Return to Transcripts main page

New Day

Bill Cosby Rape Allegations Resurface; NBA Commissioner Legalize Sports Betting; Paralyzed Vet Dances with Bride on Wedding Day

Aired November 14, 2014 - 07:30   ET

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

BARBARA BOWMAN, ALLEGES SHE WAS RAPED BY BILL COSBY: That is a good question. And I think that all victims want to know the same thing, because so many victims are not reporting their crimes. There's such a stigma attached to the victim. It's a fear, it's shame of what had happened. When you're dealing with someone of powerful and prestige --

MICHAELA PEREIRA, CNN ANCHOR: Which is often the case, we see.

BOWMAN: -- and celebrity and wealth and fame, it is a whole different scenario.

So when you're young and impressionable, and placed in a very highly, highly controlled environment, which I was, and brain-washed terribly to trust and have total 100 percent vulnerability.

As a young actress, he was appointed to me to groom me and mentor me through my agent. So when I was 17 in Denver, up and coming and wanting to become an actress and movie star, my agent knew him, and he came out to do just that.

So when I came to New York that was all part of it. It was they were subsidizing my housing, and my acting classes. And I was doing acting work with him and I was often in private environments.

PEREIRA: You're 17 years old. You're wide-eyed, you're eager and you have somebody taking an interest in you.

BOWMAN: That's right. That's right. And because of the circumstances, like I said, it was very controlled. He zeroed right in on my vulnerabilities, which was, had no father figure. So there was no man to come knocking on his door. To find out what's going down. And when these things started happening, I wasn't silent. I told my agent what was going down.

PEREIRA: What was the reaction?

BOWMAN: She did nothing. I believe she's as culpable as he is because in my inside, I believe she did know what was going on. So her doing nothing was a protective measure on her part.

PEREIRA: Did you tell other people?

BOWMAN: I didn't tell her, I told her, but I didn't really talk about it much because nobody was believing it and it was just, I was in a situation, I was in new york, my job was to work hard, go to classes, don't ask questions. Just be grateful for this amazing opportunity. Don't mess it up.

So when things would come up and he would start making me uncomfortable and I knew something was going on. I would start asking questions and he'd say, you know what, you don't trust me. You got to trust me. And by the way, you were drunk.

And I didn't drink. And I certainly wasn't doing anything but exactly what I was supposed to do. In 1989, I did go to a lawyer. A friend talked me into doing that, eventually. He laughed me right out of the office. It was terrible. It was humiliating. It was scary.

PEREIRA: Saying what, that there was no way to prove it because this is issue.

BOWMAN: He was Dr. Huxtable, it wouldn't happen.

PEREIRA: So we have a couple of things at play here. We have America's favorite dad and a lot of people will say this does not square up with Mr. Cosby that we know from TV.

BOWMAN: That's exactly right. So what happened was I just gave up. Because it was very clear to me, he said it right to my face, point- blank, I better never, ever see your face or hear your name again.

So after going to my agent and going to the lawyer, and getting smacked down both times, I just said, let me just get on with my life. Move on with my life and let it go.

And in 2004, finally when one woman did have the courage to come forward and file a lawsuit, I said I will not sit in silence any more. I believe this woman. They were dragging her through the mud, calling her a liar. And I said, I believe her because it happened to me.

And if I do nothing but get out there and support her, and let people know that she's not lying, that is going to be my mission from here forward. I had nothing to gain by staying out in the public eye, giving my name, giving my identity to talk about this.

PEREIRA: Because then people came after you.

BOWMAN: And my, yes, my statute of limitations had long run out.

PEREIRA: You wanted to help someone else.

BOWMAN: I wanted to help her and I made it my mission to get out here and help other victims, that's what this is all about.

PEREIRA: So that's why people are going to say why now. But we should sort of follow the bouncing ball. This comes up now and again, over time. We'll hear women's stories coming up and then it goes away and then another story will come up.

It came up again recently because this comedian lambasted Bill Cosby, Hannibal Burris calling him all sorts of names, accusing him of accusations of things we've heard about before.

Did it make you feel like finally somebody is listening when you see a little bit more attention being paid or does it frustrate you?

