Rodman: I Drink Because I'm Bored
BALDWIN: The bottom of the hour, I'm Brooke Baldwin live in the middle of all the action in Times Square. I got my new friends. Hey, guys! All my new friends are behind me here. This is now been transformed into Super Bowl Boulevard. I took a walk around -- we'll show you exactly what this place is. Here's the tease. I rode on the toboggan. Need I say more? We'll get back to the Super Bowl in just a moment. Got to talk about this guy, though. Dennis Rodman, retired pro basketball player, friend to a dictator and an admitted alcoholic in his exclusive CNN interview this morning with Chris Cuomo. Dennis Rodman talked about all kinds of issues. But I want to hone in on one this afternoon, Dennis Rodman's addiction. He has been in rehab less than a month. This exclusive interview is his first since he went in. It happened inside this rehab facility. And I want you to watch what Dennis Rodman told Chris about why he drinks.</s>DENNIS RODMAN, PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER: For me, the reason why I drink is because I'm bored.</s>CHRIS CUOMO, CNN ANCHOR: You drink because you are bored?</s>RODMAN: Absolutely. I've been saying it for years, ever since this 1993, you know, because I need to be active. I need to be productive and just keep my mind on life in general.</s>BALDWIN: So you heard that. Dennis Rodman said he drinks because he's bored. He also said he doesn't have to.</s>RODMAN: I have been in rehab, but for me, this rehab, it's like I don't have to drink. I came to that realization 15 years ago, the realization I don't really have to drink. I don't need to go in a bar or a restaurant and fiend for alcohol. That's not my job. I do it for recreational purposes, that's it, like most people in the world. When they go to a bar or to a restaurant, 97 percent of people have a drink. It could be a glass of wine. It could be anything just very simple. For me it's more like I love to have a good time. I love to be around people and have a good time. For me, yes, I've admitted so many times to that, you know, hey, I drink and people know that. Am I an alcoholic? Absolutely. I can't deny that.</s>BALDWIN: Jane Velez-Mitchell, let me bring you in, HLN host and author of the book "Addict Nation." You're here to talk about this because, let me ask you just quickly, Jane, how many years have you been sober?</s>JANE VELEZ-MITCHELL, HLN HOST: I have been sober 18 years and if I make it to April 1st, it will be 19 years. And first of all, kudos to Chris Cuomo for this incredible exclusive because it really does show us the face of addiction. Dennis Rodman clearly has the ism. And alcoholics and addicts are very proud of their ability to sweet talk their way out of any predicament and they are very good at rationalizing and minimizing.</s>BALDWIN: Sweet talking?</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: Oh, yes. He is rationalizing, minimizing justifying and otherwise excusing his horrific behavior because of his pathological need for attention and being in the spotlight. He allowed himself to be used as a PR hack for a horrific dictator and he said I don't know anything about politics. One Google search can point out that defectors are saying that this buddy of his, this dictator of North Korea, is presiding over labor camps and prison camps and internment camps that are torturing and executing and starving many thousands of people. "But I didn't know anything about that." That's nonsense. He is so driven by the need for attention, he will become a PR hack for a monster.</s>BALDWIN: His pathological need for attention, I feel like is one issue, and then just the fact that he is sitting in this rehab facility and hasn't been there a month and he said OK, Chris Cuomo, I will talk to you. Let me play one more sound bite and then we'll talk.</s>RODMAN: I'm high-profile no matter what. Because of this North Korea and all this other stuff, but for me it's going to work it's the fact that I can't go out there and preach the 12 steps of being sober. I can't do that.</s>CUOMO: Yes, because you are not following them.</s>RODMAN: Done that so, it doesn't matter if I follow them in 1 to 12 or 6 to 12 or 6 to 1. It don't matter. This is the way I follow them. If I can do at least half of that, half the battles was won.</s>BALDWIN: Listen, I want to see Dennis Rodman clean for his sake. Truly, honestly I do. But do you think he sounds like someone who is taking this seriously and following the 12 Steps?</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: No. He's wearing sunglasses in the daytime for one thing. Why is he still wearing the sunglasses? Because a lot of times when people wear sunglasses it's so you can't see their pupils are dilated. Maybe it's just a habit he's gotten into. But I too wish him the best. He's a serial relapser and we have been covering him for years getting into trouble because of his addiction. I think that really it does illustrate how he's not bored. He's a spiritually bankrupt. That's where addiction leads you, to incomprehensible demoralization and spiritual bankruptcy. I do hope he takes it seriously. But as great as the exclusive was and I'm very excited that Chris Cuomo got it, when somebody is in rehab, they should be looking at the inside and not trying to talk to the world.</s>BALDWIN: Not, I know. We appreciate the interview, but focus on yourself. Jane Velez-Mitchell, thank you. And speaking of focusing on yourself, happy almost 19 years, my friend. Thank you so much.</s>VELEZ-MITCHELL: Thank you.</s>BALDWIN: Coming up next, much more on a developing story out of New York here in New Jersey. These envelopes with white powder have been sent to several hotels near the Super Bowl in East Rutherford. We are told containing cornstarch. But this is tying up resources. Think about that, the money, the attention that's going into this investigation in the middle of a major security event. We are all over the breaking news next here on CNN.