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Early Start with John Berman and Zoraida Sambolin

Remembering Robin Williams' Life and Legacy; A Power Struggle in Baghdad; Violence Rocks Missouri Town

Aired August 12, 2014 - 05:00   ET

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

CHRISTINE ROMANS, CNN ANCHOR: Happening now: a power struggle in Baghdad adding to the chaos in Iraq. A new prime minister announced as the old one refuses to step down. This, as U.S. air strikes take down Islamic terrorists who have taken over large parts.

We are live in Iraq on whether the new government is capable of stabilizing this country.

JOHN BERMAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, remembering a legend. So many of us reeling after Robin Williams is found dead of apparent suicide. We are looking back on his many historic moments and also his long battle with addiction.

Good morning, everyone. Great to see you this morning. Welcome to EARLY START. I'm John Berman.

ROMANS: I'm Christine Romans. It is Tuesday, August 12th. It's 5:00 a.m. in the East.

He is a man that spent decades making us laugh and he's left us with heavy hearts this morning. Millions of Americans trying to come to grips with the stunning death of Oscar-winning actor and comedian Robin Williams. He's a beloved entertainer. He apparently committed suicide at his northern California home on Monday. A spokesperson says he had been battling severe depression.

Now, a man who made us laugh for decades had left all of us in tears.

BERMAN: Friends, family members, fans, you know, across this country and the world devastated this morning. The actor's battles with addiction, they were well-chronicled. Williams spent time in rehab just last month.

His wife of three years, Susan Schneider, releasing this statement to "New York Times". It reads, "This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and human beings. I am utterly heartbroken. As he is remembered, it is our hope that the focus will be not on Robin's death, but on the countless of joy and laughter he gave to millions.

ROMANS: And it was decades of joy and laughter he gave --

BERMAN: From the '70s until now. You know, we were entertained as kids, our kids have been entertained. ROMANS: A unique talent. But not unique in his battles with

depression. That is all too common.

BERMAN: Tragic on very many levels.

Our entertainment correspondent Nischelle Turner looks back at the life and death of this extraordinary talent.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NISCHELLE TURNER, CNN ENTERTAINMENT CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): His high octane brand of comedy was his trade mark public persona. But Robin Williams proved himself for an Oscar winner with a strong philanthropic side. Born in 1951, it was in his 20s, Williams was unleashed first as an American TV star.

RON WILLIAMS, ACTOR: Mindy, run for your life! The emotions are coming.

TURNER: As Mork from the planet Ork in "Mork and Mindy", Williams became a household name. When the series ended after a four-year run in 1982, he showed he could do more than make people laugh.

WILLIAMS: My name is TS Garp.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: What's TS stand for?

WILLIAMS: Terribly sexy.

TURNER: The Julliard schooled actor unveiled his dramatic side for the first time in 1982's "The World According to Garp."

WILLIAMS: So, I was trained as an actor, so it's not like they have to medicate me.

TURNER: That serious side earned him Oscar nominations for "The Fisher King".

WILLIAMS: Good morning, Vietnam.

TURNER: "Good Morning, Vietnam" and "Dead Poets Society."

WILLIAMS: He's the golden dude.

TURNER: He finally won his only Oscar statue in 1998 for "Good Will Hunting."

WILLIAMS: This one, yes. The others were just foreplay. It's extraordinary.

(LAUGHTER)

TURNER: But Williams never stopped being funny even when the topic seemed serious. He helped launch and co-hosted eight telethons over 20 years to help the homeless.

WILLIAMS: Men who sleep with chickens and the women who love them.

TURNER: Comic relief earned more than $50 million. And even when he talked about his battles with drugs and alcohol, he talked about it with humor.

LARRY KING, "LARRY KING LIVE" HOST: You were drunk?

WILLIAMS: Well, that's nice of you to say that.

TURNER: He took two trips to rehab, most recently this summer. He talked about the process on "LARRY KING LIVE" in 2007.

WILLIAMS: What happens to people basically start the process of, you know, just saying no, and being among others. And learning that you're not alone and working on giving up.

KING: Do you lose your sense of humor in it?

WILLIAMS: No. You find it. You're there with people who have a great sense of humor.

KING: So, you're funny there too.

WILLIAMS: Oh, yes, you got to be.

TURNER: In 2009, the Williams was rushed to the hospital with heart problems, forced to temporarily cancel his one-man show to undergo surgery. He talked about his recovery on "The Ellen" show.

