this is "don lemon tonight." ukraine saying it's intercepted russian communications declaring their military's intent to level a steel plant sheltering hundreds of civilians. that's in mariupol, a city that

has been bombarded for weeks now and with russia's brutal assault on the east, that doesn't look like it's ending any time soon. also tonight, the justice department saying it will appeal a judge's ruling throwing out the federal mask mandate for travelers but there is a caveat. their decision depends on the cdc determining that mandate is actually still necessary. some airline passengers making their feelings known. >> yay, no mask! woo! also actor johnny depp taking the stand in his defamation suit against his ex-wife amber heard testifying he never struck her. >> nor have i ever struck any woman in my life. >> ahead this hour, we'll see what the court fight is about. we'll begin with the war in ukraine and cnn's john in lviv. john, hello to you.

hundreds of desperate civilians are trapped in a factory base 789 in mariupol and tonight, a commander there pleading for help to evacuate, another horrifying scene in russia's assault. what is the latest? >> reporter: don, this is one of the biggest steel iron plants in the world about 100 years old, part of four square miles and the last stronghold of resistance by ukrainian fighters in mariupol and the commander there, the ukraine ynian comman says hundreds are wounded, many as many as 500 and 1,000 civilians have taken cover. he says the russians are well aware of the presence of the wounded and the russians are aware of the presence of civilians but they have been hit with bunker buster bombs, missile strikes, artillery fire from land and sea and if it intercepts, taken by the ukrainians of a russian conversation is proved authentic, there is a lot worse yet to come. listen to this.

>> translator: we are expecting surprises from russia here. >> what kind of surprises? >> 3 ton ones from the sky. >> reporter: so now that russian -- now, the ukrainian commander in mariupol, here he is. this is the commander who told cnn they may actually have hours left and he's appealed to the u.s. president, joe biden to intervene for safe passage out of mariupol maybe to a third country by helicopter or by sea, all of that don, seems incredibly likely at this point. >> the ukrainian president volodymyr zelenskyy is speaking out about the russian army as they launch a more brutal l attack in the east. talk about his message, john. what did he say? >> reporter: yeah, he was blunt, don. he described the russian military and the russian federation as the source of evil. he also talked about how they will be remembered by history. here he is. >> translator: forever the russian army will be written in history as the most barbaric and

inhuman army in the world. the targeted killing of civilians and destruction of rest residential buildings with weapons including those forbidden by international conventions, this is a trademark of the russian army and this will truly mark the russian federation as the source of evil. >> reporter: he also says the situation in mariupol is brutal. russian forces blocking corridors and evacuations out of mariupol. they signed a degree to honor the ukrainian forces who defended for weeks now against all the odds, don. >> he's honoring the title to the brigade accused of committing war crimes in bucha? we remember these really barbaric images, it despicable. what is putin saying? >> reporter: yeah, so you had the ukrainian president honoring soldiers in mariupol but have putin going out of his way and you may recall when the incest

ga -- incestvestigations began, t knew what military unit did this. which one was responsible and they named russia's 64th motorized infantry brigade by vladimir putin. the honorary title of guards on the unit or guard yians dependi on the translation. this is a high honor of the special merit or courage upholding the sovereignty and interest of russia. don, if there was ever a question where putin stands on war crimes and atrocities what happened in bucha, now we know. >> we'll see you in a little bit. thank you very much. for more on russia moving thousands of troops into eastern ukraine, i want to bring in cnn military analyst and retired air force colonel cedric lay ton. good to see you. russia's mayor military offensive in eastern ukraine is

underway. thousands of soldiers in donbas. what is happening on the ground now? >> don, we have this area here is going to be the scene of some major troop movermments at the moment. you have a major center of everything going on here. possible movement in this direction toward nepro and let's move to see exactly how this would look. so again, kharkiv is up here. this is the northeastern corner of ukraine and you have them going toward here. we remember this town because of the attack on the train station a few days ago. that is really the area in which all of this is happening. so we're seeing columns moving forward in this area. we're seeing them move in a way that is indicative of preparations for an offensive operation. that's what we can expect here.

