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NBA legend Earvin “Magic” Johnson has said he will pray for LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling, who is embroiled in an ongoing race row.
Magic Johnson rejected Donald Sterling’s remarks a day earlier that the HIV-positive ex-player had done nothing to help others.
“My whole life is devoted to urban America,” Magic Johnson, 54, told CNN.
Last month, Donald Sterling, 81, was banned from the NBA after making racist remarks in reference to a photo of Magic Johnson.
Magic Johnson’s remarks on CNN on Tuesday night came in response to a second round of comments that Donald Sterling made the previous day.
“What kind of a guy goes to every city, has s** with every girl, then he catches HIV?” Donald Sterling told CNN’s Anderson Cooper on Monday.
Magic Johnson rejected Donald Sterling’s remarks a day earlier that the HIV-positive ex-player had done nothing to help others
“Is that someone we want to respect and tell our kids about? I think he should be ashamed of himself. I think he should go into the background. But what does he do for the black people? He doesn’t do anything.”
On Tuesday, in his own interview with Anderson Cooper, Magic Johnson responded: “I’m a God-fearing man and I’m going to pray for him and hope things work out for him.
“But he’s a man who’s upset and he’s reaching. He’s reaching. He’s trying to find something that he can grab on to help him save his team. And it’s not going to happen.”
The row began last month after a recording surfaced in which Donald Sterling was heard asking a woman – later identified as his girlfriend V. Stiviano – not to associate in public with black people, nor to bring them to games.
Those comments were reportedly prompted in part by a photo that circulated on social media in which Magic Johnson posed with the woman.
Subsequently, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver banned Donald Sterling from the sport and fined him $2.5 million. The NBA has also initiated proceedings to force him to sell his ownership stake in the Clippers.
In his interview with Anderson Cooper that aired on Monday, Donald Sterling apologized for the remarks in the recording, saying he was “emotionally distraught” over the comments and that they were a “terrible mistake”.
But he also said he was “baited” into making the remarks, and said he had delayed in apologizing because Magic Johnson had told him to stay quiet.
“Wait, be patient, I’ll help you, we’ll work it out,” Donald Sterling said Magic Johnson told him.
Donald Sterling also implied that Magic Johnson told him to delay apologizing so he could buy the LA Clippers team.
Magic Johnson, one of the greatest basketball players in NBA history, was diagnosed with HIV in 1991, left the sport for four years, then returned for the 1995-96 season before retiring as a player.
He has yet to comment publicly on whether he plans to pursue an ownership position.
Meanwhile, the Clippers are competing in the NBA’s Western Conference semi-final playoffs. On Tuesday evening the series against the Oklahoma City Thunder was tied 2-2.
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In an interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper, LA Clippers owner Donald Sterling finally spoke about his racist comments that were leaked in April.
Donald Sterling, 81, apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and other wealthy African Americans for not doing enough to help minorities, and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is.
Early on in the interview, Donald Sterling tried to gain viewers’ sympathy by describing what his granddaughter had to go through at school after the tapes were released.
“My little grandchild goes to a Catholic nursery, and they were passing around candy to everybody. When they got to her, they said, <<We don’t give candy to racists>>. So it hurts me,” he said.
Donald Sterling took the stance of being set up by V. Stiviano and being “baited” into the comments. He claimed that jealousy is what fueled his comments and not race.
“One of the things that I said was <<don’t bring blacks to my game>>. Twenty-five percent of the people at my games is black. She would always use the black word. That’s a black girl.
“So when she said I’ll bring four gorgeous black guys to the game, players, I was a little jealous, maybe.”
While on the topic of jealousy, Donald Sterling also asked if Anderson Cooper could relate to him being jealous when it comes to women.
Donald Sterling apologized for his comments, slammed Magic Johnson and even insinuated that Anderson Cooper is more of a racist than he is (photo CNN)
“Did you ever like a girl, were you ever jealous of her a little bit if she was with other guys? It’s not that I didn’t want her to be photographed.
“(You were jealous?)
“I admit, I was jealous,” said Donald Sterling apparently unaware that Anderson Cooper is gay.
Donald Sterling then said that Anderson Cooper is the racist, not him.
“I think you have more of a plantation mentality than I do. And I think you’re more of a racist than I am. Because I’m not a racist, and I’ve never been a racist,” he said.
Donald Sterling then went on to bash Magic Johnson and successful black people. In his opinion, Jews help their people when they make it. Black people do not.
“Here is a man … he acts so holy. He made love to every girl in America in every city and he had those AIDS. When he had those AIDS, I went to my synagogue and I prayed for him,” he said.
“What has Magic Johnson done? He’s got AIDS. Did he do any business? Did he help anybody in south L.A.? I think he should be ashamed of himself. What does he do for the black people? I’m telling you he does nothing. It’s all talk.
“I spent millions on giving away and helping minorities. Does he do that? That’s one problem I have. Jews, when they get successful, they will help their people.
