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Lizzo Breaks Her Silence; Woman Escapes dungeon in Oregon; GOP Voters Unwavering Support for Trump. Aired 8:30-9a ET

Aired August 03, 2023 - 08:30   ET

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

[08:30:00]

HARVEY SILVERGLATE, ATTORNEY FOR JOHN EASTMAN: We'll concede that. But what is - what is illegal about that? Nothing.

POPPY HARLOW, CNN ANCHOR: What are you - what are conceding?

SILVERGLATE: But that's my -- that's --

HARLOW: Specifically. All -- that all of that Jack Smith's team has right?

SILVERGLATE: The conversation.

That is within the bounds of the law. That's what I'm saying.

HARLOW: Did your client -- let me ask you about another allegations then on page -- paragraph 89, I should say, of the indictment. This is talking about knowingly violating the Electoral Count Act. Did your client, if fact, circulate a plan that he acknowledged would violate the Electoral Count Act, what we were speaking about before, is that correct?

SILVERGLATE: That I'm not sure of.

HARLOW: OK.

SILVERGLATE: But assuming that he did, his role was as a lawyer, trying to come up with the best arguments he could. I have had many cases where I've argued a point quite opposite something I argued in an earlier case. Lawyers have a particular role in our system. They do not have to be consistent from one case to another.

HARLOW: But they cannot help in pursuance of committing a crime.

The final question that I have for you is about the state of Georgia, because what's alleged here is that Eastman falsely claimed -- we know without evidence -- that Trump lost Georgia in part because 66,000 underage people and 2,500 convicted felons had voted that -- in the state that year. We know that not to be true.

The indictment says that Eastman acknowledged, in an email, that he and Trump had, quote, been made aware that some of the allegations that I just read, and evidence proffered by experts, had been inaccurate, but the claims were made in the lawsuit. Can you explain why?

SILVERGLATE: Eastman was operating in his role as a lawyer and an advocate. And he had a constitutional right, in fact an obligation, an ethical obligation, to make arguments that were in his client's favor. If ultimately it ended up in court and it was ruled erroneous, then he would, obviously, abide by that. But until there was a judicial edict, he makes the best argument he can. Again, he was a lawyer arguing as well as he could for his client.

HARLOW: Harvey Silverglate, thank you for your time this morning. Please come back, actually, after you guys submit what you just described as you're going to submit to the attorney general and Jack Smith's team. It would be good to have you back to further the conversation.

SILVERGLATE: Be happy - be happy to do it.

HARLOW: OK. Thank you.

PHIL MATTINGLY, CNN ANCHOR: All right, and coming up, pop star Lizzo is speaking out for the first time about a lawsuit in which three of her former backup dancers allege workplace harassment. We'll get reaction from those former employees, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:36:43]

MATTINGLY: Well, just moments ago, Lizzo broke her silence on the lawsuit filed against her by three of her former dancers who claim they were subjected to a hostile work environment and harassment. The complaint also naming her production company and the captain of her dance team. And it says that the dancers were, quote, exposed to an overtly sexual atmosphere that permeated their workplace, which included outings where nudity and sexuality were a focal point. The suit also alleges, among other things, that Lizzo called out one of the plaintiffs for her weight gain after accusing the dancer of not being committed to her role. Lizzo is known, of course, for her uplifting messages and advocacy for body positivity.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LIZZO, GRAMMY WINNER: I'm not going to be able to please everybody with my outward appearance. Someone's always going to have a critique, someone's always going to have some negativity to say about me. So, it -- all that matters is what I think about it.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MATTINGLY: Now, after what had been a notably lengthy silence, this morning Lizzo responded to the lawsuit on Instagram writing in part, the sensationalized stories are coming from former employees who have already publicly admitted that they were told their behavior on tour was inappropriate and unprofessional. I take my music and my performances seriously because at the end of the day I only want to put out the best art that represents me and my fans. With passion comes hard work and high standards.

Joining us now are the three dancers, Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis and Noelle Rodriguez, along with their attorney, Ron Zambrano.

Crystal, I want to start with you. The response that you have to the response from Lizzo after the silence for a pretty extended period of time?

CRYSTAL WILLIAMS, FORMER LIZZO DANCER: Yes, I want to say that reading it just kind of further my -- furthered my, like, disappointment in regards to the situation, just because the facts are the facts. What we experienced and what we witnessed is absolutely what happened. There's nothing sensationalized about it. So, all that I can hope is that people focus more so on the facts rather than the court of public opinion.

MATTINGLY: Arianna, at what point did you realize that what you were experiencing, what you allege you experienced, was not normal?

