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CNN Live Event/Special

CNN New Year's Eve Program. Countdown to 2025; Whitney's Roast of 2024. Aired 10-11p ET

Aired December 31, 2024 - 22:00   ET

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


[22:00:00]

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ANNOUNCER: From the heart of Times Square, it's CNN's New Year's Eve Live. Welcome to TV's wildest party with performances and appearances by 50 Cent, Shania Twain, Whitney Cummings, Anthony Anderson and his mom, Diplo, and more surprises.

And now your hosts, Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: And welcome back to Times Square, the last two hours of 2024. It is 10 P.M. here on the East Coast. We've had a really fun night so far.

ANDY COHEN, T.V. SHOW HOST: We have. I feel like 2024 was a year of like, how can we mess with people? How can we jerk you around? Well, guess what?

COOPER: Yes.

COHEN: We are just getting dumped on.

COOPER: That's true.

COHEN: But you know what? We're not letting it affect, we're having a good time. So, bring it on. What else you got?

COOPER: We got amazing guests ahead, plus a surprise guest for Andy, and because I haven't been to any of the production meetings, I don't know who it is either.

COHEN: Really?

COOPER: Yes. We've also got a performance from Shania Twain. We'll talk with recording legend Diplo and rapper and producer Lil Jon. You're literally pouring tequila down my hand and my wrist. Also producer Lil Jon.

But, first, toast number three. I really don't need this.

COHEN: Okay, cheers. Is this number three?

COOPER: This is number three.

COHEN: I think it's number four.

COOPER: To all of you at home, I wish you a Happy New Year.

COHEN: Cheers.

Wow. You know what? It's okay.

Does Whitney Cummings want a shot? Do you want a shot? No, you don't?

WHITNEY CUMMINGS, COMEDIAN: No.

COOPER: Our next guest, Comedian Whitney Cummings on a national tour in 2025.

COHEN: Look at you wearing New Year's white.

COOPER: Not a drop of rain has touched you.

COHEN: I know.

COOPER: We are soaked.

COHEN: Well, it's all dropping on me from your umbrella.

CUMMINGS: Was that thunder?

COHEN: That was thunder.

CUMMINGS: Are you sure? I thought it was Kathy Griffin screaming at you from the street. Are you sure? I thought, I think she's cursing you.

COOPER: Well, no doubt.

CUMMINGS: Thank you. I cannot drink. Last time I did that, I got pregnant with a stranger's child. So, I'm not going to be drinking this evening.

COHEN: And how is Junior?

CUMMINGS: Junior's doing wonderful. I had my baby myself.

COOPER: How old?

CUMMINGS: A year old.

COHEN: Wow.

CUMMINGS: I know. I'm finally back. I did carry my own child. Television just doesn't pay what it used to. So, I had to carry my own kid. It was pretty humbling.

COHEN: What are you most excited for 2025?

CUMMINGS: I mean, hopefully, for getting 2024, you know, working a lot, which is good. I'm touring.

COOPER: You're going on a national tour. That's exciting.

CUMMINGS: Standup comedian, touring over the --

COOPER: How long are you going to be on tour?

CUMMINGS: Do you even know who I am, Anderson?

COOPER: Yes, I do know who you are.

CUMMINGS: Is he just like, I thought Joan Rivers was dead.

COOPER: No. I do know who you are. How long are you going on tour, though?

COHEN: He does now.

CUMMINGS: I'm touring all over for all of 2025.

COHEN: Wow.

CUMMINGS: Very exciting.

COOPER: Do you like being on the road?

CUMMINGS: It's the best. I love going around the country because you see that Americans really are more reasonable than they would be portrayed. They're pretty great. And I'm playing bigger and bigger venues now. I thought being a mom would mean that less people would want to come see me. I'm now playing, you know, like 3,000-seat theatres, which is about the viewership of CNN these days. Not this show though. All eyes are on this show.

COHEN: Wow, you're all fiery --

COOPER: You know, Andy and I had a tour. We did like 3,000 people. Yes.

COHEN: You're hosting a new Friends trivia show on MAX. You a huge Friends fan?

CUMMINGS: You know what? I'm a Friends fan. I'm also a fan of entertainment that just entertains. There's this new thing where everything in Hollywood has to like lecture people how to vote. It didn't make you feel guilty about global warming. It's just a fun show. No creeps. It's just warm, wholesome.

COHEN: I have to tell you and I talked about your time at the Conners a little bit. You were the showrunner of the Conners.

CUMMINGS: The Roseanne, back when it was before the Conners.

COOPER: You were showrunner of the Roseanne?