“And some of the African Americans, maybe I’ll get in trouble again. They don’t want to help anybody. What has Magic Johnson really done for Children’s Hospital which kids are lying in the hallways. They are sick. They need a bed. What has he done for any hospital? What has he done for any group?”
Anderson Cooper corrected Donald Sterling and let him know Magic Johnson does not have full-blown AIDS, but instead HIV, and also told him a few things Johnson has done for the community and as a businessman.
The interview came to an end with Donald Sterling explaining how V. Stiviano broke his heart.
“This girl, 100 other men could look at her and they wouldn’t even think she was pretty. But she was something special. And the point I’m making is she was a woman who really never asked for anything.
“It’s like a woman stabbing you in the chest or shooting you. And sometimes women say, <<I love him>> and kill him.”
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Four of the jurors in the George Zimmerman trial have banded together to separate themselves from juror B37 who helped acquit the neighborhood watchman for the killing of Trayvon Martin.
The group released a joint statement after juror B37 spoke to CNN about their closed-door sessions after the trial.
“The opinions of Juror B37, expressed on the Anderson Cooper show were her own, and not in any way representative of the jurors listed below,” they said in the statement released Tuesday night.
In an effort to maintain their privacy, the four women identified themselves only as B51, B76, E6 and E40. One juror, B29, did not sign the document.
“Serving on this jury has been a highly emotional and physically draining experience for each of us,” the statement read.
“The death of a teenager weighed heavily on our hearts but in the end we did what the law required us to do.”
Even though they stepped away from juror B37’s claims, all six of the women had to agree on the not guilty verdict before it was announced on Saturday night.
One of juror B37’s most controversial claims in the Anderson Cooper interview was that Trayvon Martin “played a huge role in his death”.
“When George confronted him he could have walked away and gone home,” the woman said in the second portion of her post-trial interview.
While she was apologetic to Trayvon Martin’s family, she seemed more sympathetic to George Zimmerman’s position in the midst of the fight, as opposed to Martin’s own self defense.
“I have no doubt that George feared for his life,” she said to CNN’s Anderson Cooper.
Four of the jurors in the George Zimmerman trial released a joint statement after juror B37 spoke to CNN about their closed-door sessions after the trial
“I’m 101% that he should have done what he did except for the things that he did before,” she said, referencing George Zimmerman’s decision to follow Trayvon Martin in his car and, fatefully, get out of the car and confront him.
While George Zimmerman himself never took the stand in his own defense, video recordings of him explaining the situation to police after the fatal shooting were submitted, effectively giving him the chance to tell his side without leaving himself open to a cross examination.
That was no matter for the juror: “I’m sure there were some fabrications, enhancements, but I think pretty much it happened how he said it happened.”
Initially this unidentified female juror was planning on writing a book about her experience on the trial- and even had a literary agent lined up early Monday afternoon- but after the first portion of her interview was aired that evening she and the agent decided not to follow up.
The second portion of B37’s interview was aired on Tuesday, and she went into more detail about how two specific tact used by the prosecution may have influenced the outcome.
Throughout her interview with Anderson Cooper, the woman regularly referred to the neighborhood watchman as George, and though she did call the 17-year-old Trayvon, she admitted that she felt more personally connected to George Zimmerman as opposed to Trayvon Martin.
“Trayvon wasn’t as well known to us because there wasn’t as much said about him,” she said.
Anderson Cooper brought up the fact that the two legal teams took very different visual approaches when making their closing arguments, with the defense holding up a concrete block like a portion of the sidewalk to show what they contend Trayvon Martin used to attack. On the opposite end, the prosecution held up the Arizona Iced Tea bottle and a bag of Skittles, saying that was the only thing he was armed with.
“The Skittles and the Arizona can were ridiculous to even compare it to,” she said.
“I believe he hit his head on the concrete, I believe he was trying to slam it…it was definitely enough to make you fear.
“I hope [George Zimmerman’s] family can live a normal life after a while. I don’t know how he’s ever going to do that.”
Yesterday it was revealed that the first vote that the six-woman jury took behind closed doors came as a draw, with three wanting to acquit, one ready to charge him with second degree murder and two for manslaughter.
In today’s segment, she made it clear that after hours of discussing the case and the evidence, the group had shifted to be five in favor of acquittal with one hold out.
“I wanted to find him guilty of not using his senses…you can’t charge him with anything because he didn’t do anything unlawful,” she said.
Juror B37 went on to sob while saying that she wanted to apologize to the Martin family for the tragedy that they had to go through, but she also had a message for George Zimmerman and his family- after it was revealed yesterday that his parents have been in hiding as well as the former neighborhood watchman and his wife.
“I hope his family can live a normal life after a while. I don’t know how he ever going to do that. He’ll never forget but I hope he can,” she said.
Juror B37’s interview aired just minutes before four of the remaining five jurors put out a statement saying that they want to remain anonymous and are formally requesting privacy.