WILLIAMS: You have you a heart surgery and they literally they open you up. They crack the box. You are really vulnerable. Oh, a kitten, oh, God. It's -- the kitten -- and you get very, very emotional about everything. But I think that's a wonderful thing. It opens you up to everything.

TURNER: And with a new lease on life, Williams quickly spring back into action. In 2011, he made his Broadway acting debut, starring in Rajiv Joseph's "Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo." That same year, he would marry his third wife, graphic designer, Susan Schneider.

In 2013, Williams would return to the small screen, starring in the CBS sitcom "The Crazy Ones", where he would reunite with his old friend Pam Dawber, better known as Mindy.

PAM DAWBER, ACTRESS: Never that nobody screwy as you. You're like an alien.

TURNER: From stand-up to sitcoms and beyond, Williams would delight audiences with a whacky humor and joyful energy. He was the definition of full of life. And even now, his comic legend is destined to endure.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

BERMAN: His comedy, to me, was right on that fine line, almost to the point where he couldn't control it. We were talking to someone earlier who said dazzling imagination. To me, it was manic to a point.

ROMANS: You are absolutely right. I have watched him when his friends, fellow comedians like Ben Stiller and others have been performing and he's watching them perform. Under his breath, he is giving play-by-play, doing improv, throwing out one liners. It's almost as if he couldn't stop the comedy from coming out of his mouth. That he actually is, you know, you just wonder, you just wonder what that was like to be such a creative genius that you couldn't turn it off at times.

BERMAN: Other performers, he's one of these actors or comedians spoken with a sense of awe among those in the industry. You know, you heard Billy Crystal who talked about appearing with him, and who would say, you know, you couldn't possibly follow him, it was like following the civil war. How do you do something after Robin Williams does that explosion on stage?

But, as we were talking, it was a lifelong struggle with addiction.

ROMANS: And depression. Depression is all too common. Something that he really struggled with it. His friends, Joy Behar, for example, telling us he was a great talent, but the generosity toward friends. He would help them with his friends. You know, he would help his friends, that generosity seems to be quite real.

Sometimes in Hollywood, especially a long, long time in Hollywood, you hear these stories, people who are terrors behind the scene. That was not Robin Williams.

BERMAN: In one of the real tragedies, you say he was generous with so many people. I have to believe there were hundreds, if not thousands of people who would have loved to have been generous to him, to have been there with him now in these difficult moments when he's battling depression. But it shows you how insidious it is.

ROMANS: Suicide is inexplicable. And families all know that. You try to explain, you try to explain something that's just not explainable and someone is hurting that much.

BERMAN: I think back on the roles "Dead Poet Society, "O Captain, My Captain", "Fisher King", and, you know, "Good Morning, Vietnam", and the small roles. I don't know if you ever saw "The Adventures of Baron Munchausen". He was on screen for four and a half minutes, but he takes over the film.

ROMANS: I knew him beginning as Mork and all the way through his career. And, of course, our children, John, know him -- not our children, but both of our children know him as Teddy Roosevelt on "Night at the Museum".

BERMAN: And if you watch "Aladdin" now, he, of course, is the voice of the genie. I talked about that explosive, almost uncontrollable comedy. The Disney animators almost could almost not keep up with his voice, with the performance that he gives. You know, it's just audio, but, you know, those animators almost couldn't keep up with it.

ROMANS: Our thoughts are with his family and friends this morning.

BERMAN: We're going to give you reaction to the heartbreaking death of Robin Williams all morning on CNN. So, stay with us.

ROMANS: All right. Now to the struggle for control in Iraq, a country whose government is in turmoil. Iraq's president appointing a new prime minister, Haider al-Abadi, a move the White House has been hoping to see for months.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: Under the Iraqi constitution, this is an important step toward forming a new government to unite Iraq's different communities. Earlier today, Vice President Biden and I called Dr. Abadi to congratulate him and to urge him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: OK. That won't be easy. Iraq's current prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, is refusing to step down, he calls the appointment of al-Abadi to replace him a constitutional violation. He's threatening to use force to stay in office.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military has conducted its fifth air drop of food and water for thousands of Iraqi citizens trapped by this terror group ISIS. They are trapped on Mount Sinjar.

I want to bring in Nick Paton Walsh live from Baghdad.

And, Nick, you make a great point. The next move here, the next move in the political crisis in Iraq is Nouri al Maliki's.

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Certainly. And so much hinges upon it.