COHEN: But did you pass on Sabrina Carpenter for a role? CUMMINGS: Okay. No one passes on Sabrina Carpenter for anything. She came in and she was not a match for a million reasons. Of course you're going to bring up this drama. Of course you're bringing up this drama. I think I deserve a percentage of her touring money for not hiring her, because otherwise she would still be on that show. You're welcome, Sabrina.

COHEN: By the way, where are you going to be toasting New Year's?

CUMMINGS: I think I'm just going to -- I mean, after what I'm about to do, I think I'll probably be like in a huddle with a bunch of lawyers or something. Co, I don't have big plans for after this.

COHEN: Well, this was the year that we learned that roasts probably shouldn't happen at important live events. Whitney Cummings it is time for you to roast the year. Let's hear it.

CUMMINGS: Feel free to heckle me. Feel free to come for me. I do believe we need to hold 2024 accountable for its behavior. That is what white women do now. We point out other things that are toxic because we don't get ironies. And that is our truth. This was the year that people were behaving so poorly, we started being wistful about murderers.

[22:05:04]

Remember, this was the year we were like, were the Menendez brothers so bad? Were we too hard on the Menendez brothers? This was the year we could not get enough of murderers. Gypsy Rose became our favorite celebrity because murdering your mom is so brat. They had her on a red carpet, a little on the nose for a murderer, but she was like posing in a fancy dress. We were like slay. And she was like, I did.

And, of course, our heartthrob of the year was the alleged cold blooded killer named Luigi, who is now in the same prison as Diddy, which I'm very upset about because Luigi already has a lower back issue.

This was the year nothing made sense. Fertility was down. Sales of baby oil was up. White supremacy groups reached record highs. It got so bad, Ariana Grande became white again. 2024 totally broke our brains. Half the people I know think we're in a simulation. I'm starting to wonder when I go to a website and it asks me if I'm a robot or not, half the time I get the quiz wrong. I'm like does the shadow of a bike count as a bike? I don't know. Why am I looking at a grainy photo of a crack house?

We just all broke mentally this year. Things got so bleak, we started watching the WNBA. Was that -- what happened? And we also started watching older women in movies, equality or insanity? You tell me. Demi Moore was in a movie called The Substance, showing that Hollywood's ready for a woman in her 50s to star in a movie as long as a hot 28-year-old wears a leotard for most of it. Pam Anderson's getting Oscar buzz for a movie she did wearing no makeup.

Guys, that's not progress if you call it brave. Documentaries finally realized the only way to make money is to just make them about cheerleaders. The Dallas Cowboys cheerleader doc showed the girls being treated horribly, underpaid, crying. I thought I'd open a video on Hunter Biden's laptop. This is the year everyone hated the movie The Joker, but if you do love watching men descend into insanity in a couple hours, you get to watch Andy Cohen do the countdown in 2024.

Something's left us. Some came back. Sanity left us somehow. Crypto is back. Do you guys even know what crypto? No one thought the timing of crypto was fishy. As soon as women started making money, they were like, money's over. Money's over. I don't even know what crypto is as far as I understand. It's just astrology for men. Like I don't -- 2024 election fried our brains. The Democrats couldn't hold a primary cause they were too busy holding a body upright.

Are we still rolling? Am I off?

COHEN: Go for it.

CUMMINGS: It was amazing that the pro-choice party didn't give their voters one when it came to the presidential candidate. Kamala was forced on us so hard, you'd think she was patented by Pfizer or Moderna, whichever one's, oh God, Andy just gave me a very scary look.

Let me be clear though, 2024 was not only negative. The media wants us to believe this country is so divided, but we actually came together a lot this year, like as a nation we unanimously agreed that we would rather see J-Lo in a toxic relationship than in concert. We all agree the government totally knows what drones are and are telling us. The drones are still up there and we have no idea what's behind them. No idea. I mean they're still up in the sky, so I guess we can't rule out that they were made by Boeing.

The point is, I think we all agree on a lot of things. And since I only have a minute left live on establishment media, why don't we just say a bunch of things that we know that they'll never cover. Okay, ready to go.

Trump shooter didn't have any silverware in his house, no one thought that was weird? Are we still rolling? Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia put money into Disney, so just know there won't be any girl characters in the next Cars movie.

Can I get -- are we still rolling? This is wild. Okay. Why so many presidents' chefs died. Weird. Boy Scout of America, they renamed itself Scouting America. You know how else change their name? Sean Combs. Just saying, let's learn something in 2025.

I can't believe you guys are still letting me go. This is amazing. I love CNN. Please stop me, Andy, because I will just keep going.

COHEN: Happy New Year, Whitney Cummings.

CUMMINGS: Am I still streaming?

COHEN: Yes.

CUMMINGS: It's amazing.

COHEN: We are live on CNN. You look cool as a cucumber.

CUMMINGS: No censorship on CNN.