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Juror B37 in the George Zimmerman trial has revealed that at no point did the largely-white all-female jury consider the motivation behind the killing of Trayvon Martin.
The woman, identified only as Juror B37, said that they believed that it was a “tragedy” that came from George Zimmerman going too far but said that the former neighborhood watchman’s “heart is in the right place”.
Juror B37 told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that George Zimmerman made some poor decisions leading up to the shooting, but that Trayvon Martin wasn’t innocent either.
“I think both were responsible for the situation they had gotten themselves into,” said the juror, who was planning to write a book about the trial.
“I think they both could have walked away.”
The woman also said that she felt it was clear that the 17-year-old threw the first punch: “Trayvon decided that he wasn’t going to let (George Zimmerman) scare him… and I think Trayvon got mad and attacked him.”
When asked by Anderson Cooper if she would feel comfortable having George Zimmerman patrolling her neighborhood, she said that while Trayvon Martin’s death was tragic, it would serve as a learning experience.
“I would feel comfortable having George, but I think he learned a lesson,” she said, hesitating slightly.
“I think he’d be more responsible than anyone else on this planet right now.”
Hours after the interview with Anderson Cooper aired, the literary agent who agreed to represent the juror announced that she withdrew her services.
“After careful consideration of the book project with Zimmerman #JurorB37, I have decided to rescind my offer of representation,” agent Sharlene Martin said via Twitter.
Sharlene Martin also put out a statement from the juror herself, who said: “This potential book was always intended to be a respectful observation of the trial from my and my husband’s perspectives.”
“Now that I am returned to my family and to society in general, I have realized that the best direction for me to go is away from writing any sort of book and return instead to my life as it was before I was called to sit on this jury.”
In the CNN interview, Juror B37 said Sanford Police Detective Chris Serino made a big impression on her, because he would have been accustomed to dealing with murders and similar cases.
He would have known how to spot a liar, and yet he testified that he believed George Zimmerman, the juror said.
Legal analysts agreed that Chris Serino’s testimony was a blow to the state’s case.
The juror was not impressed by the testimony of Rachel Jeantel, who was talking with Trayvon Martin by cellphone moments before he was fatally shot by George Zimmerman in February, 2012.
“I didn’t think it was very credible, but I felt very sorry for her,” the juror said.
“She didn’t want to be there.”
The juror also commented on defense attorney Don West’s knock-knock joke about knowing who George Zimmerman was during opening statements.
“The joke was horrible. Nobody got it,” she said.
The interview came two days after the six-woman jury acquitted George Zimmerman, a former neighborhood watch activist, of second-degree murder in the shooting death of black teenager Trayvon Martin in a gated community in Sanford, Florida.
Trayvon Martin was black, and George Zimmerman identifies himself as Hispanic.
George Zimmerman was not arrested for 44 days, and the delay in charging him led to protests from those who believed race was a factor in the handling of the case.
While prosecutors accused George Zimmerman of profiling Trayvon Martin, Zimmerman maintained he acted in self-defense.
The juror said she didn’t think Trayvon Martin’s race was the reason that George Zimmerman followed him. She said she also believed Trayvon Martin threw the first punch and that George Zimmerman, whom she referred to as “George”, had a right to defend himself.
Juror B37 in the George Zimmerman trial has revealed that at no point did the largely-white all-female jury consider the motivation behind the killing of Trayvon Martin
“I have no doubt George feared for his life in the situation he was in at the time,” the juror said.
Juror B37 also outlined to CNN the process she and the other five jurors went through in their deliberations.
She said they spent the first day electing a foreman and getting organized. She said the jury instructions weren’t immediately clear and the evidence was in no order whatsoever.
George Zimmerman was charged with second-degree murder, but the jury also was allowed to consider manslaughter.
Based on an initial vote, three – including B37 – were in favor of acquittal, two wanted manslaughter and one wanted second-degree murder.
Juror B37 said the jury started going through all the evidence, listening to tapes multiple times.
“That’s why it took us so long,” B37 said.
When they started looking at the law, the person who initially wanted second-degree murder changed her vote to manslaughter, the juror said.
Then they asked for clarification from the judge and kept going over it again and again. B37 said some jurors wanted to find George Zimmerman guilty of something, but there was just no place to go based on the law.
B37 said jurors cried when they gave their final vote to the bailiff.
“I want people to know that we put everything into everything to get this verdict,” said the juror, who appeared to become emotional during the interview.
“We thought about it for hours and cried over it afterwards,” she said.
“I don’t think any of us could ever do anything like that ever again.”
Martin Literary Management announced Monday that it is representing B37 and her husband, who is an attorney.
The names of the jurors have not been released, but during jury selection it was disclosed that B37 works in an unspecified management position and has two adult children.
In a statement initially released Monday morning, Martin Literary said the book would focus on what it is like to be sequestered and why B37 felt she had no choice but to acquit George Zimmerman. The agency said it is approaching several publishers.