ARIANNA DAVIS, FORMER LIZZO DANCER: I -- it's hard to answer that question because, as this was my first professional job, I was told by the dance captain and, you know, just -- it's this thing in the dance industry that you have to, you know, shut up and, you know, take whatever you get and just be grateful for whatever crumbs you get as a dancer. So, a lot of things that were going on, it took me a really long time to figure out that it was wrong. It took me, actually, until leaving the camp that I figured out that everything that was -- went on was bad, because I just chalked it up to, you know, oh, Lizzo might be a diva, or, you know, this is just the industry, this is what we - we go through. I mean I -- I - I think that I had inklings. Like, I would be on the phone with my mom all day and - and be, like, just complaining about the - the disrespect and the - the treatment and the - the humiliation.

I mean, me personally, looking at the response from Lizzo was so disheartening because she was there.

[08:40:10]

She was there. And to fix your hand to write on a piece of paper that you don't believe -- that you discredit everything we're saying is incredibly frustrating.

The facts are the facts, like Crystal said. Was I pressured to touch a nude performer? Yes. Was I brought into a private meeting where I was kind of interrogated about my personal matters and ended up having to share very personal, personal things about myself regarding my weight? Yes.

What -- I mean, the list goes on. Were we pressured to do an excruciatingly long rehearsal that turned into a reaudition for the job that we already booked because, apparently, we weren't doing good enough? Yes, that is true. During that - during that excruciatingly long reaudition process, was I under the impression that if I left the stage I would be fired? Yes. Did I, unfortunately, go to the bathroom on myself on one stage

because I was so terrified? Yes. There is - you -- in a court of law, I don't know -- I'm not a lawyer, I don't know anything, but I know that if you ask someone to tell the truth, these things will come out of her mouth.

MATTINGLY: Right.

DAVIS: If you have to say yes or no to these questions, she has to say yes, because they are true. There was multiple witnesses. And I -- I don't appreciate the discredit of - of our feelings and our experiences and our traumas.

MATTINGLY: Understood.

Joelle, you allege that Lizzo intended to hit you at one point after you - sorry, Noelle, intended to hit you at one point after you resigned. Do you really think that she was going to resort or could resort to physical violence?

NOELLE RODRIGUEZ, FORMER LIZZO DANCER: Yes. Yes, I do. I do. And, I mean, the facts of that were that she actually balled up her fist like this to me. She started cracking her knuckles. And she was like, you're so f-ing lucky that basically I'm not going to hit you. And, you know, I was in shock watching her do that and cracking her knuckles and acting as if she was going to come after me. And for a second I was like, you know, I don't think she's going to do that. Like, that's not what's going to happen. But the fact that one of her dancers that was -- all of us were present. All of the dancers were present for every -- mostly all of these allegations. And in that meeting that we had where she got physical and was about to assault me, her best friend, who is also one of the dancers, had to jump out of the couch and physically hold her back from coming and hitting me.

So, yes, I - I do believe that if she wasn't held back by that dancer, she would have hit me.

MATTINGLY: It's interesting. What you describe there, there's clearly, not only do you believe you have witnesses, but potentially you have other people that would want to be party to a lawsuit like this or experience similar things. And I guess, to some degree, I would direct that your way, Ron, in terms of, do you believe more people will join? Do you believe that there are other individuals who worked with these three women, who experienced the same things, that would like to join this lawsuit, or sue on their own account in the future?

RON ZAMBRANO, ATTORNEY REPRESENTING FORMER LIZZO DANCERS: One hundred percent. People have already come on social media to support our clients. People have already reached out to my office through social media. One hundred percent. They're -- I believe more people will come forward. If not here, where we are in Los Angeles, but in New York. And we've - we've received other calls and inquiries from around the nation.

MATTINGLY: OK.

Crystal Williams, Arianna Davis, Noelle Rodriguez and Ron Zambrano, thank you guys for sharing your story.

HARLOW: So, police in Oregon say they are looking for even more victims. This is after a woman escaped a homemade cinderblock dungeon.

MATTINGLY: And Republicans stood behind former President Trump after his last two indictments. Is the third one any different? We're going to break down the numbers, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:47:50]

HARLOW: New this morning, a frightening story out of Oregon. Investigators say they are looking for more victims. This is after a woman escaped a homemade cinderblock dungeon in Klamath Falls where her home is. She told police she was kidnapped from Seattle and sexually assaulted. The FBI says a 29-year-old man is in federal custody on interstate kidnapping charges.

Natasha Chen joins us live from Los Angeles.

That is terrifying. What are - what are the feds saying?

NATASHA CHEN, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Poppy, this man has now been indicted for kidnapping. He allegedly picked up his victim in Seattle after an alleged sexual encounter, pretended he was an undercover cop, showed her a badge, handcuffed her, put leg irons on her and put her in his car. She asked why it was taking so long to get to the police station and realized she was being kidnapped when she saw the GPS on his phone saying that they had hours left to go until the destination. He was driving her across state lines to southern Oregon and putting her in that cinderblock cell that he had made in his garage, the photo of which you saw. And she eventually, the next morning, broke out of that. The door was locked from the inside, but she banged on it, the police say, until she could escape.