COHEN: Thank you very much.

CUMMINGS: I love you, guys. Thanks for having me.

COHEN: Love you.

CUMMINGS: What a dream. Oh, no.

COHEN: What a dream.

CUMMINGS: Oh, Anderson's melting down.

COOPER: I only understood like half the references. So, I'm not a pop culture fan.

COHEN: He doesn't know.

CUMMINGS: I tried to bring up a documentary.

COHEN: He doesn't know, I know. He didn't see the Dallas Cowboys.

CUMMINGS: You didn't see the Dallas Cowboys cheerleader documentary?

COOPER: Although I -- no, yes, I've heard about it. I've heard about it.

COHEN: We have a lot more ahead as we say goodbye to 2024 and welcome the new year in a moment, a performance from Shania Twain. Plus, we're going to check in with Randi Kaye. She's back in Key West, Florida. Here is the incredible skating duo, the Griffin brothers, wow, again. Okay.

CUMMINGS: Happy New Year.

[22:10:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back to New York Times Square. It is 10:13 P.M.

COHEN: It really was a beautiful day today. It was a great day today.

COOPER: And yet now it's raining, and I'm sure, and it's supposed to like end, stop as soon as this whole show is over basically. Anyway, there's a lot of folks who are watching tonight who may not be out at some party, and with a group of people, you might be alone or just with somebody else you love in your room or just by yourself. And I just want to say that New Year's Eve is something that is a night that's always been hard for me. My dad died five days after New Year's on January 5th, 1978. And I remember being ten years old and watching New Year's Eve celebrations that New Year's, five days before he died, being filled with fear and feeling very much alone.

And I just watched I started working on New Year's Eve because I hated actually New Year's Eve because of that. And I wanted to just work on it. And I've come to really enjoy this and I've come to enjoy being here with Andy.

COHEN: You've come to enjoy being with me?

COOPER: I have. But I've come also to enjoy being with all of you who are maybe watching alone and who are maybe grieving or not looking forward to the New Year or have not had a good year.

[22:15:06]

And I just want you to know that in all this merriment and all this rain and all these people were here, there's a lot of people like you, you are not alone tonight. I am with you. We are with you. And there's a lot of people who are on this road with you and we see you and we welcome you. And I'm glad you're spending the night with us.

We've lost a lot of amazing people this past year, from singers to Hollywood legends, to everyday people. I want to take a look back at some of the people who we've lost this year.

And I just want to give a special shout out to the family of Joey Pintauro, my former assistant, whose photo you saw there briefly, who died this past year. We miss Joey tremendously. And also Richard Liebner's family, Carol Cooper and all his kids and grandkids, a legend in this business. Richard died earlier this year.

There's a lot of you, Mary Lahikainen, who's in Michigan right now, is missing her son, Ian, Janice Allen in Las Vegas, who's missing her kids, Deb in Michigan, who's mourning as well, so many people out there right now. And I just want to say, I see you tonight and I love you and I'm with you. And to all of you, I wish you the best in this new year.

Now a musical performance from one of the bestselling recording artists of all time, Grammy Award Winner Shania Twain. This is her hit, Man, I Feel Like a Woman, from her -- Andy often says, which is from her Come on Over.

COHEN: That's a cheap shot.

COOPER: I'm just kidding.

COHEN: I'm sitting here almost crying at what you just said.

[22:20:00]

COOPER: I'm trying to just --

COHEN: And then you took the opportunity to do a cheap shot at me.

COOPER: I'm trying to -- I said with love, sweetie.

COHEN: I'm like about to cry.

COOPER: Nothing wrong there. It's from her Come on Over Las Vegas.

COHEN: Don't coddle me. I know what you're doing.

COOPER: At the P.H. Live Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino, Shania Twain.

COHEN: Yes, that was great. That was great. What are you doing on your phone?

COOPER: I'm trying to organize stuff.

[22:25:01]

COHEN: Oh, are you?

COOPER: Yes, I am.

COHEN: Really?

COOPER: Yes.

COHEN: Guess what, that was awesome. I love you, Shania Twain.

COOPER: I love Shania Twain.

COHEN: That's a hit. Really. Well, you couldn't give it up here. You were on your phone.

COOPER: I was listening. I just didn't want to get involved in your mishegoss.

COHEN: We are 90 minutes away.

COOPER: I can't get the vision of you dressed at the Grateful Dead thing.

COHEN: Okay. Coming up, we're going to check in with Randi Kaye.

COOPER: Oh, there he is. There's Andy at Grateful Dead.

COHEN: Okay, all right. Are you kidding me? Wow. No fun zone. No fun allowed in Anderson's universe. We're going to check in with Randi Kaye in no rain Key West, Florida.

