inside a 60 Minutes interview with dr.
Jon LaPook
there you go we're good to go
all right how many interviews do you
think you've done over the years dozens
hundreds hundreds at least is this one
different yes I think it's probably the
most meaningful interview I've ever done
John in your sixty minutes interview
with Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman she is
speaking publicly for the first time
seeing that she was sexually abused by
the team dr. Larry Nasser you're saying
you were sexually abused yes absolutely
by the national team doctor yes while
you were out there representing your
country
yes but she didn't want to talk in
detail why I think she's still
processing this she's young she's only
23 years old and this is her decision
and we really respected that decision
you know you you have a couple of
warring things right on the one hand you
have to be accurate you want to report
as much as you can but on the other hand
you really have to be sensitive to her I
wanted to make sure that I did
everything I could to not make things
worse okay you're a teenager
what was your typical teenager day so I
would wake up I would eat I would go to
practice the interview took four hours
which is very unusual that's a long time
a long time a gold silver and a bronze I
have all the colors and I think one of
the reasons why I took so long was I was
really trying to let her be a partner in
the interview I didn't want it to be
certainly not a grilling I wanted to see
that she was comfortable and then fire a
warning shot say okay now we're gonna be
talking about Larry Nasser we're gonna
turn now to dr. Nasir - Larry Nasir when
was the first time that you give her
time to react to that and to process
that and then to go at the pace
she wanted to go I think about you know
this interview coming out with the book
like that's my way of having control you
know because obviously when you are a
victim of any kind of abuse you feel
very vulnerable you don't feel like
you're in control and that's a really
horrible feeling this is somebody your
whole life is had a routines and she's
in control and she does it the same way
every time when she does the routine and
and I think I felt during the interview
I wanted to give her that let her do it
her let her do it her way it's her story
were you ever alone with Nasir yes I was
along with him and I I didn't realize it
at the time but that's already a
violation you're never supposed to be
alone with an adult
where were you when you were alone with
him the first time I think the the most
important thing is that you should never
ever be alone with someone and they
should never be making you uncomfortable
this is not something where we're trying
to yank out something that she doesn't
want to say that would have been the
worst thing I'm getting that you're a
little reluctant to talk about yes she
felt it was sufficient for me to say
I've been sexually abused I don't think
I need to go into graphic detail about
how 3 and E Court is the 60 minutes
producer for this piece I think that
next line is fine graphic details she's
very determined now to chart our own
course and she's kind of gone from
someone who was impressionable and young
and trying very hard to please everybody
to finally growing up and realizing I
need to please myself and I think what
she's determined to do now is to just
take charge of her own destiny you know
she's such a strong fierce at the title
of her book she is a fierce person and
she clearly has a strong ethical
background her parents are very
supportive you know Ally was present for
their interview they were present for
her interview the mother the mom was and
and during the parents interview was
interesting there were times when Ally
would say mom you Denese answer that
question right what did you say or
nothing me an Ally's in the background
going no mama you know you're you should
say this or you said that wrong and and
I thought well listen
you raised an Olympic champion that's
pretty yes
it speaks to her really wanting to
control this narrative control her story
and good for her
think about the courage it takes to come
out with this to be public about this
you're so close with Ali why do you
think she didn't confide in you right
yeah I mean yeah I mean I I don't think
she knew I don't think there was
education I didn't know enough to warn
her that it could be someone she trusted
they want to get a message out right to
to parents yeah one of their main
reasons for doing this is they wanted to
make it clear to people that stranger
danger isn't the real danger that your
kids are facing then is that the real
danger is someone you know someone you
trust someone who's a community leader
and we know this intellectually but how
do you talk to your kid about this
without undermining their trust in
everyone yeah that's I mean you don't
want them to start fearing every adult
right none of us want to say any one
your life might betray you that's not
something you want to say to your kids
so the question is how do you flip that
around in a way and from what I've been
hearing when we talked to people who who
deal with this it's about you you have a
right to be comfortable if someone's
making you uncomfortable you tell your
mom and dad we tell our children use
your words well we have to tell the
parents the same thing use your words
with your kids more than 90% of the time
when a child is abused the perpetrator
is somebody the child knows it's an
awkward conversation to have with your
little with your little kid whether it's
a little boy a little girl but we have
to talk about it we have to make it so
it's not awkward because the more
awkward it is the more it's going to
happen