In a separate interview, Rachel Jeantel was asked by CNN’s Piers Morgan whether she thought race was a factor in George Zimmerman’s decision to follow Trayvon Martin prior to their fight.
“It was racial,” she said.
“Let’s be honest. Racial. If he were white, if Trayvon was white and he had a hoodie on, what would happen?”
She noted that the altercation happened in the early evening, when many people are out walking their dogs or doing other things.
Piers Morgan played back a recording of the juror’s comments about Rachel Jeantel’s education level and speech, and the witness said it made her sad and angry.
Rachel Jeantel, who is black, said she also had a feeling that the jury would return a not-guilty verdict.
“They’re white,” she said of the jury at one point.
“Well, one Hispanic. But she’s stuck in the middle. I had a feeling it was going to be a <<not guilty>>.”
While the court did not release the racial makeup of the jury, the panel appeared to reporters covering jury selection to be made up of five white women and a sixth who may be Hispanic.
Juror B37 signed the deal with her attorney husband and Martin Literary Management president Sharlene Martin, MediaBistro reported.
In previous reports, B-37 has been identified as a white woman who volunteers at an animal shelter and who is married to an attorney with two adult children.
During her voir dire – in which attorneys question would-be jurors to determine if they are suitable to take part in a case – reveals that she called Trayvon Martin “a boy of color” when asked to describe him.
She added that his killing was “an unfortunate incident that happened” and said she believed there were riots in Sanford, Florida after the killing – which is not the case.
She was also vocal about her hate of the media – saying she refused to read newspapers as they were skewed.
Literary agent Sharlene Martin originally said that now-defunct book would explain why the group of six women reached the decision to acquit the former neighborhood watch volunteer.
“My hope is that people will read Juror B37’s book, written with her attorney husband, and understand the commitment it takes to serve and be sequestered on a jury in a highly publicized murder trial and how important, despite one’s personal viewpoints, it is to follow the letter of the law,” she said.
She added that the book has the potential to open discussions about how laws might need to be revised in order to fit with modern society.
“The reader will also learn why the jurors had no option but to find Zimmerman Not Guilty due to the manner in which he was charged,” she said.
The juror is choosing to remain anonymous and it is unknown if they will conduct interviews as the project proceeds due to the reaction to the verdict.
Sharlene Martin has represented books written by high-profile writers, including Honor Bound by Raffaele Sollecito and Picture Perfect: The Jodi Arias Story by Shanna Hogan, due out in September.
Mystery still surrounds the identities of the jury members and there is still no indication of how long the six women, known only to the public as B76, B37, E6, B29, E40 and B51, will remain anonymous.
Jurors refused to talk to reporters about how they reached their decision on Saturday after they received numerous interview requests from media outlets.
Their names are being kept secret until Judge Debra Nelson lifts an order protecting their identities.
Attorneys have argued that the names should not be kept secret.
In June, the judge ruled they would remain anonymous for an unspecified period after the verdict and George Zimmerman lawyer Mark O’Mara argued they should be kept secret for six months after the trial.
Speculation also surrounds whether or not George Zimmerman himself will pen a book revealing his experiences. The AP suggested he could make money from the project or from a lawsuit he brought against NBC last year after it allegedly edited his 911 tapes to make him look like a racial profiler.
Following his acquittal on all charges, George Zimmerman will spend no time behind bars.
But the Department of Justice could file criminal civil rights charges, and George Zimmerman may face civil lawsuits from the family of Trayvon Martin, who was unarmed at the time of his death last year.
The verdict has sparked uproar across the U.S., with Trayvon Martin supporters claiming that the killing was racially motivated as they stage massive protests across cities from New York to Los Angeles.
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McDonald’s have reached out to Charles Ramsey, the man being dubbed a hero and a legend in Cleveland and told him they will be in touch as yet another hilarious interview with Ariel Castro’s neighbor hits the internet.
Charles Ramsey, who is responsible for freeing Amanda Berry and two other women who were being held captive at his neighbor’s home, joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to re-tell the events of the heroic evening which led to the freedom of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus.
In a lengthy and animated interview with Anderson Cooper, Charles Ramsey describes the moment he heard Amanda Berry screaming from his neighbor’s home, the dramatic moment he kicked the door in to rescue her and the 911 call he made to the “moron” dispatcher, all while holding his half-eaten Big Mac.
When Anderson Cooper asked him what neighbor Ariel Castro was like, Charles Ramsey said: “He was cool, he wasn’t no freak of nature, he was like me and you. He talked about the same things me and you do bro.”
Charles Ramsey revealed that he actually spoke to Ariel Castro earlier that day because the mail man had put his mail into Ramsey’s mailbox. He said that Ariel Castro drove off and he cycled to McDonald’s.
Charles Ramsey, who is a dishwasher, brushed off his hero status, telling Anderson Cooper that he just had to “do the right thing”, adding: “Bro, I’m a Christian, an American, and just like you. We bleed the same blood, put our pants on the same way.