we can expect possible movermen toward the west this way and once mariupol is taken care of as russians would say, probably from the south up towards the north this way. so that's the general movement of troops at the moment, don. >> so colonel, the pentagon officials are warning putin's forces prepare the battle field. talk about the strategy here and what should ukraine ians on the front line brace for now? >> they should look for how the russians are actually going to be moving in these areas. so they have to look at what kind of troop consecentrations there are. there are small pockets of ukrainian forces in places like this right here and here. they are very close to being surrounded by the russians but they can use this also to their advantage because there is a lot of terrain here that can be used for open maneuver and that's one of the big things to look for is how these forces will move in open terrain. everybody is thinking about the

tank battles that happened in the same region during the second world war. one of the big things that could happen here is we could have these tank battles or we could have a mix of tank battles and some more direct almost gorilla type action like occurring near kyiv. different terrain and different philosophy of fighting and that kind of thing is happening. there is one other thing that will be important here and that's the weather. the weather here is showing we have, you know, the possibility of rain fall in the eastern ukraine. all of this area right here could be subject to a muddy situation because the entire -- almost, the entire country of ukraine is going to be seeing rain over the next 72 hours. so when that happens, you're going to be seeing a lot of different affects here in these areas because of that and it could very well turn into a muddy slog for these forces in this area. >> colonel, multiple sources are telling cnn the u.s. is prepping

another $800 million weapons package for ukraine. as seven more flights with security assistance are expected to arrive in the next 24 hours. what do ukrainians need most at this point in this fight? >> not necessarily in the need but some of the most important things include the helicopters. these are mi 17 helicopters, russian made go back to the soviet period but they rimportat for troop transport and have to use these helicopters to get forces from one part of the battle field to the other. mobility will be key to wiping here and these can be workhorses to make that happen. they can also be weaponized so they can be important for that reason. the other thing that we have is how it's stored. these are u.s. being prepped here for firing. this is the kind of thing that is going to be really, really important in open terrain against russian tanks. of course, the ukrainians will need tanks of their own to make

this work and to go along with it, counter battery radars. this happens to be a german radar but nato and the u.s. can provide and that can help the ukrainians work their magic against the russians. >> thank you, colonel. appreciate it. see you tomorrow. >> you bet, absolutely. >> i want to turn to ben wedeman that visited a hospital treating ukraine ian forces injured on t front lines. >> reporter: bomb disposal technicians collect pieces of a missile that slammed into a warehouse tuesday afternoon. the missile killed a 40-year-old worker, injured three others. doctors patch up one of the wounded from the afternoon strike. since russia invaded ukraine almost two months ago, the staff here has had no rest. we weren't preparing for this

says this doctor. now we're doing only urgent surgeries. one operation ends and another begins. this time a soldier wounded on the front line. even here glass doors must be taped to minimize shattering in case of bombing, sandbags cover the windows. the director of this hospital says thanks to help from abroad, they do not lack for medicine or equipment. what they desperately need is neuros neurosurgeons. that in a war where intense bombardment is the norm. these member are recovering in a special unit, specializing in treating concussions sustained in artillery bombardments. when shelling is just steps away, the damage is invisible but it's there. they suffer from intense headaches, nausea, dizziness and

disorientation. am i tired? a bit says roman who twice has suffered concussions. not allwedeman, cnn, ukraine. >> ben wedeman, thank you so much for that. as vladimir putin escalates the war on ukraine, there is a covert war being waged to turn the russian people against him. can it work? ( ♪ ) ♪ walkingng on ♪ ♪ walking on the moon ♪ ♪ some ♪ ♪ may say ♪ ♪ i'm wishing my days away ♪ ♪ no way ♪ ♪ walking on the moon ♪

the sleep number 360® smart bed is on sale now. why choose proven quality sleep from sleep number? because the sleep number 360® smart bed is really smart. it senses your movement and automatically adjusts to help keep you both comfortable all night. it's also temperature balancing, so you stay cool. it's so smart it knows exactly how long, how well, and when you slept. sleep number takes care of the science, all you have to do is sleep. and now, save $1,000 on

our most popular smart bed. only for a limited time. to learn more, go to sleepnumber.com.

