>> larry: tonight, eric massa is here. his first primetime interview since suddenly resigning from congress, admitting that he groped a staffer. he's called his leader in his own party a liar and the white house chief of staff the son of the devil's spawn. massa says he didn't jump. he was pushed out of office over his opposition to the health care bill. >> and i was set up for this from the very, very beginning. >> larry: plus, actress jessica biel and emile hirsch face the ultimate test. >> this is challenging, challenging. >> conquering the snow on thin ice and air next on "larry king live." good evening. you just heard some of what makes former congressman eric massa so controversial, and we welcome him to "larry king

live." he's in new york. we're in los angeles. congressman, you've given three different reasons for your resignations. here's what white house press secretary robert gibbs had to say about that today. watch. >> on wednesday, he announced he would not seek re-election because of a health problem that he said was a recurrence of cancer. on thursday he said he wasn't running because -- not because of cancer but because of his use of salty language. on friday he seemed to take some responsibility for his actions at a different event, and we learned that the ethics committee was looking into his actions relating to sexual harassment. >> larry: congressman, thanks for being with us. let's set the record straight. why did you resign? health, ethics, democratic leadership, what? >> all the above, larry. it would be nice if mr. gibbs got it straight.

listen, i've been incredibly outspoke outspokeen about my personal feelings and my professional conviction that if we pass this health care bill using reconciliation, which is the same process that the democratic leaders condemned when it was done with a different party, that it's going to create a schism in this country that's going to take a generation to overcome. there is no doubt about it. i've been on the record over and over and over again. >> larry: you didn't quit because they are proposing health legislation, did you? if you were going to vote against it, why quit? >> because it's all connected, larry, that's why. i am a cancer survivor. in december i was told i'm facing a recurrence of that cancer, and we're still awaiting confirmation of that. my wife, my family, my parents, my inner circle said my god, eric, don't kill yourself. don't run again. when i made that announcement, literally at that moment, within 15 minutes, maybe 17, a washington, d.c., newspaper dropped an article that said i was under an ethics investigation when no one had

told me that. not a word. that's called the washington two-step. that's where you get set up, somebody passes information, and out you go. in the face of facing cancer, fighting the democratic leadership -- by the way, i'm a proud democrat. i'm a democrat in a place where we don't have democrats. it's not like i'm in new york city. i'm in rural america where the rubber hits the road. one of the first democrats to be elected in my congressional district in human memory. and there the people of my district, by the way, overwhelmingly didn't want me to resign. but i can't. i can't stay and fight it all. >> larry: you are leaving because -- quickly, in a sentence, you're leaving because? >> i am leaving because i have to fight simultaneously a potential recurrence of cancer, the democratic leadership, a health care bill that's going to destroy this country, my opposition to it and a belief that my party has become what it

campaigned against. it's a very, very clear situation. >> larry: you claim the democrats helped force you out because of your opposition but steny hoyer said today rather the reason for your resignation had absolutely nothing to do with your position on health care. he said the suggestion that you were forced out by any democratic leader is absurd. hoyer also said he never talked to you about the ethics violation, that his staff talked to your staff. did anyone say to you, you will get out or else? >> i've had that said to me a bunch of times. >> larry: by? >> that's been said to me many times. eric, you're stirring the pot. we're unhappy with you, leadership doesn't like you, you're taking too visible a position on this bill. remember, i voted against cap and trade. i had the same kind of thing happen there. but the bottom line is it's not about me. it really isn't.

i'm collateral damage. i'm roadkill, and in 72 hours, nobody is going to remember who i am, nor are they going to care, and if i can do anything as i leave, it's to raise a signal to my fellow democrats all over this country that we are about to make a huge irrevokable mistake, and as soon as i said that, i go on the enemies' list. i become the target. it becomes a whisper campaign. it becomes innuendo. >> larry: you're not saying that any particular democratic leader, head of a committee, president, vice president, chief of staff asked you to leave? >> i tell you what. >> larry: or are you saying that? >> my very good friend rahm emanuel made it very clear to me on several occasions that i was quote, unquote, not a team player, that i was not -- that i didn't have a future. i actually had a committee chair and i don't remember which one it was because i went home and wrote it down. >> larry: isn't that fair game in politics, if you run against your own party, the chief of staff would say to you, you're