BOWMAN: No, I was quite surprised and glad that a celebrity stepped up because this is not a secret in Hollywood. Obviously people in Hollywood, they're listening to the news, too. They know what's going on.

PEREIRA: So then why doesn't it get prosecuted then? Why if they're this, if this is happening repeatedly, why is there no action? I think so many of us are struggling to understand that.

BOWMAN: Yes, and that's a great question and I get asked that all the time. I think that one of the issues is that in 2005, when this case was going to court, and we were testifying, she settled out of court. So that meant that all 13 women were not going to testify.

So that just shut it down. It's a subject that people don't want to talk about. The mainstream media does not want to deal with it. It's just now becoming important enough for worldwide attention and because of the situation with the fame and the celebrities and the power and the media, the media doesn't want to make enemies.

And the media has to really kind of follow some jurisdiction and he does a lot of really great damage control. He was surrounded by --

PEREIRA: He's got people around him that's for sure.

BOWMAN: He was surrounded by a thick team confederates, lawyers and attorneys and people to protect him.

PEREIRA: Barbara, what do you want to have happen?

BOWMAN: I'm working with an organization called PAVE. I was appointed ambassador to be doing some public speaking on behalf of other victims around the world. PAVE stands for Promoting Awareness Through Victim Empowerment.

I am so grateful to be a part of this organization because that gives me a platform to do a couple of things. One thing is I'd like to have a call for legislation against the statute of limitations. There's no reason that sexual crimes should be gotten away with because there is an appointed period of time that a woman has to come forward.

It takes some women their entire lifetime to come forward. It is a very difficult, very strenuous, very soul-crushing situation to be in. And when people don't believe you at the beginning, it really falls on the shoulders of those first couple of people that you talk to.

PEREIRA: And for that reason, I'm so glad that you are speaking out, Barbara.

BOWMAN: Thank you, I will continue.

PEREIRA: And on behalf of other people who have found themselves in this situation for giving them a voice, thank you for that. Thank you very much for sitting with us today.

BOWMAN: Thank you. I'm going to keep on talking as long as people are listening.

PEREIRA: Please do -- Chris.

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: All right, thanks, Mich. Betting on sports -- you know what? It should be legal. Who would say that? How about an NBA commissioner, Adam Silver? He has reasons. He wrote an op-ed, it may surprise you. Good debate to have. We'll have it here.

ALISYN CAMEROTA, CNN ANCHOR: And an unforgettable first dance, a groom finds a way to overcome his paralysis, surprising his bride with their first wedding dance, Joey and Michelle Johnson will join us live to talk about that moment.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CUOMO: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says betting on sports ought to be legally acknowledged and regulated. He has a piece in "The New York Times" calling sports betting inevitable. He might be right.

Fantasy leagues are everywhere. As you know, you always see the betting lines and sports books all over the place online. What's going on? New Jersey is trying to bring it to their casinos.

Let's discuss the pros and cons. Let's bring in CNN legal analyst, Danny Cevallos. Danny, what do you want, pro or con? Let's do this quick.

DANNY CEVALLOS, CNN LEGAL ANALYST: The quick, I can't.

CUOMO: Pick a side?

CEVALLOS: Well, I'll take pro, pro-legalizing gambling, Chris.

CUOMO: All right, give me your best case, go.

CEVALLOS: There's probably no greater hypocrisy than the government saying gambling is immoral and therefore illegal, and yet they spend billions of dollars encouraging citizens to shuffle down to the quickie mart in their bath robe and spend money they don't have on lottery scratchers.

That's the problem. There's such hypocrisy. Outlaw it completely or the realistic view is it's going on, people are making money on the black market, permit it, license it, regulate it.

CUOMO: Danny Cevallos, I will submit that this is a different level of moral turpitude that we are dealing with, with sports gambling and I used that world because you could influence the outcome of the game.

You could have athletes that we've seen time and time again compromise their judgments on the field of play in the pursuit of money. It is dangerous and it was for a very long time run by organized crime. That may have gone away, but the risk is too great to legalize it. Keep it the way it is.