it has been nearly two months since vladimir putin invaded ukraine and putin's forces faced major set backs on the battle field but my next guest says he could face

problems on the information battle field. let bring in douglas london, the operations officer and professor of georgetown university's senter for security studies. he's also the author of "the recruiter, spying and the lost art of america n intelligence." thank you, sir. let's talk about a recent piece you wrote in foreign affairs and you wrote one of the better ways for the west to build leverage against putin is to foment unest in his own house and weaken his regime from within. what exactly does that look like? >> thanks, don. very good at stealing secrets and smuggling that out of totalitarian countries like russia and also good at getting information in throughout the days of the code war and since that time and other areas like iran and north korea. the cia and elements are able to smuggle in information, sometimes programming on via

short wave radio or online versions of short wave radio, dvd, cds, usb drives, information, pictures sometimes worth 1,000 words meant to stir that type of grass roots opposition and the interesting element for putin is it's mostly catering to his own fears. whether or not a gralss roots opposition is happening, his version of ukraine and concern and reaction to u.s. democracy, expresses and support for human rights. so stirring up the type of opposition will at least get his attention to make him look inward. complimenting that is an ability to reach out to some of his lieutenants, some of his friends and confidence and oligarchs and making approaches to those who might be interested in insurance policy or looking for a life raft. the key is in the doing or the magic therein. the cia makes contact with

several of them and several of them report it to putin and turn it, putin starts to wonder were there others approached that didn't talk to me? so by driving him to look inward and at least playing to his paranoia, ideally we can stir up some of that opposition and decent but just making him look inward could be a distraction and could make him more willing. >> what cost? are the risks? what risks could be involved with the u.s. sewing these seeds of decent? >> you lose control of it. i think a parallel effort is reach out to opposition in countries like bell louis and chechnya and kazakhstan where we seen russian anti russian sentiment unrest hundreds of thousands on the streets in belarus. there are bell louis people chechens fighting with ukrainian

forces who are ideal points of contact for cia and other ic and western services who can be taught to organize, train, collect intelligence and perhaps even stir revolt but the problem is once you light that match or you always able to control it? are there second consequences and trying to leverage that while still maintaining our interests but not letting things get totally out of hand that come back to hurt us. >> doug, as you know, russia is a huge country. many could side with putin no matter what happens. they may not want to know the truth there. seems like a lot don't. will these covert campaigns have influence to turn the russians against their own president who they seem to love? >> i think the success is what is the impact on putin. i don't think we have to measure that by weeks, months or the next year of seeing mass protests coming out because they're finally now seeing the

truth and the truth is being provided to them by cia covertly. putin being aware of this activity and being aware of people engaged and the information coming in will get his attention and will touch on his very paranoia and concerns. he's clearly reacted to his concern for a glrass roots opposition. many pun ddits including myself believe the invasion of ukraine is based on his own belief he has a limited window to prevent a thriving democracy next door in a former soviet state to occur in ukraine, to occur in belarus chechnya and kazakhstan. so i think just the near activity of it will make him think twice and force him to look inward and force limb to l -- him to look over his shoulder. >> thank you. appreciate it. see you soon. >> thanks. a republican michigan state senator accuses a democrat of

grooming and sexualizing kindergartners in a fundraising email. of course, providing absolutely no evidence to back up the outrageous charge and well, the democrats, well, she's accusing -- isn't taking it. >> i am a straight white kristin married suburban mom who knows that the very notion that learning about slavery or red lining or systemic racism somehow means children are being taught to feel bad or hate themselves because they're white is absolute non-sense. efensive,♪ ♪i got bongos thumping in my chest♪ ♪and something tells me they don't beat me♪ ♪ ♪ ♪he'd better not take the ring from me.♪