Plus, Diplo is here, superstar D.J. and producer, love Diplo. We're going to be right back.

COOPER: Yes, we will.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

ARIANA DEBOSE, ACTRESS AND SINGER: My New Year's resolution is to continue to own my power and to not be a doormat.

EDIE FALCO, ACTRESS: I'm going to respond calmly and kindly to my teenage children no matter what they say to me.

STEPHANIE HSU, ACTRESS: My New Year's resolution is to stay wild.

DONNIE WAHLBERG, ACTOR AND SONGWRITER: My New Year's resolution is to Have the most fun of my life with my darling wife in 2025.

JENNY MCCARTHY, ACTRESS AND MODEL: My New Year's resolution is to finish writing my 10th book so it can land right here.

SHERRI SHEPERD, ACTRESS AND COMEDIAN: My New Year's resolution is to be able to get Ozempic and it's lowered -- the price is lowered for diabetics like me instead all the skinny people.

[22:30:00]

I'm trying to get it too for my blood glucose.

JENNA LYONS, FASHION DESIGNER AND BUSINESSWOMAN: Wow. I'm going to stop saying the word, (EXPLETIVE DELETED).

LILY COLLINS: My New Year's resolution is to put my phone down more.

MOLLY SIMS: Disengage on some things that I get too worked up about.

CHARLIE PUTH: To not over think everything, to go with the flow.

JACKIE HOFFMAN: My New Year's resolution is to celebrate the real New Year's, which is in September.

CHRISTIAN SIRIANO: To spend much more quality time with my family and my nephews.

CYNDI LAUPER: My New Year's resolution is to be a better leader.

GRETCHEN WHITMER: I'm going to get into a meditation practice in 2025.

BRIDGET EVERETT: My New Year's resolution is to make a lasting memory with Anderson Cooper.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN ANCHOR: Oh, I -- I would absolutely be up for making a lasting memory with Bridget Everett.

ANDY COHEN, CNN ANCHOR: Really?

COOPER: Yeah.

COHEN: You want to make love to Bridget Everett?

COOPER: No, but I think she's great, really talented. I love her show on HBO. I saw her at Joe's Pub. I thought she's incredible.

COHEN: Do you want to make love to her?

COOPER: I don't even know what you're talking about.

COHEN: You don't know what it means to make love to a woman? Yeah, you don't. That has been established on CNN right now. Mark it in ink. He don't know about that. As if any of y'all had any question about that. He don't know about that. Guess what? Diplo was going to come on right now. Where's Diplo, Anderson? You want to say where he is? His helicopters running late.

COOPER: We were told -- we were told minutes ago --

COHEN: His helicopter's running late.

COOPER: We were told minutes ago, his helicopter's running. I've never heard that before. I think it's the greatest.

COHEN: It's so Diplo I can't even tell you.

COOPER: It is amazing.

COHEN: It's so Diplo.

COOPER: I want one day to have a lifestyle where somebody says, oh yeah, no, he's late. His helicopter is running late.

COHEN: Yes, the Vanderbilt boy suffers just like you, but he doesn't know about making love to a woman. Speaking of, we want to take you now to some much -- someplace, much warmer and drier. Look at the top of this.

COOPER: Please don't.

COHEN: Randi Kaye is in Key West. Hey, Randi, what's going on down there? We miss you. Oh, my God, you've made some friends already, Randi. Yes, you have.

RANDI KAYE: I miss you guys. Happy New Year, Anderson and Andy. We are in Key West, and this is the land of mermaids. There are more mermaids here than anywhere else.

COHEN: Wow.

KAYE: There's something in the water. I seem to have grown a tail, and I'm not the only one, boys. If you could set me down back here, check this out, right? That's a pretty fancy tail. Ooh. Oh, thank you, boys.

COHEN: Randi --

KAYE: Let me just show you --

COHEN: -- who's that guy on your left? Wow. Who's that guy on your left Randi? Yeah.

KAYE: I've made some new friends. This is Nick and he's a Merman.

COHEN: Yes.

KAYE: Nick, Nick, you have a mighty fine tail, I must say.

ENTEN: Isn't it fantastic?

KAYE: Oh, it is fantastic. And then over here on my right, we have Christiane and you are the queen of the mermaids here.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Well, I beg to differ, you are definitely the queen of this marvelous new year.

KAYE: So we also, apparently -- we don't know we not only have a lot of mermaids here in Key West, but we have a whole lot of conch (ph) in Key West, and we are going to actually learn how to blow the conch here in Key West. So if I get this right, Christiane tells me, you hold it in your hand, you put your hands around it, and you blow. That's it. You ready? You ready, Nick?

All right, here we go. 1-2-3.

COOPER: I can't believe that actually worked.

