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American Morning

Interview With Rosie O'Donnell

Aired October 07, 2002 - 07:42   ET

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

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


PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Bring it on." That's what Rosie O'Donnell said to me about the $100 million lawsuit brought against her by her former magazine publisher. Gruner + Jahr says the former talk show host breached her contact when she quit "Rosie" magazine last month. But O'Donnell believes she would win if it goes to trial.
And she spoke with me about the lawsuit, her magazine, and her new hairdo. Here is some of what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSIE O'DONNELL, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST: It's a startling amount. Their behavior has been startling. This is not the way I feel that corporate America works with talent. It is not the way that I've ever been treated in any other corporation. I've made lots of money for myself and Warner Brothers and Sony and Warner Books and Sony Records, and this is the only company I've ever had a problem with.

ZAHN (on camera): Have you thought much about what this could mean to you? That you really could be wiped out financially?

O'DONNELL: No. I don't even think of it, because it's no question, Paula. What they said to me is, "We're going to sue you and drag you through the mud." What I said is, 'Bring it on.'

ZAHN: Let's talk about what they brought on, the specifics of the lawsuit. Among other things, it claims that you and your entourage became increasingly abusive and insulting to magazine management and staff.

O'DONNELL: What I say to that, and to the rest of the charges in this lawsuit is, when the staff is deposed, they will tell the truth. What will you do then?

ZAHN: So, you deny ever mistreating anybody...

O'DONNELL: Paula, I'm loud.

ZAHN: ... at the magazine?

O'DONNELL: How long have you known me? I'm a loud person. That's who I am. If you think any CEO of a company worth as much as this brand is worth, that employs this much people -- this many people, never yells, that's insanity. You don't think Jack Welch ever raises his voice?

ZAHN: How did you treat the editor of the magazine? O'DONNELL: Cathy Cavender?

ZAHN: Yes.

O'DONNELL: We still have a very good relationship. I like her very much.

ZAHN: And, how about the one who came after her?

O'DONNELL: I don't know her very well. Her name is Susan Toepfer. She was a very talented editor at "People" magazine. We're not making "People" magazine. We never tried to make "People" magazine.

We tried to make a women's magazine that was intelligent, that spoke to women about real issues, that knew that breast cancer was more important than your waist size. That's the magazine that we made. That's the brand, "Rosie." That's who I am.

ZAHN: So, that's where the conflict came in? The vision over what this magazine should be...

(CROSSTALK)

O'DONNELL: I'm not really sure that there was conflict, but I will tell you this: I told them that I was gay, that I was going to join the ACLU lawsuit, that my show was ending on May 22. I was up front and clear with them, as I was to Warner Brothers, before I signed that deal. I have always told the truth in terms of who I am, when making any corporate investment with people who -- you know, there was no illusion. This was the deal we made and we shook hands on.

ZAHN: The lawsuit would suggest that the G+J executives didn't know who the real Rosie was. They say, from the inception of the magazine until early 2002, that you generally were content to leave major editorial decisions, the business decisions, to them, to experienced executives. And all of this changed when you, O'Donnell, "began to transform her public persona from the warm, fun-loving 'Queen of nice' to a self-proclaimed 'uber (EXPLETIVE DELETED)'."

O'DONNELL: Well, I can't wait to get to court. The word, "uber (EXPLETIVE DELETED)," and the sentence that that was taken out of, in the context of the full letter, which was my letter to the editor, from the editor that I wanted printed in the paper, the full content of that letter will be presented in court. And I would like to see them defend that.

And if you think that I've had a transformation as to who I am because I got a haircut, if you think that Matt Lauer is now a skinhead because his hair is very short on his scalp, I don't know what to tell you. Either this company is wrong, or I have had a total transformation, and the essence of who I am was corrupt and invalid.

ZAHN: How much of this lawsuit do you think was motivated by the fact that this company saw newsstand sales decline from some 800,000, according to them, to some 200,000 copies?

O'DONNELL: Well, I'll tell you, this 9/11 was a very difficult time for the nation to get through, and the magazine world is included in the nation. Every single magazine had a huge decline after 9/11, including ours.

ZAHN: Let's move on to another one of the charges, that you made "numerous public statements and profanity-laced diatribes about G+J executives, its people and the magazine."

O'DONNELL: Where did I do that? I don't know where. Do they say where I did that?

ZAHN: No.

O'DONNELL: Hmm.

ZAHN: "Threatened to withhold cooperation, cancel certain issues, or shut the magazine down if G+J did not accede to your demands."

O'DONNELL: Well, you know, this will be the greatest Court TV extravaganza since the O.J. trial, then. Let's just hope we can get to trial, because nothing would make me happier than not only to be -- you know, to testify, but to be cross-examined by whoever their best guy is. Bring it on!

ZAHN: So, you're going to fight this all the way?

O'DONNELL: Yes. They're playing in the mud, and I'm not going in the mud. And if you want to really take this to the end, come into the light with me, and we'll go and ask somebody who is in the light who is right or wrong, and everybody will learn a lesson. And maybe it will be me.

I know what my brand stands for. I know who I am. I know what I care about. And I know what is right for me. And I also know there are people who don't agree with me. I also know there are people who don't get it, people who don't like me, who -- I know, but I'm doing the best I can, and that's all I can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And tomorrow, we'll show you more of my interview with O'Donnell, in which she speaks candidly about how this lawsuit is affecting her personally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONNELL: I have the most amazing family. I have the most amazing siblings, and I have an astounding amount of friends. I have everything I need, and should worse come to worse, I will go live in my sister's basement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: That's all tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.