i didn't know my genetic report could tell me i was prone to harmful blood clots. i travel a ton, so this info was kind of life changing. maybe even lifesaving. ♪do you know what the future holds?♪ grillin', chillin', spillin', dillin'. bec-ing. never brie-ing. smokin', yolkin', flippin', dippin'. if you're not oozing, then you're losing. tater totting, cold or hotting. mealin', feelin', pie-ing, trying. color your spread. upgrade your bread. pair it. share it. kraft singles. square it. doris, did i tell you i got our car from carvana? i found the perfect car in no time. i thought online meant no one to help me but susan from carvana, she had all the answers. it was so easy. [laughs] we'll drive you happy at carvana.

so i really want you to take this all in, okay? watch this. a michigan lawmaker taking on toxic and baseless political smears against her in a fiery speech today and talking about state senator mallory responding after her colleague fellow state senator lana tice sent a fundraising email accusing her of wanting her to groom and sexualize kindergartners and claiming she wanted to teach 8-year-olds they are responsible for slavery. none of that is true. the senator could have found her way into a political gutter responding to that, instead, this is what she had to say. >> so i sat on it for awhile wondering why me?

and then i realized because i am the biggest threat to your hollow hateful scheme because you can't claim that you are targeting marginalized kids in the name of quote parental rights if another parent is standing up to say no. so then what? then you dehumanize and marginalize me. you say that i'm one of them. you say she's a groomer. she supports pedophiles and wants children to believe they're responsible for slavery and to feel bad about themselves because tahey're white. so who i am? i am a straight white christian marry say suburban mom that knt somehow means children are being taught to feel bad or hate themselves because they're white is absolutely non-sense. no child alive today is responsible for slavery. no one in this room is responsible for slavery but each and every single one of us bears

responsibility for writing the next chapter of history. each and every single one of us decides what happens next and how we respond to history and the world around us. we are not responsible for the past. we also cannot change the past. we can't pretend it didn't happen or deny people their very right to exist. i am a straight white christian married suburban mom. i want my daughter to know she's loved, supported and seen for whoever she becomes. i want her to be curious, empathetic and kind. i want every child in this state to feel seen, heard and supported, not marginalized and targeted because they're not straight, white and christian. >> all right. now mallory, thank you. it could not have been said better. there she is live. before we get started, our team

reached out to state senator tice for a statement. isn't heard back. let get into this conversation. appreciate you joining us. thank you for your words. what a speech. why was it so important to respond to the totally outrageooutrage accusations by your colleague? >> whatever i felt in the moment where she accused me of grooming and pedophile and all the things she said to me pails in comparison to be a trans kid that wants to play soccer and society says you're wrong and broken or a monster or a black kid in school trying to push outo out basic history and an n understanding what this country is built on. i had to say something. >> this is not normal. this is not political. this is just ridiculousness and

people will accuse you or accuse me just for calling out the ridiculousness of this as being somehow liberal lefties. is this what republicans want to be, people just accusing people, accusations of grooming and p pedophiles. this is a main stream toxic political tool in the just the last few weeks. there are real world consequences to the baseless charges. >> absolutely. whether or not this is what they want to be, this is what they are now. this is the same type of fear mongering and conspiracy theories that came out of qanon where the belief is that there is a satan kabul of pedophiles running the country and now that is the main stream. we have a major political party taking this messaging and using it to target marginalized kids.

