -- the Russian military is stunned.

We're right in the middle now in the beginnings of a 130,000-draftee conscript call-up. And the current draftees, we're told, are going to be extended. Morale has got to be leaking north into Russia, both through the

families and up through the military, not just officers, but through the enlisted as well.

ACOSTA: Right. No question about it.

And I want to play some shocking video that came to us just a short time ago of these protests in one Russian-occupied town and the explosions that the Russians are using -- the gunfire the Russians are using to disperse the protesters.

Look at this video, Colonel Leighton. I mean, this is remarkable.

Not only because of what's occurred there on the ground, but I -- I mean, we don't typically get this kind of access to this sort of footage.

It's -- it is what -- I suppose it encapsulates what the Russians are trying to do to hold these areas.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely. This is reality. This is what it's really like. As General Zwack said, this is the type of thing that can be repeated many, many times throughout Ukraine.

And the fact this is how they're treating protesters, how they're treating Ukrainian civilians, that is a significant problem for them.

And it also indicates that they're not going to be able to occupy this territory for a very long time. They can be brutal, but they can't hold them.

ACOSTA: General Zwack, the Ukrainians are going out there resisting these Russian occupiers, despite all of this. I mean, obviously, you have to run when they're setting off explosions and firing on you such as this.

But it just goes to show you, these Ukrainians, man, you know, they are tough. They are battle hardened and tough. They're tough customers.

ZWACK: You have a nation of now 40 million, four million refugees now. And probably three or four million more are what you would call able bodied. And not just soldiers, but just motivated citizens all over the country just pecking away at these Russian logistical columns.

[15:35:00]

This looks to be Russians basically using riot grenades and things like that to disperse the crowd near Zaporizhzhia.

But this is going on. Ukrainian civilians are out there, has got to be shaking the young Russian soldiers that were brought in on a lie.

And the heavy-handed ones, the National Guard, sort of Putin's guard, are the ones being savage. But they're probably doing a lot of the atrocities. ACOSTA: Speaking of all those lies, Colonel Leighton, we talked to a

Ukrainian earlier on in this program, who was talking about how he was detained and told he was going to be executed because the Russians were saying they were hunting down Nazis.

And they were sort of going around one by one trying to find Nazis. And these Russian soldiers have been lied to, lied to by their own people.

And I wonder, when it comes to Vladimir Putin, is he getting accurate information? Is he being lied to? Or are the Russians in this sort of hall of mirrors, in this corn maze, when it comes to what they've done here in Ukraine?

They're just being done in by all their false information and propaganda.

LEIGHTON: Absolutely, Jim. I think that's one of the problems that this is the real fake news in essence, in that they are telling each other lies. They are telling each other what they want to believe.

And of course, there's this narrative that started with Putin and I think has cascaded on down through the ranks, both on the civil government side as well as on the military side.

So, people are believing these things when there's absolute evidence that this is not what is going on. And they're being told the elements about the Nazis are a huge threat in Ukraine.

Well, yes, of course, there's a far right in Ukraine. But it's nothing like what they're telling the Russian people or the Russian military.

And for them to use that as an excuse for war is a really sad commentary on how bad this can get when you use a fake propaganda effort to actually go in and destroy other people.

And that's what they're doing. They're destroying other people.

ACOSTA: Yes.

General Zwack, a final thought from you?

ZWACK: Again, I agree with Cedric.

This -- the Russians -- we talked about this last week. The bulk of the Russian population -- and I spent a lot of time on the streets -- they desperately want to believe in their government, their regime, their president.

But I have to believe it's shaken, despite the poll that's 90 percent. And this is going to take time and the tragedy of the time is built there with the Ukrainians.

But the Ukrainians have held. It's not over. In the West -- it isn't just the West, it's the like-minded world -- needs to continue to support the Ukrainians, short of a shooting fight with the Russians. And the Ukrainians are getting it done on the battlefield.

And the other strategic struggle now is the hearts and minds -- I know it's an overused term -- of the Russian people. And I've been among them.

Over time, they are going to break on this because there's no way you can keep out the information. But it takes time.

ACOSTA: No question about it.

And time may be on the Ukrainian side at this point. It seems the longer they drag this out, the more miserable they make it for the Russians, the more miserable they make it for Vladimir Putin.

General Zwack, Colonel Leighton, thank you so much. We appreciate it.

Some tragic news to report. Ukrainian photojournalist, Maksym Levin, was killed by Russian troops, according to Ukraine's attorney general.

Known as Maks, he worked for a number of Western news outlets, including Reuters and the BBC. His body was found with two gunshot wounds in an area north of Kyiv.

One of Levin's friends described him as an energetic and tenacious reporter who often looked like he had no fear.

Levin went missing three weeks ago while covering the fighting and fleeing civilians

Reuters released a statement saying, in part, "Levin's death is a huge loss to the world of journalism. And our hearts are with his family."

[15:39:24]

And we'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ACOSTA: Will Smith releasing an emotional statement announcing he's resigning from the Academy nearly a week after he slapped Chris Rock across the face at the Oscars.

Let's bring in CNN's Camila Bernal in Los Angeles.

Camila, we know the Academy has accepted Will Smith's resignation. Big news in Hollywood. What does that mean for him going forward?

CAMILA BERNAL, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Look, it still means that there could be more consequences in the future. Because while the Academy accepted that resignation, they're still meeting on the 18th to discuss all of this and to possibly take further action.