And the FBI is crediting her with her actions, potentially saving other victims. Here's what they said.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

STEPHANIE SHARK, ASSISTANT SPECIAL AGENT IN CHARGE, FBI PORTLAND: The victim's focus, actions, and her will to survive triggered a law enforcement response that may have actually saved many other women from a similar nightmare. Through quick and decisive law enforcement action across many local, state, and federal agencies, we were able to get Zuberi into custody in Reno, Nevada, the following day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

CHEN: He apparently went by several different names. Investigators say he lived in ten different states in the last decade. And there are potentially other victims in other places. And they're asking people to come forward. He potentially also used similar methods. For example, possibly drugging drinks, pretending to be a police officer, and, in some cases, Poppy, even filming encounters, investigators say, to make it look like these encounters were consensual.

[08:50:07]

HARLOW: Wow.

Natasha Chen, thank you.

MATTINGLY: Well, the country will witness history in just a few hours from now when Donald Trump is expected to be arrested and arraigned for his role in efforts to overturn the 2020 election. And while this may be his third time arrested, his support among Republican voters, that has not waivered.

CNN's senior data reporter Harry Enten is here to explain.

So, Harry, do Republicans think this indictment, at least in the first 60 hours of it, is any different than the prior two?

HARRY ENTEN, CNN SENIOR DATA REPORT: No, you know, it's amazing. Right now, you know, we've had three indictments of the former president. If you look at the percentage of Republicans who believe he should be or should have been charged, you'll see it's all the same. It's 15 or 16 percent. It doesn't seem to matter what he's charged with, most Republicans believe he should not be charged in any of these cases. And those numbers are very consistent.

HARLOW: But - but that doesn't include this most recent indictment, right?

ENTEN: It's the role for January 6th. That's - right now --

HARLOW: But without having read this.

ENTEN: Without having read this. This is beforehand. That, should he have been charged. Just 15 percent. You can see that those numbers are just very consistent across the board.

And what I'll also note is that, you know, we polled previous, before and then after. And even after they've read these indictments, these folks' minds really haven't changed at all on any of them.

MATTINGLY: Obviously that's where Republicans are. What about the overall gap?

ENTEN: Yes, so, you know -

MATTINGLY: Among (ph) the public.

ENTEN: Yes, if you look, there's a massive divide in line between Republicans and those overall. And what you see here is that, if you look at those - look at - take - take a look here. If you're amongst Republicans, this is the great dividing line in the Republican primary. Sixty-six percent. He gets 66 percent support if you believe he has not committed a serious federal crime. It's just 12 percent if you believe he has. That's the dividing line in the Republican primary at this point. MATTINGLY: All right, more numbers to come in the days and weeks

ahead.

Harry Enten, thanks.

ENTEN: Thank you.

HARLOW: Thanks, Harry.

And ahead for us, stay with us, because we remember and honor a beloved colleague.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[08:55:13]

HARLOW: It's a hard day for us at CNN. Our CNN family lost a close friend and colleague. Melissa Elkas died yesterday after a medical emergency. There she is. You see that smile?

She was a control room veteran at this network for the last 26 years. She worked on so many shows throughout her time with us, including our show. Every morning, as happy as can be.

So, the banners you see at the bottom of your screen, that was all her. The full screen graphics you see through the broadcast, that was all Melissa. She was dedicated to putting on the best show. And by all accounts, she consistently delivered.

But even more than that, she was just one of the best people we knew. She was smart and loving, so funny. She was a huge animal lover, especially of her cats. And, boy, were they lucky to have her.

Her family lovely calls her Missy, and we will deeply miss her.

Every now and then Melissa and her colleagues - see them there - Charline (ph) would set up a fancy area for dinner with a tablecloth and flowers, a candle lit and sparkling apple cider, and they called it Charlissa's (ph).

MATTINGLY: But it's her kindness the entire team, all of us, will remember and miss most about Melissa. She was so much more than just a colleague. She was a mentor. She was a friend. From our youngest Pas, to our most seasoned producers, she was always there, always trying to help. She tried to make every day and our shows better.

And that laugh. Oh, you could hear it all over the building. And it was always, always quickly followed by a chorus of laughter from everyone around her. Starting a three-hour show at 6:00 in the morning, it can be tough, but Melissa and her laugh made every day so much easier for everyone.

Our hearts go out to Melissa's mother, Regina, her brother, John, her sister, Jennifer, and her sister-in-law as well. Also, her nieces, her nephews. We send them and Melissa our love and we will miss her dearly. Melissa Elkas was 52.

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