that is what they are right now and we have to make it stop. >> you also talked about the manufactured outrage over critical race theory and slavery being taught in schools and you talked about it based on your own experience as a parent. explain that. >> i am frankly tired of republicans claiming that they speak for suburban moms, right? this is an attempt to bring back votes and i'll be up front. it was white women like me that elected donald trump into office and supported how we got here and i know that they do not speak for me and they do not speak for many of us, and we have to stand up together and say no, this isn't who we are. this isn't what we stand for and want for our kids. >> your speech was very powerful but these kinds of attacks won't go away overnight. how will you continue to blunt

these super potent political tactics because there are a lot of people that want to believe this garbage? it's just garbage? >> they do. part of the point i wanted to make in the speech is that people like senator tice are taking advantage of her own supporters by lying to them and trying to convince people all of the problems in your lives with your cost of health care, the roads or prices at the gas pump that it is somehow somebody else's fault that if you can redirect your hatred and anger that that will fix it and it's not. >> grievance. >> that's what we have to do. it is. and if tomorrow a trans kid wasn't allowed to play soccer, that wouldn't make people's lives any better. >> thank you, senator. appreciate it. i really do. >> thank you, don. >> your message is very powerful. there should be more folks like you and dammit, this is not

political or left or right. it asinine. it stupid and crazy and very dangerous. >> that's my hope. we need a lot more people like me to say hate won't win. >> the news media needs to do it, as well and not be afraid of being called names or bias or liberal or what have you because it's just plain old wrong. so to my colleagues out there, do the same thing, carry that message, don't let this go over. this is not what america should be about. thank you. you be well and safe. thanks so much. >> don, thank you. >> we have to wear a mask, you don't have to wear a mask? do you have to wear a mask? sanjay gupta fills us in and plus, johnny depp taking the stand. we'll tell you about his $50 million defamation suit against his ex-wife amber heard.

[♪] did you know you can address one of the root causes of aging by targeting all the cells in your body? try tru niagen. life as we know it cannot exist without nad. as we age, nad can decrease by as much as 50%. tru niagen is proven to increase nad, to support heart and muscle health, and energy production that starts in your cells. address one of the root causes of aging with tru niagen, researched by the world's top scientific institutions.

before i went to aspen dental, i had a lot of infection going on and i was having extractions done on a traditional, regular basis. when terry first came in, he wanted a long term solution, and that's something we were able to offer him. their care, their consideration, their empathy, all of that. i can't say enough about. absolutely hands down, aspen dental changed my life. at aspen dental, our team of denture experts will do anything to make you smile. schedule your complimentary denture consultation today. ♪("i've been everywhere" by johnny cash) ♪ ♪i've traveled every road in this here land!♪ ♪i've been everywhere, man.♪ ♪i've been everywhere, man.♪ ♪of travel i've had my share, man.♪ ♪i've been everywhere.♪ ♪

the doj will appeal a court ruling striking down the federal government's mask mandate for travelers but there is an if. they're only appealing if the cdc deems the mandate necessary for public health and well, with people acting like this when hearing they don't have to wear a mask on a plane anymore. >> masks are now optional for employee employees, customers --

>> woo! [ cheers ] >> yeah, might be a little hard to get people to mask up again. joining me is cnn's chief medical correspondent dr. sanjay gupta. is now the right time to drop the travel mask mandate? >> i realize based on the clip you showed, it will be unpopular for me to say this. i don't think it's the right time still. it a time where we certainly seen numbers drop but we've also got this new variant that's circulating that's really contagious. in fact, if you look at the numbers sort of more regionally like where you are, don, in the northeast, the numbers are going up, cases, hospitalizations have ticked up a bit. i think the whole reason the cdc wanted more time was to basically determine whether or not this particular event could potentially be so transmissible it would spread on planes. if that's the case, lifting the

mandates on masks at this time i think is a problem. also, if you look at the numbers, 33,000 cases, 14,000 hospitalizations, 425 deaths, about app an average of 500 deaa day, don, is that what we're willing to accept as a country? you're talking 150,000, 160,000 people dying a year if the numbers plateau there. i don't think anyone defines that as endemic. that's significantly disruptive. not popular but i don't think we're quite there yet, don. >> listen, you're a doctor going with the science and we all should. i can understand two different things. there is a science and then there is the covid fatigue, the mask fatigue people have both are very real. so i think it's fair what you're saying. this decision, sanjay, doesn't mean you can't mask up on a plane. but how much protection do masks have if only a few people are wearing them. i don't like wearing a mask but