COHEN: I know. My God.

COOPER: I'm actually --

COHEN: You did it, Randi.

COOPER: Wow, you did it. You did it.

COHEN: Wow.

COOPER: Yeah, the tails are flapping.

COHEN: Randi's tail is flapping.

KAYE: See, that's what it's known for.

COOPER: OK.

COHEN: We love you, Randi. We love you, Randi.

COOPER: All right.

COHEN: Randi --

KAYE: I love you guys.

COHEN: -- don't fall in love with -- don't fall in love with the wrong man, tonight, Randi.

COOPER: It's not going to end well.

COHEN: Yes.

KAYE: I might. COHEN: It never does. You're not going to get what you want Randi.

COOPER: We've seen it happen a million times.

KAYE: I might. I might.

COOPER: I know.

COHEN: They can't bring it home. Thank you, Randi in Key West. You know, the other day, I was watching 360 and they showed Anderson tossed to a piece by Randi Kaye. And I was like. It was so funny to see Randi not surrounded by a bunch of queens in Key West. It's just what is her normal beat?

[22:35:00]

COOPER: She covers, like, actual stuff.

COHEN: Like, what is stuff?

COOPER: Well, she lives in Florida, so she comes a lot of stuff (inaudible) like, I mean, everything. Randi's like, you can ask Randi to cover anything. She knows everything.

COHEN: Wow. Great, very good.

COOPER: Randi Kaye is a great reporter.

COHEN: Yes, she is. Tonight's party continues late into the night. Diplo, we believe his helicopter is landing.

COOPER: OK.

COHEN: And will -- he will be here.

COOPER: OK.

COHEN: And we're ringing in the New Year's everyone in the middle part of the country will be -- will be joining our crew in Austin, Texas, (inaudible) Harry Enten and that's after we're done at 12:30 to ring in the --

COOPER: And there they are.

COHEN: There they are. Hey.

COOPER: Oh.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: We don't have fins. We don't have fins but we do have this.

COHEN: That is crazy.

SIDNER: Welcome back Carter (ph).

CARI CHAMPION, CNN ANCHOR: What about this guy? Who's this guy? COHEN: Oh.

HARRY ENTEN, CNN ANCHOR: Very good looking guy.

COOPER: Wow, but that Andy, that was actually your head.

COHEN: I was making a joke in college, and I brushed my hair out. It was a joke.

SIDNER: Right.

COOPER: But I -- but I do see -- I'm glad you guys brought that up, Sara and guys, I'm glad you brought it up because when I met Andy, when somebody tried to set us up on a date, you did have, like, flowing locks.

COHEN: Oh, I had longer hair.

COOPER: And you also had, like, my short shorts and roller blades.

COHEN: Yes.

COOPER: (inaudible)

SIDNER: And roller blades. So Andy, can we bring this back? Can we bring this back?

COHEN: Yeah, might as well.

SIDNER: Andy, can we bring this back?

CHAMPION: Yeah. I think this is a good look for you.

ENTEN: I think it's a great look, though he kind of looks like my father a little bit. So maybe it's my long lost father Andy Cohen. I'm revealing it tonight on CNN for the first time.

CHAMPION: Are you kidding me?

ENTEN: It's also --

CHAMPION: Andy is your father?

SIDNER: It really reminds me of welcome back Carter but there's that.

COOPER: So no, so I -- Harry Enten, you -- and I've been talking about you, Harry to Andy, because he was like, who's Harry Enten? And I was saying he's our data guy. And Andy was like, what is our data guy doing on New Year's Eve? And I was like, well, Harry Enten is short of a unique presence on CNN.

COHEN: But also, excuse me, is your dad, that Neil --

COOPER: No, no, his dad's not Neil Sedaka, his -- your uncle.

ENTEN: My uncle, Uncle Neil, Uncle Neil Sedaka who's hopefully watching right now. Love will keep us together.

CHAMPION: Hey Uncle Neil.

COHEN: Here's some headline news for Neil Sedaka. Raindrops are falling on my head.

SIDNER: On your head. It's (inaudible) we can do the song.

CHAMPION: On this head. On this head.

ENTEN: Laughter in the rain. That's what I have to say baby.

COHEN: What do you all have -- what do you all have coming up in Austin for us after we get off the air?

SIDNER: The first thing we have is the most fabulous weather. It is lovely here. Sorry, guys. The other things we have, really fun. We've got a Michelin Star Barbecue Madeque (ph).

CHAMPION: La barbecue.

SIDNER: La barbecue.

CHAMPION: (inaudible) Michelin --

SIDNER: Founder of that. And we've got the UT (ph) dance (inaudible)

CHAMPION: Yes, they're going to do little routine.