Now, Will Smith has said that he accepts the consequences of his actions.

I want to read part of that statement that he put out yesterday, where he said, "My actions at the 94th Academy Awards were -- or at the presentation -- were shocking, painful, and inexcusable."

He says, "The list of those I have hurt is long. And it includes Chris, his family, many of my dear friends and loved ones, all of those in attendance, and a global audience at home. I betrayed the Academy and the trust of the Academy."

[15:45:08]

Then he went on to say, "I am resigning from membership in the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences and will accept any other consequences that the board deems appropriate."

Now, because he resigned willingly, what happens here is that he doesn't have access to screenings that are being considered for an Oscar. He cannot vote on any upcoming Oscar nominations.

And it's still in question whether or not he'll be able to attend Academy Awards in the future, whether or not he will lose his Oscar.

We'll have to wait until that meeting on the 18th to really figure it out.

ACOSTA: And, Camila, Smith's resignation comes just a day after the lead producer for the Oscars revealed new details about what was happening backstage immediately after the slap. Tell us about that.

BERNAL: Will Packer saying this was devastating. He said his heart dropped as he saw all of this unfold.

He said he thought it was a joke, just like everyone else. Had to wait for Chris Rock to get off stage to really get confirmation.

After all of this, they had a meeting with the Los Angeles Police Department, and he said that's where Chris Rock declined to press charges.

That is what Will Packer said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

WILL PACKER, OSCARS PRODUCER: As they were talking, Chris was -- he was being very dismissive of those options. He was like, no, I'm fine. He was like, no, no, no.

And even to the point where I said -- I said, Rock, let them finish. The LAPD officer finished laying out what his options were, and they said, you know, would you like us to take any action? And he said, no.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERNAL: And Packer said that the next day, Will Smith did apologize to him and said he was sorry for essentially taking all of this recognition when it should have been Packer who should have gotten the recognition that he deserved for producing this show.

This is, in part, what Will Smith has said, that he wants the focus back on the people that deserve that attention.

But of course, all of it overshadowed by this whole situation -- Jim?

ACOSTA: Indeed.

Camila Bernal, thank you very much.

Coming up, legendary actor, Bruce Willis, is stepping away from his career as he battles a cognitive disorder. What is aphasia? Our Dr. Sanjay Gupta breaking it down next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[15:51:53]

ACOSTA: Actor Bruce Willis is stepping away from show business after a diagnosis for a brain disorder known as aphasia. The 67-year-old has a decades-long career with some amazing roles in films like "Die Hard," "The Sixth Sense" and "Pulp Fiction."

For more on his condition, here's CNN's chief medical correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta -- Sanjay?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

DR. SANJAY GUPTA, CNN CHIEF MEDICAL CORRESPONDENT: Jim, there's a lot about Bruce Willis' situation that we don't know. We heard the term aphasia, which turns out to be one of the most Googled terms on the Internet. People searching for this.

It's generally something, at least in the world of neuro, something that's a broader term of use, typically, not just speech that it refers to but communication.

And not just being able to express yourself through spoken or written word but also being able to receive communication, being able to understand what someone is saying or being able to read.

So I just bring that up, Jim, to tell you, with aphasia, that can mean many different things. It can affect different areas of the brain, be caused by different things, a small stroke, a brain tumor, a head injury.

But also things that are progressive, like certain types of dementia, can cause this as well.

Let me show you, Jim, what I was talking about. If someone has, on this brain image, an area of the brain, the Broca that's more affected, they're likely to have more difficulty with expression, with speaking, with even writing.

If something is affecting more the Warnecke area, sort of further back in the brain, typically more of an issue with receiving communication, receiving speech, receiving the written word.

So again, we don't know specifically what's happened with Bruce Willis. We don't know what type of aphasia he has or what causes it.

But oftentimes, speech pathology, speech training, things like that can be useful, especially if implemented early.

So if we get more details about what's happening with him, we'll bring them to you.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ACOSTA: Sanjay, thanks.

With COVID infection rates waning in some places, it's difficult to understand where we are in the coronavirus pandemic right now.

Two years ago, the situation was clear, we were in a global lockdown. And that's when 2021 top-10 "CNN Hero," Dr. Ala Stanford, sprang into action, testing and vaccinating more than 75,000 people in Philadelphia's hardest-hit black and Latino communities.

Today, she's still on the front lines working to protect her community from ongoing virus and bring everyone the health care they deserve.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DR. ALA STANFORD, CNN HERO: We started in the midst of this pandemic with testing, then vaccination. We were seeing folks that hadn't seen a doctor in a decade.

We were literally putting a Band-Aid to a much bigger problem with health inequities and health disparities.

(CHEERING)

STANFORD: So I opened the Doctor Ala Stanford Center for Health Equity.

We are a multidisciplinary clinic. We take care of newborns through grandma and grandpa.

And that is the next step, to not just save lives but really impact an entire lifetime with people.

[15:54:59]

But after Christmas, there were so many people sick, literally wrapped around this building, to get COVID testing. The positivity rate was 45 percent. So we had to stop primary care and just focus on testing and vaccination.

The need here right now is so great. I feel that this is where I'm supposed to be.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ACOSTA: To learn more, go to CNNheros.com.

And we'll be right back.

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