i'll do it because the science may show that. if i do it and other people aren't, how much protection? >> it does depend to some extend on what kind of mask you're wearing. in the beginning when we had this discussion, don, the cloth masks and things like that were probably more benefitting the people around the mask user whereas if you look at high filtration masks and kn 95 masks, they are good. they have significant filtration and electro static fibers that help screen out the virus. but they're not perfect and to your question, the more people that are wearing, thel lle l les in the air. the way to think about this is well, keep in mind that there is a significant percentage of spread that comes from people who are totally asymptomatic. so now the situation is the following. there is no testing. you feel fine. you're not getting tested. you have no idea if you have it.

you're not wearing as mask. there may be people on the plane that are elderly and immune compromised or children that haven't got vaccinated and there is a lot of virus out there. you put those things together in a contained box for a long time, it could be an issue. we don't know. that's why the cdc wanted the first week of may to study this to be sure this ba.2 variant wasn't transmitting on the airplane. >> let's show data. there are people out there that should still be wearing a mask, the immune compromised and children as you mentioned, they should be. >> yeah, i think they should be. they don't have the immunity. they don't have the protection. if the virus was circulating significantly in your area and you're at high risk yourself and be around people who are high risk, if you have a young child that can't get vaccinated for example, my parents, don, will travel in the next few days and i've recommended to them that they wear a mask.

and one thing that, you know, really stuck out to me having this conversation with them, if they're vaccinated, they're boosted. am i worried they will get so sick they will be hospitalized or die? not really that worried. i think they're older but because of their immunity, it really protective. could they develop one of the worst viral illnesses they've had in their lives, one that doesn't land them in the hospital but debilitating for a couple weeks and one of the most memorable illnesses in a bad way they've had in their lives? possibly. that's what virologist tell me. we keep thinking about this in buy binary ways. hospi hospitalized, people that get sick, people that develop long covid or simply, don, just testing positive. if you test positive, that's a significant disruption to your life, as well. these things aren't going to be totally of gone by wearing mask.

when you look at the number of 33,000 infections, you have to think there is ten times as many people getting tested at home, never report that, the point being there is a lot more virus out there than we have a handle on. >> i got to tell you, sanjay, i've never been so happy to have a common cold in my life. when i was in ukraine, if i tested positive i had to quarantine there. i would be sitting in a hotel room and i was so exhausted from that trip because of the hours. i was like i know i got covid. i tested two or three times and it kept coming back negative. i have a common cold. i haven't had a common cold in probably three years. i was elated just to have a cold. >> right. i mean, that's the thing. there are other things out there circulating and then there was allergy season and people conflicting these different things. understood. but don, it sounds crazy to suggest we should test ourselves regularly and wear masks when we need to wear masks and we would

have plenty of anti viral medications at the ready. we're still in it, don. we're still in a pandemic. we'll get to an endemic phase. we're just not there yet. >> thank you, dr. gupta. see you soon. be well. >> you got it. you, too. so johnny depp versus amber heard and depp is testifying what he said under oath in court today, that's next. um, she's eating the rocket. ♪ lunchables! built to be eaten.

discover a simple way to use colors in managing diabetes! inspired by nature, onetouch verio reflect® meter shows instantly if you're below, within or above your range. it cheers you on and provides guidance.

connected to your health and your phone. visit onetouch.com today. i didn't know my genetic report could tell me i was prone to harmful blood clots. i travel a ton, so this info was kind of life changing. maybe even lifesaving. ♪do you know what the future holds?♪

so let's discuss actor johnny depp back on the witness stand again tomorrow and his $50 million defamation suit against his ex-wife amber heard, speaking for three hours today. depp speaking about their former relationship, her allegations of domestic abuse and his history of substance abuse. what is at the heart of this lawsuit? let's discuss with matabele lammi, the former editor of the hollywood reporter. hey, matt. good to see you. thanks for joining. >> no problem. >> for those who haven't been keeping up with this trial of johnny depp and his ex-wife amber heard. >> it's a defamation case. what's it all about? >> she wrote an op-ed in "the washington post" in which she referred to herself as a survivor of domestic violence. now she didn't name johnny depp, but it was pretty clear to anybody reading that she was