Charles Ramsey joined CNN’s Anderson Cooper to re-tell the events of the heroic evening which led to the freedom of Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus
“It’s just that you got to put that – being a coward, and I don’t want to get in nobody’s business. You got to put that away for a minute.”
He also revealed he is traumatized and has had trouble sleeping after learning what was taking place right next door to him.
“Up until yesterday, the only thing that kept me from losing sleep was lack of money. You know what I’m saying? But now that that’s going on and I think I could have done this last year…”
He also says that any reward money should not be given to him, but to the three women who had lost so many years of their lives being held captive.
“I tell you what you do, give it to them… you know I got a job anyway” he said before pulling out his paycheck that he just picked up and showing it to Anderson Cooper.
Yesterday, after giving several zany interviews which catapulted him to internet celebrity status, Charles Ramsey’s mentions of McDonald’s caught the attention of the fast food chain.
McDonald’s later tweeted: “We salute the courage of Ohio kidnap victims & respect their privacy. Way to go Charles Ramsey – we’ll be in touch.”
Charles Ramsey’s expletive-filled 911 call is garnering just as much attention as his interviews.
He explains to the dispatcher: “Hey bro I’m at 2207 Seymour Avenue, West 25th. Hey check this out, I just came from McDonald’s right? And I’m on my porch eating my little food and this broad is trying to break outa the f***ing house next door to me.
“There was a bunch of people on the street right now and sh** and we are like, <<What’s wrong with you, what’s the problem?>>
“And she’s like, <<This mother f***er has kidnapped me and my daughter>>. Said her name is Linda Berry or some shit. I don’t know who the fuck that is, I just moved over here bro.”
The dispatcher asks Charles Ramsey to calm down and slow down and tries to ascertain what is happening and where they are.
He explains that he is looking at Amanda Berry, who is on the phone with a different dispatcher. Charles Ramsey explains that she is white, but her child is Hispanic and that she is wearing “a white tank top and blue sweat pants”.
Charles Ramsey is then asked if Amanda Berry needs an ambulance and he can be heard shouting over to her.
“You need an ambulance or what? She needs everything, she in a panic, she’s been kidnapped you know? So put yourself in her shoes.”
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Honey Boo Boo’s estranged pet pig Glitzy made a surprise appearance on Anderson Cooper’s live show recently after spending a week in the city weathering the effects of Hurricane Sandy.
Anderson Cooper had arranged for the reality star teacup pig to feature on his Halloween episode and flew him in before the storm hit.
During his post-Sandy live show Anderson Cooper joked: “It’s very hard to find places for a pig to stay in the city, let me just tell you.”
Glitzy was given to Honey Boo Boo by her parents earlier this year but after falling in love with her new squealing ball of fur, her outspoken mother June Shannon, decided the animal would have to leave the house.
Anderson Cooper told viewers: “They finally got rid of it and sent it away to a farm which frankly I thought meant they ate it.”
But as his audience chuckled the silver-haired television host revealed that they didn’t in fact kill the pig for bacon and was right there in the studio.
Greeting the sweet black and white pig, who despite being male was named Glitzy by his princess-loving former owner, Anderson Cooper displayed a gentle touch with the animal.
After he squealed and squeaked a bit, Glitzy finally settled into Anderson Cooper’s arms as he kissed it lightly on the head and reassured the traumatized creature.
Honey Boo Boo’s estranged pet pig Glitzy made a surprise appearance on Anderson Cooper’s live show
Honey Boo Boo showed similar affection to her pet back in August when she crowned Glitzy with a tiara and pronounced her female.
“We’re going to be the prettiest girls at the pageant and there’s no way we can’t win cause I’ve got me a pig, how about that?” she told him.
Devastated by Glitzy’s sudden departure, Honey Boo Boo – real name Alana – burst into tears and waved goodbye to him.
“What I love about Glizy is that she loves me,” Honey Boo Boo had once confessed.
But unable to cope with the constant noise and lack of house training the family had to let the pig go.
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Anderson Cooper’s new talkshow has been cancelled after just two seasons.
Anderson Cooper had been expected to become a star of daytime TV when his show launched last autumn, but ratings, and the accompanying advertising revenue, failed to materialize.
In a statement, Warner Brothers blamed the “difficult marketplace”.
“We are extremely proud of Anderson and the show that he and the entire production team have produced,” they said.
“While we made significant changes to the format, set and produced it live in its second season, the series will not be coming back for a third season in a marketplace that has become increasingly difficult to break through. We will continue to deliver top-quality shows throughout next summer.”
Anderson Cooper’s new talkshow has been cancelled after just two seasons
Anderson Cooper, 45, said he was “sorry” about the cancellation.
“I am very proud of the work that our terrific staff has put into launching and sustaining our show for two seasons, I am grateful to Telepictures for giving me the opportunity, and I am indebted to the audience, who have responded so positively,” Anderson Cooper said.
