[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> DENNIS RODMAN FIRST MADE
NATIONAL HEADLINES WITH HIS
PROWESS ON THE BASKETBALL COURT.
THESE DAYS, HE'S MAKING
HEADLINES OF A DIFFERENT KIND,
IN THE FIELD OF DIPLOMACY WITH
NORTH KOREA.
DENNIS RODMAN BURST ON THE
NATIONAL SCENE 30 YEARS AGO AS
AN NBA STAR.
FOR HIS ECLECTIC STAR AND
OUTLANDISH COMMENTS, THE NBA
STAR DONNED A WHITE WEDDING
DRESS AND MARRIED HIMSELF IN
1996, IN AN UNOFFICIAL CEREMONY.
NEARLY A DECADE LATER, RODMAN
WAS A TRIPLE ON REALITY TV,
APPEARING ON "CELEBRITY MOLE."
>> THE EARTH HAS HOW MANY
CONTINENTS?
13?
THAT'S ONE OF THE DUMBEST
ANSWERS I'VE EVER SEEN.
>> Reporter: THAT SAME MAN IS
MAKING HEADLINES ON THE
INTERNATIONAL STAGE, BECAUSE OF
HIS UNLIKELY RELATIONSHIP WITH
THE NORTH KOREAN LEADER, KIM
JONG-UN, A HUGE BASKETBALL FAN.
THEIR FRIENDSHIP BEGAN IN 2013,
AS RODMAN VISITED NORTH KOREA AS
A BASKETBALL DELEGATION.
RODMAN WENT ON TO VISIT NORTH
KOREA SEVERAL MORE TIMES.
ON ONE OCCASION, SINGING KIM
JONG-UN "HAPPY BIRTHDAY."
á HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU á
>> Reporter: THE ATHLETE, MORE
LIKE AN ASPIING DIPLOMAT, IS
ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE THAT HAS A
RELATIONSHIP WITH KIM JONG-UN
AND DONALD TRUMP.
>> DON'T YOU REMEMBER?
>> LOVE YOUR STYLE, BABY.
>> Reporter: RODMAN AND
MR. TRUMP GOT TO MEET EACH OTHER
ON "CELEBRITY APPRENTICE."
AND RODMAN THREW HIS SUPPORT
BEHIND CANDIDATE TRUMP IN THE
ELECTION.
LAST WEEK, RODMAN BURST INTO
TEARS IN AN INTERVIEW WITH CNN'S
CHRIS CUOMO.
>> TODAY IS A GREAT DAY FOR
EVERYBODY.
SINGAPORE, TOKYO, CHINA,
EVERYTHING.
IT'S A GREAT DAY.
>> PLEASE HELP ME WELCOME DENNIS
RODMAN.
[ APPLAUSE ]
>> HI.
GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
>> ALL RIGHT.
ALL RIGHT.
>> DID YOU BRING A GOODY BAG
OVER THERE?
>> YEAH.
I BROUGHT A GOODY BAG.
>> INTERESTING.
WE'LL GET TO THAT IN A MINUTE.
>> IN A MINUTE, RIGHT?
>> I WATCHED YOU IN TEARS THE
NIGHT OF THE SUMMIT.
>> DON'T DO THAT.
I GET EMOTIONAL.
>> HOW ARE YOU FEELING NOW?
>> I'M GOOD.
IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK.
>> YOU BEFRIENDED KIM JONG-UN IN
2000 WHAT?
'13?
>> '13.
>> DID YOU HAVE A ONE-ON-ONE
MEETING WITH HIM?
>> NO.
IT WAS BY ACCIDENT.
I GUESS THEY -- I GUESS THE
MARSHAL -- I CALL HIM THE
MARSHAL.
>> THE MARSHAL.
>> HE WAS ASKING ABOUT MY
BASKETBALL IN AMERICA.
AND HIS FAVORITE TEAM WAS
CHICAGO.
THE BULLS.
HE ASKED MICHAEL JORDAN -- HE
ASKED THE TEAM FOR MICHAEL
JORDAN.
AND MICHAEL SAID, NO.
I'LL PASS THAT ONE.
HE ASKED SCOTTIE PIPPEN.
NO, I'LL PASS THAT ONE.
HE ASKED ME, I SAID, OKAY, I'LL
GO.
AS BLIND AS I WAS, I THINK I'M
GOING FOR ANOTHER GIG, SHAKING
HANDS, TAKING PICTURES AND STUFF
LIKE THAT.
I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT
NORTH KOREA.
NOTHING ABOUT IT.
>> SO, HOW DID A FRIENDSHIP
DEVELOP?
>> WHEN I WENT TO NORTH KOREA,
PEOPLE WERE TRYING TO GIVE ME
THIS PITCH ABOUT WHY ARE YOU
GOING TO NORTH KOREA?
YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO PEOPLE?
HOW THEY ARE IN THE WORLD.
I DIDN'T PAY ATTENTION TO IT.
I WENT ON BECAUSE I'M USUALLY
FRIENDLY WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE
AROUND THE WORLD.
ONCE I WENT OVER THERE AND SAW
THE RESPECT THEY GAVE ME, I'M
LIKE, WHOA.