in trouble? why wouldn't he say that? that's logical. >> i don't argue with it, but here's the issue, larry. i'm in trouble because i'm a democrat standing up to a horrific mistake that we're about to make, period. and you can see over and over again exactly how once you get on the wrong side of leadership, and this is something that every single american who watches this understands, you end up bucking your party, you're out. and it's happened over and over and over again, and i'm just an example. >> larry: your vote isn't going to change health care, though, is it? >> this is an interesting point. this came to me. according to roll call newspaper, once i'm gone, literally it becomes a 215 vote, and it's going to pass by one, maybe two votes. when you get that close where it's that calculated about who gets a pass and who doesn't, you better believe it makes a difference. >> larry: more with former representative eric massa. you're still a congressman today, right? >> no, i resigned as of 5:00

p.m. yesterday. >> larry: we'll be back with more. don't go away. a guy named his own price, wants a room tonight for 65 dollars.

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wedding in which you tousled somebody's hair, and then in an interview earlier today you acknowledged at your 50th partial-birth day party you groped a male staffer. what is this all about? >> well, when four guys jump on you to wrestle you to prove you're 50 years old, anything can be called anything, larry, and what it's all about is innuendo. it's all about using language to destroy people. you know, i don't get to know who my accuser is. i don't get to know what the accusation is. i don't get to know any of that. and, in fact, i never will because there is no ethics investigation because i'm not a member of congress anymore. >> larry: so it's moot. >> i can't fight, that represent my district and run for re-election and the health care bill and, oh, by the way, i may have cancer. i've got to prioritize my life, but here's what it's about. i took responsibility for my life because clearly somebody, somebody on my staff, thought that i did not deserve to be in congress. and the code of ethics that we put down that everybody on my

staff signed, i have to follow. here's the issue. washington, d.c., is not used to someone standing up and holding themselves accountable. when the ship runs aground and i spent 24 years in the navy, it's not the navigator, it's the captain, and i was the captain of this office, and i messed up, period, and i own that. >> larry: you admitted groping. there's no other way to define groping but sexual. groping is sexual. >> in fact, i never admitted groping. someone was sticking a microphone in my face walking in the street. in an interview that was an hour long, i described in detail the only incident i know of that could even come close to that -- you got to remember. my staff, some of them with me for seven years, my closest staff guy, 69, 70 years old, my dearest friend, counsellor to my children, friend of my -- lived in our house for a year, and all the young people lived in our house.

we lived in cars, ate day-old pizza. these were relationships formed over the past two, three, four, five years. and it's not -- it's like a family. and so anybody can take anything out of context. but if somebody somewhere said they're uncomfortable, i'm at fault. and i lived up to it and i left. >> larry: let's comment on what "the washington post" writes today. it says, former representative eric massa, democrat, new york, has been under investigation for allegations that he groped multiple male staffers working in his office, according to three sources familiar with the probe. is it true that you groped male staffers? >> no, it is not true. period. i don't know how else to answer your question. >> larry: according to "the post," the allegations date back at least a year. "the post" says your former deputy chief of staff provided him the information about the

staffers' allegations to the house ethics committee three weeks ago. have you spoken to him? >> no, i have not. this is the first time i've heard anybody say that my former chief of staff, a man who lived with my family for years in my home, counsellor and helped discipline my children, one of my wife's best friends never said a word to me at all, as has no one else. >> larry: why don't you call them? >> because i was told that you can't call somebody while you're, quote, unquote, being investigated. so i haven't called them, and i won't call them. there is no investigation. i'm not a member of congress. i'm done. >> larry: aren't you curious enough to ask him why this came about? now that you're not a congressman, why not call them? >> i am more than curious and someday perhaps we'll talk. maybe he'll call me. if he's listening, i hope he does. i'd sure like to know what is behind this. but in the meantime -- >> larry: then why not call him? >> if i had his number, i would. i don't have his number anymore. >> larry: he lived in your house. you don't have his number?