talking her ex, johnny depp, and he claims this was defamatory, and in all the craziness in his life, he has never been called a wife beater. and he wanted to prove a point. so he sued. he sued twice. he sued a paper in the uk, and he lost. and now he is suing amber heard in the u.s., and he is on trial. >> a key moment in the trial today. johnny depp on the stand. let's play it. >> there were arguments and things of that nature that never did i myself reach the point of striking ms. heard in any way, nor have i ever struck any woman. in my life. >> how did he come across to

you? >> you know, i think he actually did okay. it was kind of slow and a little rambling at times, but what he did is a very classic strategy here. he aired a lot of dirty laundry before the other side could air it for him. he went through a long history of abuse in his family and substance abuse. and yes, he said he has had drug and alcohol problems and was addicted to opioids. and he has sent some text messages that can appear to be threatening. and he has had fights with her that got really heated. but he said he did not go over the line and strike her and beat her. and that's what this case is about. so he is hoping that by being forthcoming or appearing forth coming to the jury, that they will then believe him when he says no, i have all this bad stuff, but i didn't do this. >> so he claims, matt, that heard's op-ed led to financial losses, including being dropped from "pirates of the caribbean." this is how he put it. >> one day you're cinderella, so

to speak. and in 0.6 seconds, you're quasimodo. and i -- i -- i didn't deserve that, nor did my children, nor did the people who have believed in me for all these years. >> so the question is will the jury agree that he was defamed? and as you know, you the hollywood reporter, right, you managed that for years, it's hard with a public figure for defamation. >> it's very hard. and especially in this kind of a situation. because way before that op-ed in "the washington post," there was so much noise around johnny depp and his erratic behavior and some of the crazy things he was doing like shooting hunter thompson's ashes out of a

cannon, and spending $30,000 a month on wine, and all of this kind of craziness, including the shoot for "pirates of the caribbean 5" was a total disaster, and he was late, and all these other things around him. he has to show that because of this op-ed, he was damaged and he couldn't find work. and that's going to be pretty difficult, i think. >> you think he can do it? >> it will entirely depend on this jury. he came across as very earnest and believable today. but they have to believe that he not only didn't do any of these things, but that he suffered and was dropped from the "pirates" franchise and lost the ability to work. and all of these other things due to this op-ed. >> look, that is -- there is a difference between shooting someone's ashes out of a cannon. people love celebrities and they think that celebrities are weird. but being accused of being a wife beater or an abuser, that's a whole another show, as they say. we'll see. >> it is.

and that's the reason he says he has been suing and pressing his case. he looked very uncomfortable today. did not want to be there but he says he is there because he has toe show his children that he will stand up to this. and it's not just craziness. he is being accused of something he says is over the line. >> all right. i got to get to this next hour. thank you, matt. be well. we'll see you soon. >> thank you. thanks for watching, everyone. our coverage continues with john vause live, right after this.

no matter who you are, being yourself can be tough when you have severe asthma. triggers can pop up out of nowhere, causing inflammation that can lead to asthma attacks. but no matter what type of severe asthma you have, tezspire™ can help. tezspire™ is a new add-on treatment for people 12 and over... that proactively reduces inflammation... ...which means you could have fewer attacks, breathe better, and relieve your asthma symptoms. so, you can be you, whoever you are. tezspire™ is not a rescue medication. don't take tezspire™ if you're allergic to it. allergic reactions like rash or an eye allergy can happen. don't stop your asthma treatments unless your doctor tells you to. tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection

or your asthma worsens. sore throat, joint and back pain may occur. avoid live vaccines. by helping control your asthma, tezspire™ can help you be you. no matter who you are, ask your asthma specialist about tezspire™ today.

this is cnn breaking news. >> hello. welcome to our viewers in the united states and around the world. i'm john vause liv