SIDNER: They're going to do a little dance for y'all.

CHAMPION: For you all.

SIDNER: For Harry especially. And here's who we have for you right now. We've got the Jones Family Singers.

CHAMPION: Hey Jones family.

SIDNER: Five sisters, four brothers, and Papa Bishop Jones. They are here to sing us out in 5-4-3-2-1.

CHAMPION: You got it.

[JONES FAMILY SINGERS PERFORMANCE]

COHEN: All right, we have a lot more ahead.

COOPER: There's a lot more ahead. Legendary DJ and Producer Diplo joins us. We'll be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:40:00]

COOPER: And welcome back to New York Times Square. 10:42 p.m. A little bit more than an hour and well, I guess hour and 18 minutes. It is all to the New Year. It is always a pleasure. Welcome these next two guests to our New Year's Eve show. Andy's parents, Evelyn and Lou Cohen. Evelyn and Lou thanks so much for being here. Happy New Year. How you guys -- what do you guys been up to tonight?

EVELYN COHEN, ANDY COHEN'S MOTHER: Well, we're out to eat and here we are.

LOU COHEN, ANDY COHEN'S FATHER: Ready to be on and talk.

COHEN: I'm happy to see you guys. We're here, just getting wet.

COOPER: Where did you eat? What did you have? Good night? Good night out?

E. COHEN: It's good enough. It was very good. It was our -- it was our New Year's Eve Dinner. Waiting for you guys.

COOPER: Did you say good enough?

COHEN: Yes, that's a big --

COOPER: That's a (inaudible) from Evelyn Cohen that's a (inaudible)

COHEN: You both celebrated your 65th anniversary this year. What is the secret to your longevity?

COOPER: What's the secret to a good relationship?

L. COHEN: Well, I just do everything she tells me.

COHEN: Very smart. But not only that, dad, you know, I was thinking about it last night, you have carried around this picture of mom for 65 years in your wallet, and we have the photo and it's -- and why do you carry this photo of mom?

COOPER: Wow.

COHEN: You've carried it around for -- for my whole life and for 65 years. Why do you carry that around, Dad?

L. COHEN: Well, I like the picture, and it reminds me, and I look at it from time to time, and it reminds me of the time we got married, engaged, and I just like looking at it. She's just so beautiful.

E. COHEN: Then. That's why he carries it around now.

L. COHEN: It's -- I don't mean then, now as well.

COOPER: Hey, let me ask you a question. Lou, I recently, I had a college reunion, and I was hanging out with my friends from college, and I saw them not as they are today, even. So I saw them as they were you know, a million years ago, when we were all in college. Is that picture how you see Evelyn now? Is that like in your mind's eye? Is that the picture you have?

[22:45:00]

L. COHEN: Yes, I do, and that is how I see her now.

COOPER: I love that.

COHEN: That's very sweet.

E. COHEN: He's the only one, yeah.

COHEN: Dad, dad, you turned 92 this year, and I posted a picture of you. People flooded my Instagram with comments. Tell me what you're looking forward to in 2025 in your 93rd year.

L. COHEN: Well, as you know, I'm going to have a new knee in about two or three weeks, and I hope that surgery works out well, and that I'm able to travel and get to New York from time to time and see you guys and the kids, and maybe take some other trips that are hard to do for me now, that I'm looking forward to that.

COHEN: You're excited about your new knee, and I told my parents, I was like, you know what? He's going to get this new knee, really, as a goal. They should be up here on this riser next year.

COOPER: That would be awesome.

COHEN: Wouldn't that be great?

COOPER: That would be awesome. Will you guys come next year to the riser?

E. COHEN: Oh yeah.

L. COHEN: That's wonderful. I'd really like that.

E. COHEN: Just hoist us up.

COOPER: Cool.

E. COHEN: We're ready.

COHEN: All right.

COOPER: All right, that's a deal.

COHEN: All right. Will you guys do a shot for me? We've been doing shots all night. You guys have a shot there?

L. COHEN: We do.

COHEN: OK, cheers guys.

L. COHEN: Mini shots. Cheers.

COHEN: All right. Mini shots. Cheers. Love you, to 2025, to health and happiness for you both.

E. COHEN: Happy New Year.

L. COHEN: Happy New Year.

COHEN: Love you. OK, thanks, guys.

COOPER: So great.

COHEN: Talk to you later.

COOPER: Wow, you are so lucky.

COHEN: I know. I really am.

COOPER: So lucky.

COHEN: And how sweet that my dad has carried that photo around.

COOPER: I love that, and I love that that in his mind's eye, that that is -- like that -- that is how he sees her.

COHEN: I know.

COOPER: I think it's such an interesting thing.

COHEN: I think it's so romantic.