I GOT RED CARPET, ALL THE
DIGNITARIES ARE OUT THERE,
SHAKING MY HAND, SMILING, HAVING
A GOOD TIME.
LIKE, WHOA.
I WALKED OVER THERE WHEN I GOT
OFF THE PLANE.
AND I WALKED IN THIS ROOM.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, 80 PEOPLE.
AND THEY SIT AROUND THE WALL,
LIKE A BIG SQUARE ONE.
I'M SITTING IN THE MIDDLE OF
THIS WHOLE CONGREGATION, RIGHT?
AND I'M THINKING, I'M GOING TO
JAIL.
>> RIGHT.
I'M GOING TO JAIL.
AND EVERYBODY IS SO SERIOUS AND
STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND THE INTERPRETER SAID,
DENNIS, YOU KNOW WHOSE SEAT THAT
IS?
I SAID, NO.
THAT'S THE MARSHAL'S.
I DIDN'T KNOW WHO THE MARSHAL
WAS.
THAT'S OUR SUPREME LEADER'S
SEAT.
I SAID, OKAY.
HE SAID, DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT
MEANS?
WE'RE HAPPY YOU'RE HERE.
ALL RIGHT.
I'M STILL, LIKE, SO SUBLIME
ABOUT THIS.
I'M THINKING I'M JUST GOING TO
PLAY A BASKETBALL GAME, TAKE A
PICTURE WITH ALL OF THE GUYS AND
LEAVE.
BUT IT GOT MORE AND MORE AND
MORE INTENSE AFTER THAT.
>> SO, HE COMES IN.
THE FIRST TIME YOU TALK, YOU
HAVE AN INTERPRETER HELPING THE
TWO OF YOU.
>> THREE.
>> THREE INTERPRETERS.
OKAY.
HE SPEAKS SOME ENGLISH.
YES?
>> HE SAID HI.
>> MADE AN EFFORT.
>> HE SAID HI.
THAT WAS IT.
>> WERE YOU AT ALL WORRIED THAT
IF YOU SAID SOMETHING WRONG?
YOU KNOW, IT WAS CURTAINS FOR
YOU?
>> LIKE I SAID, I WAS SO BLIND
ABOUT THE WHOLE SITUATION.
I WAS LIKE, OKAY.
I THOUGHT HE WAS A REGULAR GUY.
WHEN HE WALKED IN, I MEAN, IT
WAS LIKE MOSES JUST SPLIT THE
RED SEA.
>> MOSES?
>> IT SEEMED LIKE THAT.
>> THE WAY THEY RESPONDED TO
HIM.
YOU KNOW THEY HAVE TO.
>> I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT.
I WAS SITTING DOWN.
THEY'RE STANDING UP, CLAPPING.
THEY'RE CLAPPING AND TEARS
COMING OUT OF THEIR EYES.
I'M THINKING, WHAT'S WRONG WITH
THESE PEOPLE?
>> AT THAT POINT, YOU DIDN'T
KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS GUY,
THE HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES, ANY OF
THAT?
>> NOTHING.
>> MAYBE THAT WOULD TURN OUT TO
BE A GOOD THING.
DENNIS FORGED THIS RELATIONSHIP
WITH KIM JONG-UN, THAT WOULD
WIND UP OPENING, WELL, SOME
PEOPLE'S
>>> WE'RE BACK WITH DENNIS RODMAN, ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE
WHO HAVE SPENT TIME WITH
PRESIDENT TRUMP AND THE NORTH
KOREAN LEADER, KIM JONG-UN, WHO
HE CALLS A FRIEND FOR LIFE.
DENNIS, WHEN YOU ARE WITH THE
MARSHAL, WHAT DO YOU GUYS DO
TOGETHER?
>> WE BASICALLY HAVE FUN.
>> LIKE HOW?
>> WELL, BASICALLY, WE GO TO HIS
PRIVATE ISLAND.
WE GO JET SKIING.
>> YOU'VE GONE JET SKIING WITH
KIM JONG-UN?
>> OH, YEAH.
WE GO JET SKIING.
WE SING KARAOKE.
>> GET OUT.
SERIOUSLY?
>> SERIOUSLY, WE DO.
>> WHAT SONG DID HE SING?
>> HE TRIED TO SING -- HE TRIED
TO SING JAMES BROWN.
>> WHAT DID YOU SING?
>> I TRIED TO SING IT WITH HIM.
I SAID, HEY.
á GET ON UP
GET ON UP á
á GET ON THE SCENE
GET ON UP á
>> SURE.
AS YOU DO.
THAT HAPPENED?
>> THAT HAPPENED.
>> JET SKI, KARAOKE.
SNOWMOBILING, JET SKIING.
WE DO A LOT OF STUFF TOGETHER.
>> YOU GAVE HIM A BOTTLE OF
VOD
VODKA.
IS HE A DRINKING MAN?
>> WELL, WE ALL KIND OF HAVE
SOME.
WE WERE DRINKING THEN.
WE WERE DRINKING LIKE DOING A
PARTY AND STUFF LIKE THAT,
SINGING KARAOKE.