If you look at the balance of probabilities here, how Nouri al- Maliki's own allies and parliament turned against him, how the United States and France, John Kerry and respective foreign ministers are reacting as though Maliki is an element of the past and welcoming Haider al-Abadi, nominated as prime minister designate by the Iraqi President Fuad Masum --

ROMANS: All right. I think we lost him. We are having a tough time hearing Nick. He's in Baghdad reporting on this.

And I can tell you, it's been dramatic, very dramatic over the past couple of days, both the politics of it. And, you know, our reporting from Mount Sinjar with you have aid shipments trying to get in there, the Iraqi military trying to get in there.

BERMAN: Ivan Watson was on a helicopter flying aid to the Yazidis trapped on the mountain, such an emotional moment bringing help to these people. Well, that's going on there. You are seeing the pictures right now of Ivan Watson's trip to bring the aid there, the people in such bad need. ROMANS: If you want to see the desperation on the mountain top,

there's 10 minutes of video on CNN.com, Ivan Watson's amazing video and, you know, our stellar photo journalist team there. It really just shows you what we are talking about on the humanitarian side. I encourage everyone to take 10 minutes to watch it.

BERMAN: While this happening, the question, will Nouri al Maliki step aside to a new government move and address those problems?

Eleven minutes after the hour.

Breaking news overnight: an angry crowd filling the streets of a quiet Missouri town, furious over the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager. We have some new video from overnight. Also, new words from that teen's mother.

ROMANS: Plus, severe storms flooding parts of the country. And guess what? There's more expected today. Indra Petersons is going to tell you what you need to know, next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

ROMANS: Fourteen minutes past the hour.

Reaction to the stunning passing of actor Robin Williams. The reaction pouring in this morning. Williams died of an apparent suicide at his northern California home on Monday.

This comments from actor Nathan Lane, "What is I will remember about Robin, perhaps more than his comic genius, extraordinary talent and astounding intellect was his huge heart. His tremendous kindness, generosity and compassion as an acting partner and colleague and fellow traveler in a difficult world."

BERMAN: They were in the "Bird Cage" together, which is a terrific movie directed by Mike Nichols.

ROMANS: Giving me goose bumps to remember it.

BERMAN: Fifteen minutes after the hour right now.

Another violent night in Missouri, following Saturday shooting death of an unarmed black teenager by police. Ferguson police chief Thomas Jackson says shots were heard in the area and tear gas used to disperse the crowd of about 300 people. Several arrests were made. We have not seen the widespread looting that shook the community 24 hours earlier.

Michael Brown's parents held an emotional news Monday, conference rejecting suggestions by police that the teenager went after the gun before he was fatally shot.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

LESLEY MCSPADDEN, VICTIM'S MOTHER: He just graduated on his way to college. We can't even celebrate. We got to plan a funeral. BENJAMIN CRUMP, BROWN FAMILY ATTORNEY: Trayvon was shot once. But as

we understand from these witnesses, this child was shot multiple times and left on the ground like a dog. So, that's where I think people are reacting to.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BERMAN: Thirty-two people were arrested Monday in connection with the Sunday night's violence. They face charges of theft, assault, also burglary.

ROMANS: All right. For now, it appears no criminal charges will be filed against NASCAR driver Tony Stewart, whose car struck and killed 20-year-old driver Kevin Ward Jr. as he walked on a dirt race track in Upstate New York over the weekend. Now, police say their investigation remains open. But at this point, it seems Stewart is in the clear.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SHERIFF PHIL POVERO, ONTARIO COUNTY, NEW YORK: No facts that exist that support any criminal behavior or conduct or that any probable cause of a criminal act in this investigation.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ROMANS: Meantime, Stewart's racing team has not decided if he will race this weekend in a NASCAR event in Michigan.

BERMAN: New developments this morning in the Aaron Hernandez murder case. The former football star's cousin, Tanya Singleton, is expected to plead guilty to perjury charges. Massachusetts prosecutors are recommending provision of home confinement for Singleton who is charged with contempt for refusing before the grand jury that indicted the former New England Patriot's tight end.

ROMANS: All right. Time for an EARLY START on your money.

European shares are a little bit lower this morning. Ukrainian lawmakers considering tougher sanctions that could cut off to Europe. The Russians are saying they are going to bring in humanitarian aid to Ukraine. With some say -- well, that sounds to us like an invasion.

So, those two elements keeping European stocks down. Asian shares ending the day mixed.

The U.S. stock futures pointing higher now. It could mean a third day in a row of gains if that holds, easing concerns about a much anticipated correction, a 10 percent dip in stocks. Some say the market needs one to restart, keep the bull market going. Stocks are going to keep climbing.