COOPER: Yeah, it's incredible.

COHEN: It's very sweet.

COOPER: Yeah.

COHEN: Coming up, the helicopter has landed.

COOPER: Diplo is going to join us.

COHEN: Diplo is going to join us. 50 Cent will be here.

COOPER: I'm sure 50 Cent has a helicopter too.

COHEN: I'm sure he does. Everyone does but us.

COOPER: Sure.

COHEN: Richard Quest is somewhere in the crowd here in Times Square.

COOPER: We'll join him.

COHEN: We're going to check in with him.

COOPER: We'll be right back.

COHEN: We'll be right back. I'm ready for more shots.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

[22:50:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

COOPER: And welcome back to New York Times Square. Just over an hour until the ball drops. Want to check in with our Richard Quest, who I think is down in the crowd. Richard, how is it down there? Oh my goodness.

RICHARD QUEST, CNN ANCHOR: When you look over your left shoulder, you will see me, Anderson. I am over here.

COOPER: There you are.

QUEST: And the Q train tonight.

COOPER: Q train, OK.

QUEST: At the subways. So here we go, choo-choo. Any more fares? Hello. Where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: China.

QUEST: You're from China?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

QUEST: Very nice. Are you enjoying it?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

QUEST: Hello sir, where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Los Angeles.

QUEST: Ha?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Los Angeles.

QUEST: Los Angeles. What time did you get here?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Two o'clock.

QUEST: Two o'clock. Has it been near the best part of eight hours. My word. They're looking -- let's have a cheer. Come on.

[CROWDS CHEERING]

QUEST: Let's keep walking down further along. Choo-choo. Choo-choo. Hello, madam. Where are you from?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Livermore, California.

QUEST: Another Californian.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: People said it was crazy to come. And if this is crazy, then don't make me sane. This is awesome. This is the best. Loving every minute of it.

QUEST: I think the rain is getting in. Sir?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I'm from Spain. Spain.

QUEST: You're from Spain?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yeah.

QUEST: And what time did you get here this evening?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) when?

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Seven days ago.

QUEST: God, you been here for hours. Of course, the angel question, Anderson, Andy. What are they doing about the bathroom? I know we ask this every year, but there you go. When no one really knows exactly how it's all sorted. The atmosphere is wet. Choo-choo, choo-choo. You got to --

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Say that again.

QUEST: Are you enjoying?

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: (Inaudible)

QUEST: Hold on. So look, Andy, there's this one person here. This is the lady Delaney (ph), one of my producers, who is responsible for these great costumes. And we have one more still to come tonight, in the last hour.

COOPER: We can't wait.

QUEST: As for this crowd. When I go like this, you all go choo-choo. We'll make a train noise. Ready? 1-2-3.

COOPER: Choo-choo, wow. The enthusiasm.

QUEST: Let's have a cheer. 1-2-3.

COOPER: Yay.

QUEST: Sorry guys, I've done the best I could.

COHEN: Thank you, Richard.

COOPER: Richard, we'll join you. Thank you, Richard.

COHEN: I have to say he was speaking about the bathroom. There's a part of me that's been wondering what would happen if I just turned around --

COOPER: Not a good idea.

COHEN: -- and took a leak right here. COOPER: Not a good idea. By the way I didn't have IP, so I couldn't

actually hear what he was saying to me earlier. So it was news to me that he was dressed as a (inaudible)

COHEN: As a Q train.

COOPER: Yeah, I don't understand why he was dressed like that.

COHEN: Well, he was choo-chooing around sweety.

COOPER: All right. I picked that one. We're joined by someone --

COHEN: Guess what the rain let out.

COOPER: We've all probably partied to Curtis 50 cent Jackson. Tonight, he's at his Las Vegas In Da Club Residency at the PH Live Theater Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino. 50 Cent welcome. How are you doing?

COHEN: Hey. How are you doing, man?

CURTIS 50 CENT JACKSON: Good man. I'm here in good spirits, man. Vegas, I see I got the rain going on, but it ain't stopping nothing.

COHEN: No, it's not. And guess what? We want to do a toast with you, because I think we're all drinking your champagne, right?

COOPER: Whoa.

COHEN: Cheers. What you didn't do it?

COOPER: No, I didn't.

COHEN: Well, you didn't --

COOPER: I don't need to know. I don't know what that is. You're about to perform tonight at your Vegas Residency. How has it been so far?

50 CENT JACKSON: Yeah, it's been amazing, man. There's three more shows left. But tonight, definitely a special night. You know, the ball dropping and everything. Everyone's excited. You can feel the energy.

COHEN: You know, there was a famous episode of Watch What Happens Live that you were on when I asked you how much you had in your pocket. How much money you had, and you whipped out $10,000. I am so curious.