>> no, because it was a cell phone and cell phones have all been changed so i don't have his number right now, larry. but he's welcome to call. >> larry: we'll be back with much more on the former democrat, congressman of new york, eric massa. don't go away. if you have heartburn more than one day a week, you're one of fifty million americans with frequent heartburn. try prilosec otc. heartburn occurs when stomach acid backs up into the esophagus. unlike some treatments that neutralize acid, prilosec otc shuts down many acid-producing pumps

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from other job search sites. we only want the big jobs. join theladders.com. a premium job site for only $100k+ jobs... and only $100k+ talent. >> larry: we're back with congress man -- former congressman eric massa. all right. on fox news just a short time ago, you said, quote, not only

did i grope him, i tickled him until he couldn't breathe and then four guys jumped on top of me. so you did grope someone, right? >> larry, when you grab someone and your wrestling, i don't know how to describe that word. if that's the word you want to have an entire debate about, then i can't stop you. >> larry: i'm just asking the question. you said you groped someone. a lot of people associate groping with sexual. >> well, it wasn't sexual. period. >> larry: okay. have you ever had -- simply put, we can put this away. have you ever had an inappropriate sexual contact with anybody on your staff, male or female? >> no. absolutely not. in fact, the very first time i heard this had anything to do with my former deputy chief of staff was just now. this is the first official anybody has said this to me. don't you find it odd in washington, d.c., where an ethics investigation is supposed to be the most confidential and secret thing that could ever happen, that it gets periodically leaked to the press because i'm standing up and saying that people are

railroading me because i've been arguing against this health care bill? isn't that kind of an odd thing that's happening? ethics investigations take years. mine took 18 days. i'm sorry, 18 hours. >> larry: are you saying, eric, that when i read to you the quote from the "washington post" about the former deputy chief of staff that this minute, tonight, is the first time you heard that? >> that is the first time i have heard that. >> larry: does that shock you? >> it breaks my heart. this is a man who was as close to me as my father. his portfolio was health care. he is one of the foremost experts in national health care policy in the world. and we literally, after four years of campaigning together, and four years before that being close friends, he was one of the first guys i called and said, should i run for congress? this is the first time anyone has ever said to me by title who it is. and it does more than shock me. shock me is not it. this is what happens when you

trust people. and why -- >> larry: why don't you just call him and get an answer? >> larry, now that i got this information, i will call him if i can find his number. or i'll ask him to call me. he knows my number. >> larry: here are comments you made in a radio interview about white house chief of staff rahm emanuel that's got lots of attention. >> they don't have any shower curtains down in the gym and i'm signature there in the shower, naked as a jaybird and here come rahm emanuel without even a towel around his waist, yelling at me because i refuse to go for the health care budget. do you know how awkward it is to talk to somebody who is naked? he would strap his children to the front end of a steam locomotive. >> larry: all right. you're both in a gym, right, no women were there. you were nude, too, right? >> i was in the shower. that's generally how i am. >> no shower curtain.

so he's walking around nude. the fact that he's nude is immaterial. he's the chief of staff. he's angry at you because you're going to vote against the president's bill. that sounds like a chief of staff getting angry at another member of his own party going against him. why is it more than that? >> i don't know that it's more than that except for the fact that, as i said in the quote -- by the way, i owe rahm an apology. i went over the top. i don't believe he would strap his children to the front of a loc motortive. he would strap my children to the front of a locomotive. this is a guy who has disliked me, and it's been mutual, since the first time we met. and larry, the problems we face and the incredible broken system that is washington, d.c., are so much bigger than rahm emanuel and me. we're bit players in what's going to happen in our country. in 72 hours, i'm gone. and who cares. and i understand that. >> larry: the fact that he didn't have clothes on and you were coming out of a shower is immaterial?

>> it's terribly awkward. i mean, it's terribly awkward. when is the last time you had a political argument with a naked man? it just doesn't work well. >> i haven't. >> that's my point. >> larry: by the way, two white house officials denied to cnn -- >> of course they do. >> larry: -- that this incident ever took place, that it never happened. >> they have to say that. that's the washington two-step. i have nothing to lose. how many times can they try to shoot a dead horse? it's almost humorous. it's as if someone is trying to say that i'm looking to run again, that i'm looking for redemption, that i'm looking to become something other than just go back and be the father to my kids and reunite with my wife who i haven't seen functionally in five years. i've got nothing to gain by this other than raising an alert, and here's the alert. it's not about rahm emanuel. he's a tough-as-nails chief of staff. trust me, i was a lot tougher when i was an executive officer on a destroyer.