CEVALLOS: Great point, Chris, except the risk of affecting the outcome of a game will exist whether or not gambling is legal or illegal. That's what the NBA realizes. It's no surprise that this opinion comes out.

Not too long after the third circuit court of appeals issued a very confusing ruling on the legality of gambling sports wagering in New Jersey. And I think the NBA, this is forced the hand of the leagues.

They have to decide whether or not they want to be behind sports gambling or still remain against it because the bottom line isn't the morality. Let's face it. It's whether or not and how these industries and governments can figure out a way to tax it or profit from it.

CUOMO: What have they figured out legally in terms of how it works online? Most of the places are based in outside jurisdictions, like the Cayman Islands. Didn't they use the radio act of 1940 something to say you're still transmitting over wires so we can regulate it and tax it? Did that work?

CEVALLOS: Of course, yes. And a lot of these sites have been shut down. The problem is that because they are off-shore, they're difficult to shut down and frankly for consumers they're not exactly a safe bet because you have no recourse if you -- if you make your winnings and you can't collect.

So those have been shut down in a patchwork way. The real issue with -- with Commissioner Silver is whether or not these leagues are going to be behind legalized gambling, whether online, whether fantasy sports, whether in casinos or otherwise over the phone, however.

Are we going to get rid of the black market and similar to marijuana legislation, take it out of the black market and make it government- approved and legislated and regulated?

CUOMO: Thank you for raising marijuana. I will end on that point as well. As a society, do you want to feed things that are bad for us? Is that what you want the social instruction to be? That yes, it goes on. Yes, it's seeming to sneak its head into more and more mainstream avenues of media.

But do you want to encourage things that we believe are bad? And there are many people who believe that not only is gambling a regressive tax on the poor, but it feeds addiction and it's a mistake. Those are the two sides. I think we did a fair side of it.

The question is where will people fall on this? Where will our leaders fall on it. Danny Cevallos, did you a very good job and you have out-dressed me once again.

All right, so you know, we have these discussions, not just so we can show that Danny is smarter than I am. We're trying to feed what you're already talking about and what matters to you, so weigh in and I'll try to answer and Danny will, as much as we can, facebook.com/newday or you just tweet us @newday -- Alisyn.

CAMEROTA: OK, I'll tweet right away. Meanwhile, first dances are special for any newly married couple. But Michelle and Joey Johnson is particularly incredible. His paralysis could not keep him from dancing with his new bride. We'll speak with that couple, there they are, the newlyweds.

But first this Sunday at 9:00 p.m. on CNN's "PARTS UNKNOWN" Anthony Bourdain travels to Jamaica for some chicken, rum, sun and a little spy action.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANTHONY BOURDAIN, CNN HOST, "PARTS UNKNOWN": During World War II, British Naval Intelligence Officer Ian Fleming came to Jamaica on a secret mission to investigate possible U-Boat activity.

Like the legendary character, he would later create, he was a spy. The mission came to nothing, but Fleming fell immediately in love with the island and vowed to return, which he did, buying this place -- Golden Eye.

At the time considered very Spartan, a cottage, a single room, really, a few smaller rooms in the back but an incredible view. He spent much of the rest of his life here writing a book each year at this desk. You know those books.

Today, Fleming's cottage has been enlarged and made more luxurious as a hotel. But the original house still stands along with some improvements. Grotto?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

CAMEROTA: An amazing story for you, a paralyzed veteran found a way to dance with his bride on their wedding day. Joey Johnson served in Afghanistan, but when he got home a motorcycle accident left him paralyzed.

Still, Joey wanted to surprise his bride on their wedding day by getting out of his wheelchair for their first dance. We're thrilled to welcome them both here this morning to New Day, Michelle and Joey Johnson. Hi, guys.

SGT. JOEY JOHNSON, ARRANGED WEDDING DANCE SURPRISE: How are you?

CAMEROTA: Doing well. Great to see you. Joey, you must be really good at keeping a secret.

JOEY JOHNSON: Not at all, ma'am, not at all.

CAMEROTA: Because we understand that Michelle had planned this wedding Down to every last detail, but somehow you managed to keep it a secret that for months you were preparing for this. How did you do it? JOEY JOHNSON: Well, only three people knew about it, her mom, the matron of honor and then the two guys that were holding the ropes, which were my military buddies.