50 CENT JACKSON: Yeah, yeah.

COHEN: 50 Cent, how much cash do you have on you tonight?

50 CENT JACKSON: I -- I got -- I got money in every pocket. I put money in every single pocket for New Year. I had to sure --

[22:55:00]

COOPER: For New Year? Wow.

50 CENT JACKSON: For New Year. I have some money.

COOPER: This is not planned. This is amazing.

50 CENT JACKSON: (inaudible) not having money in the beginning.

COOPER: Wow. Let me ask you a question, 50 Cent. At the end of the night, will you still have all that money on you, or will you be like, giving it out?

COHEN: Yeah, where will it go?

COOPER: Yeah. Where does it go?

50 CENT JACKSON: I would -- I would have changed my clothes several times in the show, so I don't know where it will be at by then. But I wanted to make sure I brought the New Year in.

COHEN: You are launching your own fast channel Devoted Action Films and TV series. What's your all-time favorite action movie?

50 CENT JACKSON: One of my favorite ones is the Rambo. I'm a big Sylvester Stallone fan. You know, I did Escape Plan with him, so I got a chance to work with him. It's exciting to have 50 Cent Action. It's free. It's -- I support television so it's all real cool.

COHEN: You know, one of the things I love about you 50 Cent is how unfiltered you are on social media. You've been in so many moments with people on social media. I just wonder, are there any feuds that you've had in the past that you now regret, or that you want to squash for the New Year, that you want to make clean and whole for the New Year?

50 CENT JACKSON: No, I'm just going, just going -- I kind of like where I'm at.

COHEN: All right.

50 CENT JACKSON: I kind of like it the way it is. So I was thinking --

COHEN: You know you made -- you made waves earlier this year when you took a flirty photo with Lauren Boebert during your visit to DC. Did anything happen between the two of you?

50 CENT JACKSON: No, just a photo.

COHEN: Just a photo. All right, just checking. It's my job. CNN, I got to ask, hey, what did you think of the Drake versus Kendrick feud this year? Who came out on top?

50 CENT JACKSON: I think it was good for the culture. They both created music that was up to standard faster than they would usually do it, and it's exciting to watch, man.

COOPER: What time do you think tonight you will actually go to bed? Like on New Year's Eve, what time do you actually say, all right, tonight, it's done.

50 CENT JACKSON: I'll go to sleep tomorrow.

COHEN: You're going to sleep tomorrow?

50 CENT JACKSON: I'll go to sleep tomorrow.

COHEN: Yes, he's in Vegas too. Hey 50 Cent, since you're -- since you're so opinionated, I want to run through various random pop culture topics to see if you give a damn about them or not. OK?

50 CENT JACKSON: OK.

COHEN: The game is called, Does 50 give a damn? Do you give a damn that Yellowstone ended?

50 CENT JACKSON: That was a big -- that was a big show, like I've been -- it's a disappointment to me that it's not continuing. Something is interesting about how I could be that successful, and if someone just decides they don't want to do it anymore.

COHEN: Yeah.

COOPER: I like that show. I like that.

COHEN: Yeah. Do you give a damn about Nicole Scherzinger's star turn in Sunset Boulevard? I can never pronounce her name as great as she is.

COOPER: I didn't see it. She's beautiful. I care about anything when you look like that.

COHEN: Yeah. Do you give a damn --

COOPER: And you said it's like a great show.

COHEN: It's amazing. It's spectacular. She's unbelievable. Do you give a damn about the upcoming Bluey feature film?

COOPER: I give a damn about that.

COHEN: I do too.

50 CENT JACKSON: The Bluey movie?

COHEN: Yeah. Bluey Movie.

50 CENT JACKSON: I don't know about that one.

COHEN: Oh, you don't. OK. Do you give --

COOPER: It's for kids. Like kids love it.

COHEN: Do you give a damn that Beyonce was nominated for 11 Grammys, making her the most nominated artist in Grammy history.

50 CENT JACKSON: She already got 30, 30, of them, 32 of them. So give her -- give her those 11 too. It's crazy.

COHEN: Do you give a damn that Taylor Swift's Eras tour was the highest grossing tour ever?

50 CENT JACKSON: Yeah, that's something for everybody to watch, because she put on the kind of show that you can't deny.

COHEN: Do you give a damn about the upcoming season of White Lotus?

50 CENT JACKSON: No, I really don't give a damn about that. It's a good show. You set me up. You trying to start problems Andy.

COOPER: No, no.

COHEN: Do you -- hey 50, do you give a damn that there are mysterious drones flying over Jersey and New York?

50 CENT JACKSON: Yeah, I care more about the government saying that they don't know what it is or why it's there, and no -- and we're not doing anything.