no one was tougher than me. i understand that, but it's not about either one of us. it's about a system in washington, d.c., that is so functionally paralyzed that every single american that looks to the capitol for leadership has been disenfranchised and is actually at the point of despair. let me make one last statement. if we pass this health care bill using reconciliation, it will so divide this nation that i don't know how you put it back together. >> larry: but it didn't divide it when they did it over bush's tax cuts. >> okay. so here's the argument that the democrats throw right back. just because we screamed it was wrong when they did it, doesn't mean it's right to do it now, and nothing is more personal to the american people than their health care. nothing. >> larry: okay. >> haven't we figured that out so far after a year of debate? >> larry: let me get a break and we'll have some more moments with eric massa. by the way, the white house invited massa to appear as a guest, to respond to the allegations.

by the way, we reached out to the white house and rahm emanuel and they declined but referred us to the on-the-record statements from robert gibbs today. for the record, we would like to extend an invitation to rocco mediate -- rahm emanuel to be the story of the other side. don't go away. she stays tough. how does she do it? what is that? i think we've discovered her advantage. speedy alka-seltzer. alka-seltzer plus. specially formulated with pain-relieving power. rushes cold-fighting ingredients to relieve congestion, coughing, and all-over achiness. it's the official cold medicine of the u.s. ski team. alka-seltzer plus. also available in liquid gels.

>> larry: i went back with former congressman eric massa. it may be silly but i guess we have to ask it. are you gay? >> here's my answer. i'm not going to answer that. in the year 2010? why don't you ask my wife, ask my friends, ask the 10,000 sailors i served with in the navy. i'm not going to answer that. that is so -- it's an insulting -- larry. larry. >> larry: i didn't mean it to insult you. >> not me, it insults every gay american. >> larry: no, it doesn't. >> it somehow classifies people. why would anyone ask that question in this day and age? >> larry: because you said you groped someone who was a male. >> and you go back to that, and larry, i explained what that was three times. come on, now. >> larry: who was the guy you groped? he can answer. >> you also said you understood that explanation.

>> larry: i do. i understand it. >> okay. >>. >> we're just asking to set the report straight. i'm not offending -- at least, i'm not trying to offend -- certainly would not offend the gay community or meaning to. elizabeth city, north carolina. we got a call. hello. >> caller: hello, larry. representative massa, just a quick question for you. i saw you in an interview earlier today, and you said you were leaving because of your own behaviors which you took total responsibility for. >> yep. >> caller: you didn't mention anything about disagreeing with health care, democratic leadership or anything like that at the time, even though you were being pressed for it. so my question is, why is it that 4.5 hours later because the interview took place at 5:00 that you are now saying that your problem with the health care initiative and problems with the democratic leadership are your main reasons for leaving congress when earlier today you would not mention that as a problem? >> well, i did, and let me -- >> caller: they're your own behaviors.

>> thank you for your call and i appreciate that. let me make one thing clear. the number one reason i'm not staying in congress is this wednesday they're going to read a cat scan and tell me whether i'm going to be around in six months or not. then next year they're going to do it again. that's my number one reason. compound that with the fact i do own my own behavior, compound that with the fact that as larry pointed out, i got problems with the leadership of the democratic party and i can't stand this health care bill, and i've been very, very outspoken about it, and layer upon layer, and pretty soon i don't have life's energy to fight everyone all the time. ma'am, your point is a very good point, because you can't tell the whole story about why i'm doing what i'm doing in a sound bite. and i appreciate your call, and i hope that clarifies it. >> larry: well asked, well answered. one other thing. are you going to stay a democrat? >> i have been a proud democrat ever since i got involved in politics. i revere franklin delano roosevelt and john fitzgerald

kennedy. that's one of the reasons i'm standing up, because there are millions of democrats like myself who don't understand why we are becoming that which we campaigned against. remember how everybody hated carl rove? and now half this interview, larry, you focused on rahm emanuel. why is it that we have become exactly what we campaigned against? if it was wrong to pass a bill with reconciliation when the republicans did it, what makes it right for us to do it? that's my point. >> larry: thank you. eric, i have the feeling we have not heard the last of you. >> larry, let me be clear about this. i'm going away. i'm not doing any more press. i'm not running for public office. i am a newly unemployed, slightly battered, somewhat used member of congress. do you know anybody that can hire somebody who stands up to authority when authority is messing up? if you do, give me a call. >> larry: good luck on the health front. >> that's the main issue for me. >> thank you, eric. >> god bless you, larry. thank you.