Brand-new this morning on CNN Money, this to tell you -- many Americans would accept lower pay for a bigger nest egg. According to a brand new Fidelity survey, 43 percent of workers would take a lower salary in exchange for a bigger contribution from their employer to their 401(k) plan.

Did you know, employers pitch in on average, $3,500 a year in that company match? That is up $1,000 over the past ten years. I think it's interesting so many workers would take more 401(k), more match for the long term rather than the short term pay of a bigger salary.

BERMAN: I would check the box, more pay and more retirement.

ROMANS: And more vacation time.

BERMAN: All of that. That's what I'm in favor of.

ROMANS: How do we sign up for that?

BERMAN: Yes.

Eighteen minutes after the hour.

Flood warnings in effect right now in Detroit. Six inches of rain drenching that city, leaving highways closed and motorists trapped in up to five feet of water. AAA fielding more than 500 service calls from stranded drivers. And in a one thirty minutes stretch last night, more than 4.5 inches of rain were at the metro airport, doubling the old record set 50 years ago. That's a lot of rain.

ROMANS: That's a lot of rain.

BERMAN: That is a lot of rain. Time for an early forecast, a look at your forecast. Indra Petersons is here with that.

ROMANS: Hi, Indra.

INDRA PETERSONS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Good morning.

A lot of records set yesterday, you talked about in Michigan, all these numbers you are looking at right now, Detroit at almost 4.5 inches, these are records. This is key, because this is a system progressing to the east. It's going to be bringing heavy rain into the Northeast as we go through later today.

Notice three to five inches are going to be out there. We are going to talk about one to three inches as we go through today and even in through tomorrow. Very easy to see where the system is now. The low is making its way through eastern portions of New York. The heaviest rain for New York City is later tonight, bringing a lot of heavier rain through the overnight hours.

But what's key is you have those low off the coast, right? It's pulling in moisture off the ocean and really allowing more of these heavier totals that are going to out there. And even the severe outlook will be out there. So, places today like D.C., Baltimore and even Pittsburgh looking for the threat of strong thunderstorms, large hail, strong winds. We are not ruling out the threat for isolated tornados.

You can see how it pans out through the overnight, the heavier rain and tomorrow, it will back out by late evening, kind of exiting off to the Northeast. Keep in mind, temperature wise, the one benefit is temperatures will be milder behind the cold front. But a lot of rain headed our way, guys. We're going to watch.

ROMANS: OK. Thank you so much, Indra.

BERMAN: Twenty minutes after the hour. Coming up, so, you know, they can play football, but why do they have to rap? They have done it to us, again. The Manning brothers giving us so much more than we asked for, ever wanted, ever needed.

Brian Mcfayden has the "Bleacher Reports", next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BERMAN: The death of Robin Williams affected so many people all around the world. That includes, by the way, the world of sports.

Brian Mcfayden has more in the "Bleacher Report".

Good morning, Brian.

BRIAN MCFAYDEN, BLEACHER REPORT: Good morning, guys.

Yes, it's well-documented that Robin Williams was a huge sports fan, most notably, a San Francisco Giants fan, his hometown team. He was a friend of Lance Armstrong.

Williams attended a lot of He pumped up the giants crowd in 2010 in game one of the national league division. The giants took to twitter to say he didn't win an as car for this performance, but it helped the giants. Williams was a supporter of Lance Armstrong and his Livestrong Foundation, "Rest in peace, Robin, I will remember you as one hell of a friend. I love you and will miss ewe terribly."

Tony Stewart pulled out of the dirt race this weekend. He struck and killed a man last weekend. Stewart sat out of the nuclear race, the following day, sill no word if Stewart will race this weekend in Michigan at the NASCAR event there.

On a lighter note, Payton and Eli Manning are back in the rap game. I heard John talking about this just a little bit earlier. Check out their new DirecTV commercial.

(VIDEO CLIP PLAYS)

MCFAYDEN: Yes. Well, this commercial has it all including cameos with Joe Namath, with Manning's fake mom and dad floating in outer space. They keep it real. They are funny. Peyton Manning is always doing something.

BERMAN: They make a lot of money. I see that and I'm like, these guys make a lot of money.

ROMANS: Ka-ching.

BERMAN: Brian Mcfayden, thanks so much.

All right. Remembering, all remembering robin Williams this morning. Tributes pouring in from around the world. A star gone too soon. Complete coverage when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)