Aired October 7, 2002 - 07:42   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
PAULA ZAHN, CNN ANCHOR: "Bring it on." That's what Rosie O'Donnell said to me about the $100 million lawsuit brought against her by her former magazine publisher. Gruner + Jahr says the former talk show host breached her contact when she quit "Rosie" magazine last month. But O'Donnell believes she would win if it goes to trial.
And she spoke with me about the lawsuit, her magazine, and her new hairdo. Here is some of what she had to say.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ROSIE O'DONNELL, FORMER TALK SHOW HOST: It's a startling amount. Their behavior has been startling. This is not the way I feel that corporate America works with talent. It is not the way that I've ever been treated in any other corporation. I've made lots of money for myself and Warner Brothers and Sony and Warner Books and Sony Records, and this is the only company I've ever had a problem with.

ZAHN (on camera): Have you thought much about what this could mean to you? That you really could be wiped out financially?

O'DONNELL: No. I don't even think of it, because it's no question, Paula. What they said to me is, "We're going to sue you and drag you through the mud." What I said is, 'Bring it on.'

ZAHN: Let's talk about what they brought on, the specifics of the lawsuit. Among other things, it claims that you and your entourage became increasingly abusive and insulting to magazine management and staff.

O'DONNELL: What I say to that, and to the rest of the charges in this lawsuit is, when the staff is deposed, they will tell the truth. What will you do then?

ZAHN: So, you deny ever mistreating anybody...

O'DONNELL: Paula, I'm loud.

ZAHN: ... at the magazine?

O'DONNELL: How long have you known me? I'm a loud person. That's who I am. If you think any CEO of a company worth as much as this brand is worth, that employs this much people -- this many people, never yells, that's insanity. You don't think Jack Welch ever raises his voice?

ZAHN: How did you treat the editor of the magazine? O'DONNELL: Cathy Cavender?

ZAHN: Yes.

O'DONNELL: We still have a very good relationship. I like her very much.

ZAHN: And, how about the one who came after her?

O'DONNELL: I don't know her very well. Her name is Susan Toepfer. She was a very talented editor at "People" magazine. We're not making "People" magazine. We never tried to make "People" magazine.

We tried to make a women's magazine that was intelligent, that spoke to women about real issues, that knew that breast cancer was more important than your waist size. That's the magazine that we made. That's the brand, "Rosie." That's who I am.

ZAHN: So, that's where the conflict came in? The vision over what this magazine should be...

(CROSSTALK)

O'DONNELL: I'm not really sure that there was conflict, but I will tell you this: I told them that I was gay, that I was going to join the ACLU lawsuit, that my show was ending on May 22. I was up front and clear with them, as I was to Warner Brothers, before I signed that deal. I have always told the truth in terms of who I am, when making any corporate investment with people who -- you know, there was no illusion. This was the deal we made and we shook hands on.

ZAHN: The lawsuit would suggest that the G+J executives didn't know who the real Rosie was. They say, from the inception of the magazine until early 2002, that you generally were content to leave major editorial decisions, the business decisions, to them, to experienced executives. And all of this changed when you, O'Donnell, "began to transform her public persona from the warm, fun-loving 'Queen of nice' to a self-proclaimed 'uber (EXPLETIVE DELETED)'."

O'DONNELL: Well, I can't wait to get to court. The word, "uber (EXPLETIVE DELETED)," and the sentence that that was taken out of, in the context of the full letter, which was my letter to the editor, from the editor that I wanted printed in the paper, the full content of that letter will be presented in court. And I would like to see them defend that.

And if you think that I've had a transformation as to who I am because I got a haircut, if you think that Matt Lauer is now a skinhead because his hair is very short on his scalp, I don't know what to tell you. Either this company is wrong, or I have had a total transformation, and the essence of who I am was corrupt and invalid.

ZAHN: How much of this lawsuit do you think was motivated by the fact that this company saw newsstand sales decline from some 800,000, according to them, to some 200,000 copies?

O'DONNELL: Well, I'll tell you, this 9/11 was a very difficult time for the nation to get through, and the magazine world is included in the nation. Every single magazine had a huge decline after 9/11, including ours.

ZAHN: Let's move on to another one of the charges, that you made "numerous public statements and profanity-laced diatribes about G+J executives, its people and the magazine."

O'DONNELL: Where did I do that? I don't know where. Do they say where I did that?

ZAHN: No.

O'DONNELL: Hmm.

ZAHN: "Threatened to withhold cooperation, cancel certain issues, or shut the magazine down if G+J did not accede to your demands."

O'DONNELL: Well, you know, this will be the greatest Court TV extravaganza since the O.J. trial, then. Let's just hope we can get to trial, because nothing would make me happier than not only to be -- you know, to testify, but to be cross-examined by whoever their best guy is. Bring it on!

ZAHN: So, you're going to fight this all the way?

O'DONNELL: Yes. They're playing in the mud, and I'm not going in the mud. And if you want to really take this to the end, come into the light with me, and we'll go and ask somebody who is in the light who is right or wrong, and everybody will learn a lesson. And maybe it will be me.

I know what my brand stands for. I know who I am. I know what I care about. And I know what is right for me. And I also know there are people who don't agree with me. I also know there are people who don't get it, people who don't like me, who -- I know, but I'm doing the best I can, and that's all I can do.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

ZAHN: And tomorrow, we'll show you more of my interview with O'Donnell, in which she speaks candidly about how this lawsuit is affecting her personally.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

O'DONNELL: I have the most amazing family. I have the most amazing siblings, and I have an astounding amount of friends. I have everything I need, and should worse come to worse, I will go live in my sister's basement.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ZAHN: That's all tomorrow on AMERICAN MORNING.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.