>> larry: former congressman eric massa, democrat of new york. we've had a couple of political observers watching our interview, and we'll get their take next. ...your bones can begin to change. overtime, you can begin to have bone loss. calcium and vitamin d work together to help keep your bones strong. and yoplait gives you... ...20% of your daily calcium... ...and is the only leading yogurt with vitamin d in every cup. keep your bones strong every day... ...with yoplait.

>> larry: the eric massa story. joining us in rancho mir average

california, our friend ben steen, the economist, former presidential speech writer, columnist "fortune" magazine and in new york mark lament hill, professor columbia university and contributed to "theroot.com. ben, your analysis of what you have just witnessed. >> it's heartbreaking. it's almost unbearably heartbreaking. it's heartbreaking if the democrats are sliming him into a decision, it's unbearable if the press is false ly accusing over an allegation that he groped someone at a party. it's unbearable that this man is being torn apart by cancer.

it's also unbearable if he really was harassing people and he's making all this up to make it seem like a political thing. the whole thing is just extremely sad. >> mark hill, what's your read? >> i agree with ben that this is extremely sad. i think it's a little bit funny that he's suddenly becoming a hero, suddenly everyone is sympathetic to his polite. this is someone who appears to have made some wrong moves using politics for his legacy. it also speaks to the problems the democrat party has on the left. we continue to have firing squads in the circle. instead of aiming our attention at the right in this troublesome policy that's moving around, we're shooting at each other. >> larry: is it, ben steen -- >> i'm sorry, mark. >> larry: go ahead, ben. >> what is it that makes him appear to be dishonest? >> we're hearing conflicting claims. some of you may decide to believe nancy pelosi, some may decide to believe him, but at least three different reasons why he resigned have come up. i'm not confident he's been completely honest with us. it seems a little curious that he would leave based on health care legislation. seems a little odd. >> mark, when you find somebody

in washington or any city who is completely honest, please call me. when you find someone, mark, in los angeles or new york or washington, d.c., who is completely honest, please let me know. >> so, then, we're in agreement. >> larry: help me with something, ben, and then you, mark. isn't the chief of staff supposed to be tough? >> he's supposed to be tough, but he's not supposed to be -- he's not supposed to be -- if he's tough, if he says to him, you're a team player, get your butt on board with us or there are going to be consequences, that's fine. he should be doing that. if he's saying to a congressman, we're going to make up false allegations about you and leak them to the press, that's absolutely unbearably unethical. i frankly can't believe rahm emanuel did that. that's just too grim, too ugly, i can't believe he did that, frankly. i find that very far-fetched. >> larry: mark, why do you think he's leaving congress? >> honestly my gut says where

there is smoke there's fire and there's something to these allegations. what i can tell you for sure is i don't believe it's about health care. and ben, i hope this isn't due to rahm emanuel. i have been a big critic of rahm emanuel from the beginning. i think he's a bull in a china shop. i question his politics, i question his motives, but i don't think he would do something like this and i hope it's not true. >> i hope -- >> larry: go ahead, finish, ben. >> we've had barney frank on this story a lot of time who is openly gay, who has had lots of gay stories to tell, why hasn't anyone harassed him? we had a very good ex-president, bill clinton, who had lots of sexual ventures. nobody forced him to quit. something weird is going on here that i don't quite follow. >> larry: we'll pick up with mark hill and more on this in a few minutes. and epa-estimated 41 mpg city and all the words stick because they're true. we speak the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in america.