“I look forward to doing more great shows this season, and I’m sorry we won’t be continuing, but I have truly enjoyed it.”
A source told the New York Times that the decision was not due to Anderson Cooper failing to deliver, but was simply economic.
The source said bosses “could have renewed the show but could not create a viable economic business model to move forward”.
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Investigating the horrifying bacteria hidden in restaurants’ most unlikely places, Anderson Cooper has revealed the top three dirtiest culprits are beverage lemons, lettuce wedges and the condiment racks found on tables.
“I get self conscious with the salt things,” Anderson Cooper said.
“How many people with dirty hands and snotty noses have been playing with the salt on the condiments rack? And I doubt they clean it.”
Howard Cannon, a restaurant consultant for insurance companies investigating claims of food poisoning, replied: “They’ll clean it, but they’ll take a wet towel and rub the top of it which makes flies attracted to it, because it brings residue from other things onto it.”
“A fly lands on top of the condiment dispensers, and what do you think the fly is doing there? Laying eggs,” he added.
“Eggs drop into the condiments, which gives the little babies something to eat.”
Anderson Cooper visibly cringes, and asks about the lemon wedges offered with beverages in bars, restaurants, and even on planes.
“The outside of the lemon doesn’t get washed,” said Howard Cannon.
“The wedges are cut well in advance for high volume, and they’ll squeeze the lemon into the water, rub it around the edge of the glass.
“It’s just moving bacteria from lemon into the water,” he said.
Restaurants’ horrifying hidden germs revealed by Anderson Cooper
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 76 million cases of food poisoning were recorded last year, and 3,000 were fatal.
Surprisingly, iceberg lettuce is a top germ trap.
“Restaurants let it sit at room temperature because it’s busy,” Howard Cannon said.
“They clean the outside of the lettuce, but if you look at the inside, it’s porous and it never gets cleaned.
“You order, you get your dressing, also sitting at room temperature, with bacteria growing on all of it. Then you move the bacteria from the dressing onto the bacteria on lettuce; you go home, and a few hours later you’re sick.”
Anderson Cooper also investigated the dangers found at restaurant indoor play areas for children.
After Erin Carr-Jordan took her toddler to a McDonald’s playground, she said she was shocked and appalled at the amount of old food, trash and excess dirt hiding in the playground’s cracks and corners.
She decided to swab the areas and run lab tests, which showed traces of meningitis and gonorrhea.
Now the executive director of Play Safe, the mother has taken her study to over 20 states and more than 70 locations.
Erin Carr-Jordan explained: “What we’ve found is beyond concern… the bacteria problems can cause illness, infection, and potentially death.”
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Anderson Cooper admitted on Friday that CNN had come across the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens’ personal journal and used parts of it in its reporting without disclosing the source.
On Wednesday on his show Anderson Cooper 360, the CNN host told Senator John McCain that “a source familiar with Ambassador Stevens’ thinking told us that in the months before his death he talked about being worried about the never-ending security threats that he was facing in Benghazi, and specifically about the rise in Islamist extremism and growing al Qaeda presence”.
Anderson Cooper added that “the source also mentioned [Stevens] being on an al Qaeda hit list”.
Two days later, Anderson Cooper acknowledged that CNN had obtained Christopher Stevens’ journal, and that some of the information regarding the late ambassador’s thought process in the months leading to the deadly September 11, 2012, attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi was drawn from his entries.
Anderson Cooper admitted that CNN had come across the late Ambassador Christopher Stevens' personal journal and used parts of it in its reporting without disclosing the source
“On Wednesday of this week, we reported that a source familiar with Ambassador Stevens’ thinking said in the months before his death, Ambassador Stevens talked about being worried about what he called the never-ending security threats in Benghazi,” Anderson Cooper told his viewers Friday night.
“We also reported that the ambassador specifically mentioned the rise in Islamic extremism, the growing al Qaeda presence in Libya and said he was on an al Qaeda hit list.
“The information for that report, like all of CNN’s reporting, was carefully vetted. Some of that information was found in a personal journal of Ambassador Stevens in his handwriting.
“We came upon the journal through our reporting and notified the family. At their request, we returned that journal to them. We reported what we found newsworthy in the ambassador’s writings. A reporter followed up on what we found newsworthy, as I said, in the ambassador’s writings,” Anderson Cooper concluded.
Shortly after 1: 00 a.m. on Saturday, CNN published a story without a by-line on its website explaining how the journal came into its possession, and how the information it contains was used in the network’s reporting.
According to the article, CNN found Christopher Stevens’ journal four days after the ambassador was killed by Libyans protesting an anti-Muslim film produced by an American filmmaker.
CNN presenter Anderson Cooper has publicly announced that he is gay.
In an email published online, Anderson Cooper said he was proud of his sexuality and had decided to speak out in case anyone thought he was ashamed.
The son of socialite Gloria Vanderbilt, he said he had not previously spoken out on his sexual orientation for personal and professional reasons.