HE'S NOT A DRINKER.
>> CAN I ASK, WHAT WAS HE
WEARING WHEN HE WAS ON THE JET
SKI?
>> SHORTS AND T-SHIRT.
>> REALLY?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
>> OKAY.
I'M GOING TO SIT AND BE WITH
THAT FOR A MINUTE.
IS HE A FUNNY MAN?
YOU SPEND TIME WITH HIM AND
PRESIDENT TRUMP.
HOW DO THE TWO MEN COMPARE?
>> I THINK TRUMP LOVES POWER.
IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW TRUMP AS A
PERSON, YOU WOULD THINK HE WAS
A --
>> WE CAN BLEEP THAT.
IF YOU KNOW TRUMP, TRUMP IS COOL
AS HELL.
I LOVE TRUMP, AS A FRIEND.
I LOVE TRUMP.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW IT, HE'S WILD
AND CRAZY, WHATEVER GUY.
YOU KNOW, I LOVE TRUMP.
ME AND TRUMP GET ALONG REAL WELL
BECAUSE OF HIS ATTITUDE.
HE'S VERY AGGRESSIVE.
>> WHO DO YOU LIKE MORE?
>> YOU ARE TRYING TO GET THE
QUESTIONS OUT OF ME.
>> I'M CURIOUS.
>> WELL, I'LL PUT IT LIKE THIS,
FIRST AND MOST, I THINK THE FACT
THAT I LIVE HERE, I RESPECT THIS
MORE THAN ANYTHING IN THE WORLD,
AS VERY FREE.
I THINK PEOPLE COMING TO AMERICA
IS LOOKING FOR FREEDOM, LOOKING
FOR HAPPINESS AND SATISFACTION.
WHAT BETTER PLACE TO COME THAN
AMERICA?
WE HAVE DOORS OPEN FOR EVERYONE
IN THE WORLD.
THAT'S THE BEST THING ABOUT
LIVING HERE, SERIOUSLY.
IT MAKES US SO --
>> NOT SO MUCH AT THE MOMENT
DOWN AT THE SOUTHERN BORDER.
IN GENERAL, THAT'S OUR APPROACH.
>> I LIKE THAT.
I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE HAVE
THAT ATTITUDE.
WE REALLY CARE ABOUT PEOPLE.
>> YEP.
>> AND TRUMP -- HE'S TRYING.
HE'S TRYING TO -- TRYING TO OPEN
THIS DOOR.
>> CAN I ASK YOU -- I DIDN'T
KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT YOUR
PERSONAL BACKGROUND.
AND THEN, I READ THAT YOUR DAD
TOOK OFF WHEN YOU WERE 3.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> YOU'RE NOT CLOSE WITH YOUR
MOM.
FORGIVE ME FOR TRYING TO
THERAPYIZE YOU, BUT DO YOU THINK
YOU HAVE AN ATTRACTION, IN TERMS
OF FRIENDSHIPS, TO STRONG MEN,
AS A RESULT OF YOU NOT HAVING
THE A FATHER FIGURE IN YOUR
LIFE.
>> I THINK I'VE LIVED A LIFE
THAT I'VE BEEN SO INDEPENDENT.
I'VE BUILT THAT UP SO MUCH,
WHERE I DON'T REALLY -- I DEPEND
ON DENNIS RODMAN FIRST BECAUSE I
NEVER HAD THAT STABLE
BACKGROUND, STABLE FAMILY, STUFF
LIKE THIS.
IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD FOR ME TO
COME TO THIS POINT.
I LOOK LIKE -- I LOOK AT THE
FACT THAT DONALD TRUMP IS THE
SAME WAY, HIS FATHER, A TYCOON
HERE, REAL ESTATE.
HE WENT THROUGH TRIALS AND
TRIBULATIONS, BANKRUPTCY AND HE
BUILT IT UP AS A HUMAN BEING.
SAME WITH ME.
I BUILT MY LIFE UP FROM THE
GHETTO, FROM THIS TO THAT AND
WHERE I AM AT TODAY.
I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M DOING WHAT
I'M DOING TODAY.
>> WE CAN'T BELIEVE IT, EITHER.
CAN I ASK YOU -- BECAUSE YOU'VE
BEEN OPEN ABOUT YOUR OWN
PERSONAL STRUGGLES.
YOU'VE BEEN ARRESTED A FEW
TIMES.
>> OH, YEAH.
>> HOW MANY, EXACTLY?
>> WELL, I'VE BEEN ARRESTED,
LIKE, LEGALLY?
>> IS THERE ANY OTHER WAY?
>> I'VE BEEN ARRESTED ABOUT 70
TIMES.
>> 70?
>> 70.
>> HOW DOES A MAN WHO GETS
ARRESTED 70 TIMES IN HIS
LIFETIME, WHO, YOU KNOW, WORE
HIS OWN WEDDING DRESS AND
MARRIED HIMSELF, WHO WAS THE
HEAD OF THE LINGERIE LEAGUE,
RIGHT?
>> RIGHT.
>> HOW DOES THAT MAN BECOME AN