CAMEROTA: OK, so your military buddies were part of this whole secret but Joey, explain, how were you able to get up out of your wheelchair physically to perform this?

JOEY JOHNSON: Well, it's a special harness that's used for extracting troops out of basically like tree lines, and it hooks to the back of the harness and hoists them up, and my boss, who served with in Afghanistan, Staff Sergeant Frank Figuere, he brought it, he was like hey, this will work, let's do it. Put it on and worked perfectly.

CAMEROTA: We're watching this moment, Michelle, when you first come into the room and you see joey standing for the first time in two years, tell us your thoughts.

MICHELLE JOHNSON, WIFE OF JOEY JOHNSON: I was shocked, emotional. I think words can't even try how I was feeling at the moment. I had no clue and I had about 200 people watching me, but I couldn't even see the people in the crowd. It was just amazing and surprising and emotional and tons of emotions going through me.

CAMEROTA: Joey, what was it like for you to see Michelle's face?

JOEY JOHNSON: I was nervous, to be honest with you. Because the harness, I had to lean forward so that's why there was another guy, my best man, Jeremy Brown, he has to hand me off to her because otherwise I would have taken a face plant. That would not have been very pretty.

MICHELLE JOHNSON: And he didn't want to practice it either.

JOEY JOHNSON: No, I was nervous that she wouldn't get it, the idea, and she was just going to stand there and not realize that she had to grab me.

CAMEROTA: But she got it perfectly, and yes, the face plant would have lent a different feel, I believe.

JOEY JOHNSON: Yes. And a bunch of different views.

CAMEROTA: Yes. But Michelle, what was that dance like?

MICHELLE JOHNSON: Just to be, I mean we haven't been able to be eye to eye in almost two years and it was just amazing just to see his face and for him to do that for me, for him to surprise me for even for him to think of the idea. It's just amazing and it just shows how much he loves me and you know, wants to do things for me and he was very romantic, so you know.

JOEY JOHNSON: I keep messing up Valentine's Day.

CAMEROTA: Why? What do you get wrong?

JOEY JOHNSON: One year instead of getting flowers, I bought her a computer because she needed a computer.

MICHELLE JOHNSON: All I want is the flowers.

JOEY JOHNSON: Flowers and a card. Next year I wrote a letter, a long love letter, not good enough.

CAMEROTA: Not good enough?

JOEY JOHNSON: She wanted flowers.

MICHELLE JOHNSON: I just want flowers. Maybe I'll get it, this right this year, but we have a lot of time.

CAMEROTA: Joey, listen, no appliances, all right, on Valentine's Day. I believe that's generally the rule.

JOEY JOHNSON: Yes, ma'am. Understood.

CAMEROTA: Your faces are just so beautiful now and in those pictures of your wedding day. You look like real romantics and it's so poignant there to see how much you love each other. So thanks so much for sharing this personal day with us. It's a really inspiring story. Joey and Michelle Johnson, great to meet you guys.

MICHELLE JOHNSON: Thanks for having us.

JOEY JOHNSON: Thank you for having us.

MICHELLE JOHNSON: Thanks for all the support, everybody, all the comments. We can't even believe how much it's taken off, but we really appreciate everybody giving us support.

JOEY JOHNSON: And go Colts.

CAMEROTA: You snuck it in. You snuck it in.

JOEY JOHNSON: Yes, ma'am, I did.

CAMEROTA: Just to upset John Berman, if he were here.

JOEY JOHNSON: Yes, ma'am. Yes, ma'am.

CAMEROTA: Got it. Michelle and Joey, best of luck to you, thanks so much. Let's get over to Chris.

CUOMO: They are such a beautiful couple that even I will endorse his being a fan of the Colts. They've made it through a difficult part of life together, and that is a great sign for the rest of their marriage, all blessings to them.

So President Obama is said to be planning executive action on immigration, going it alone but the Republicans say not going to happen. Battle lines are being drawn. We'll talk to you about it.

Also, new audiotape believed to be the leader of ISIS saying the U.S.- led coalition is terrified and weak. Fareed Zakaria joins us. Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)