CNN said it had no comment and there were no plans for Anderson Cooper to discuss the matter on air.
CNN presenter Anderson Cooper has publicly announced that he is gay
Anderson Cooper wrote in the email, published by Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast: “It’s become clear to me that by remaining silent on certain aspects of my personal life for so long, I have given some the mistaken impression that I am trying to hide something.”
He continues: “The fact is, I’m gay, always have been, always will be, and I couldn’t be any more happy, comfortable with myself and proud.
“I have always been very open and honest about this part of my life with my friends, my family, and my colleagues.”
Anderson Cooper’s sexual orientation had long been subject to rumors.
His show, Anderson Cooper 360, received an award earlier this year from a gay rights group.
Sarah Burge, a mother-of-three dubbed the “Human Barbie” because of her obsession with plastic surgery, has been slammed by chat show host Anderson Cooper after she revealed she is giving her teenage daughter Botox injections.
Anderson Cooper was forced to cut a TV interview with Sarah Burge shortly after she justified giving her teenage daughter Botox injections.
“I would prefer to oversee my daughter’s Botox than have her going underground finding a voodoo witchdoctor or getting it off the internet and administrating it herself,” Sarah Burge said defiantly.
But appalled by her behavior, Anderson Cooper shook his head in disbelief stating: “I try and to be really polite to all my guests.
“I just think you’re dreadful and I honestly don’t want to talk to you anymore, so I’m just going to stop.”
Sarah Burge, 51, a self-confessed plastic surgery addict recently relocated from UK to the US to launch her eight-year-old Poppy as a child beauty pageant star, believing she could give the stars of the controversial show Toddlers & Tiaras a run for their money.
However, her insistence on teaching her young daughters to pole dance, giving them vouchers to spend on plastic surgery and throwing them Botox parties is proving unpopular on both sides of the Atlantic.
Following the show Anderson Cooper added: “I regret having here on in the first place.
“I think encouraging her little daughter to pole dance and giving her plastic surgery vouchers and then telling the media about it…
“I wish her the best, I certainly don’t want to be rude to anybody.”
“Human Barbie” Sarah Burge has been slammed by Anderson Cooper after she revealed she is giving her teenage daughter Botox injections
Sarah Burge has spent more than $800,000 on her own surgical enhancements and she has been in the spotlight numerous times – for all the wrong reasons.
Kevin Costner sent secret letters to his friend and The Bodyguard co-star Whitney Houston after the troubled singer’s aides asked him to boost her morale during the lowest times of her life.
Kevin Costner, 57, who paid tribute to Whitney Houston at her funeral in February, admits he reached out to the tragic star in letter form, but still has no idea if she read his notes.
Kevin Costner sent secret letters to Whitney Houston after her aides asked him to boost her morale during the lowest times of her life
In a taped TV interview with U.S. newsman Anderson Cooper, Kevin Costner says: “A couple of times there were some people that really loved Whitney and… during the last seven or eight years (they) asked me would I write her a letter… so I did; there were two occasions but I don’t know if those letters were ever read.”
Kevin Costner, Whitney Houston’s producer and co-star in her debut movie, The Bodyguard, has revealed that he had been in talks with Princess Diana to cast her as the lead in Bodyguard 2.
Kevin Costner, 57, who produced and starred in the original flick that garnered the late Whitney Houston critical acclaim, said he was willing to craft a role especially for the Princess of Wales in the follow-up.
The actor told this to Anderson Cooper in an interview airing on Anderson in May to promote Kevin Costner’s History Channel mini-series Hatfields and McCoys.
“Diana and I had been talking about doing Bodyguard 2… I told her I would take care of her just the same way that I took care of Whitney,” Us Weekly quoted him as saying.
Kevin Costner has revealed that he had been in talks with Princess Diana to cast her as the lead in Bodyguard 2
“She wanted me to write it for her. I said: <<I’ll tailor it for you if you’re interested>>. She goes, <<I am interested>>,” Kevin Costner said.
In a 2003 interview, Kevin Costner told ABC that the film’s sequel would feature his character shielding the People’s Princess from paparazzi and stalkers before the duo became involved in a torrid affair.
In an ironic twist, Kevin Costner – who delivered the eulogy at Whitney Houston’s February funeral – received a draft of the script for Bodyguard 2 on August 30, 1997 – the day before Princess Diana perished in a Paris car crash aged 36.
A group of indomitable and infamous pageant moms have been given the beauty queen treatment, transforming them into adult-sized versions of their daughters on Anderson Cooper show.
Anderson Cooper and his team have taken TLC’s Toddlers and Tiaras’ four most famous mothers and given them pageant makeovers – even going as far as dressing them in copycat outfits to mimic their daughters’ favorite competition costumes.
The results, while hilarious, are an attempt by Anderson Cooper to encourage the controversial women to think differently about dressing their young girls up and asking them to perform in the revealing outfits and make-up.
Six-year-old Alana Thompson, aka Honey Boo Boo Child, looked like a miniature version of her mother, June Shannon, from McIntyre, Georgia.
June Shannon, the self-proclaimed “Coupon Queen”, said she found the corset a little tight, but apart from that she was determined to see the humorous side of the get-up, echoing the mothers’ attitudes towards the pageant world as a whole.
“We have had a blast,” June Shannon said of the day at the studio.
“This is something we’ll laugh about for years to come. This is fun, this is all about having fun.”
A group of indomitable and infamous pageant moms have been given the beauty queen treatment, transforming them into adult-sized versions of their daughters on Anderson Cooper show
When questioned ether the outfit may make her change her philosophy towards child beauty pageants, it became clear the embarrassing makeover experience had made no impact.
“I don’t rethink any decision that I’ve made for my daughter as far as pageants,” June Shannon said.
“This was all in fun for us today, yeah, the corset is a little tight. With her, she enjoys doing it, so we are going to continue doing it.”
June Shannon insists on the programme, airing Thursday, February 16, that the highly criticized pageant world is nothing more than a sport.
“To us women who do it everyday it is a sport. Alana, she loves doing it, she’s not into the basketball or the baseball or anything like that.”
When asked whether she had indulged in any “GoGo Juice” – the caffeine-heavy mix of Red Bull and Mountain Dew she famously uses to energize her child – the larger-than-life June Shannon pointed out that Anderson Cooper and the audience had drunk it all. Indeed, at one point, the host takes a swig from a bottle and declares that the potent mix is “very sweet”.
“I don’t give her GoGo Juice everyday of the week,” explains June Shannon.
“Sometimes I don’t give it to her at pageants at all, we may use another remedy that day which may be pixie sticks or candy or just a regular caffeinated drink.”
The mother of eight-year-old Laci was a little less enamored with her Lady Gaga costume. The tiny electric blue spandex number was a touch on the revealing side for the mother-of-three Alicia, whose daughter’s verdict of the outfit was simply: “Weird.”
Anderson Cooper suggested that the audience had found the diminutive outfit “surprising” for such a young child, but the mom disagreed.
“Not at all. I mean, she doesn’t have anything, it’s different for children, it’s not showing anything, it’s a swimsuit for her.”
Happily for the mothers, there is another team of parents – namely, Lifetime’s Dance Moms – who are perhaps even more eyebrow-raising than they.
“They are worse than us, they make us look really good” said June Shannon, while Kayla, who famously encouraged her daughter to diet and lose 10 pounds, said of the Dance Moms: “I think they are mean, they seem mean-hearted.”
Speaking about eight-year-old EverRose’s diet, Kayla said she simply did not want her children to ever reach the weight of 300 pounds – as she once had.
“Obviously it does look like my child lost ten pounds in a couple of weeks,” the mother said of TLC’s editing.
“If I could do that I would bottle it, I would sell it and I would be a millionaire. Also, I would be skinny too.
“We watch what we eat all the time, not just a couple of weeks… Ten pounds she probably put on over the summer because she did not do as much activity. She takes dance, gymnastic and cheer. Over the summer that usually stops, so she was a little more sitting around. So she probably easily put that on over the summer.”
Kayla explains that she aims to teach her children to be as conscious of diet and exercise as they can be so that they do not have to deal with the bullying caused by obesity.
“I have four children and I want them all to not live the things that I have lived, as we all have experienced things in our lives that we don’t want our children to deal with,” Kayla emotionally revealed.
A teenager is reportedly in a coma after falling off a skateboard whilst filming himself for an appearance on Anderson Cooper’s new show.
A producer for the daytime programme “Anderson” allegedly encouraged the boy to record his wild behavior for a show on the teenage mind.
Anderson Cooper, who has only been hosting the show for three weeks, is “very saddened” by the incident and is praying for the boy and his family.
Anderson Cooper said he is “very saddened” by the teenager who is reportedly in a coma after falling off a skateboard whilst filming himself for the show
A representative for Anderson Cooper said producers had been working with the boy and his parents on the science behind the teenage brain.
“As part of our routine process, we ask guests for video footage and photos,” he told Gawker.
“We did not provide the family with a camera.”
On the morning the boy was supposed to travel to New York City, producers found out that he had been injured.
The teenager was encouraged by Anderson Cooper’s new show producer to “film the crazy stuff you do”, but suffered a severe head injury when falling from his skateboard, a source told Gawker.
The teenager was reportedly encouraged to “film the crazy stuff he does” but suffered a severe head injury when falling from his skateboard (file picture)
This left the teenager in a coma and the show never aired.
“I was very saddened to hear the news of this accident, and want to express my deepest concerns for the teenager who was injured,” Anderson Cooper told Gawker through a spokesman.
Anderson Cooper added that his “thoughts and prayers” are with the boy and his family.
Emmy-award winner Anderson Cooper is a Yale University graduate and joined CNN almost 10 years ago after working for ABC and Channel One News.