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>> larry: mark hill, someone said that rush limbaugh liked congressman massa yesterday and doesn't like him today. do you think he's a darling of the right wing? >> he will be for another few days. republicans don't have feelings, they have interests, just like democrats so they're going to use this very opportunistically.

we've seen joe wilson be a darling and go from being a third stringer to being on the front of every newspaper for a few weeks. this is what happens in the political season. right now republicans are about obstructing progress. they'll do anything to make that happen. >> larry: is this damaging, ben, to democrats? >> i think it's damaging to everyone. a guest on your show that you've had a number of times, the very famous author linda fairstein who has a fabulous book out, "the hell gate, she says -- she was a sex crimes prosecutors for many years and she does a great job and she says the great majority of the sex crime allegati allegations, sexual allegations are made up. they're baloney. once somebody gets smeared with that, how do you disprove that? one guy says, he touched me inappropriately, how do you disprove that? that's very sad that it's going to have a part in wrecking the career of this man who served

his country honorably in the navy and in the congress. that's terribly sad. >> larry: don't you think, mark, that some of these men at the party or the person who was groped, for want of a better term, will have to come forward? >> i think at some point inevitably they will come forward and we'll hear more of the story. ben could be right, it could be untrue, but ultimately all the parties have to come forward, otherwise, it's a travesty that congressman massa's career will be ending without full justice coming forward. >> larry: ben, what's going to happen with the health care bill. >> i think, by the way -- something is going to get passed. they will ram it through, and if it's not a success, i think the republicans will wrap it around the democrats' neck, not just this november but for a long time. >> first of all, it's not so much about ramming it through, it's finally having the political courage to stand up to a republican party that has been obstructing progress in the last 12 months on health care. i think the republicans are

going to use the success or failure of health care of as a baton to beat over the heads of the democrats for the next two years. >> you said -- we're all humans. >> larry: don't we need health care reform. >> larry, i've said, since you were a child, larry, i've been saying we should have health care for all americans, but i don't like the idea of screwing up the whole system. i'm an old guy now. i get medicare. i don't like the idea of taking $500 billion out of seniors' medical care and giving it to other people. i would like to see some system whereby just the poor, the very poor, are given checks to buy health insurance. let the other people figure it out for themselves. and i also don't want to see money taken out of doctors' pockets. doctors work very, very hard to get a lot of training. i don't think they should be punished for taking care of old people. >> ben, agree with you that i don't want the system screwed up but the reality is the system is already screwed up and the health care system has always been screwed up. the fact that 10 million people are deprived of health care tells us the system is screwed

up. i don't want to take dollars out of doctor's pockets because they do work hard. the working poor work very hard also but they don't always have access to health care. i think we're on the same page with that. the question is, where do we get this from? you're suggesting supporting -- >> i have an idea. let's tax people like you and me and larry a tiny bit more and give it just to the very poor, just you and me and larry, and give it to the very poor and have it done that way. being honest about it. we're going to take money from well-to-do people to help the poor people. let's not have all these games. >> i don't have a problem taking money from people like you and larry and giving it to the poor, but i don't think we want to reconstruct the system where we have $50 billion of private revenue streams for new health care legislation which is what they're proposing to do, which would also bolster these private health care insurance companies.

i don't think we're doing that just yet. what with need is a single-payer system. >> larry: as henny youngman once said when asked, what do you think of the tax bill? he said, pay it. ben, thank you as always, mark. ben stein and mark lamont hill. we're breezing along. now we're going mountain climbing with actors jessica biel and emile hersch, next. >> i said to one of the guys, can we go a little faster? and then i got a little bit irritated and i was like going down this little area kind of pissed off and then i immediately got nauseous, and the mountain was like pull away, pull away, and don't disrespect me. i was like, sorry, mysterious killy, sorry. when we built our first hybrid, more people had landlines than cell phones, and gas was $1.75 a gallon.

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>> larry: jessica biel, emile hirsch and kenya are here to tell us about climbing mt. kilimanjaro. and why, but first let's check in with our own anderson cooper. >> i climbed that mountain years ago and it's not easy. it's tough to know where to begin when you talk about

congressman eric massa. he just stepped down, but why? was it tickling, was it groping, was it because he was opposed to the health care bill? tonight we're trying to sort through it and keep him honest. arianna huffington and david gergen to talk about that. also tonight, runaway prius. we've got the 911 call from a california man whose toyota went up to 90 miles an hour on the freeway. he couldn't stop it. we've also got toyota's side of the story and the man accused of extorting money from david letterman joe halderman reached a plea deal today. we'll also talk to jeffrey toobin about it. it's all the on "360" at the top of the hour, larry. >> larry: 10:00 eastern, 7:00 pacific with anderson cooper. what's it like to push your body ask mine to the limit in the ultimate test of endurance. jessica biel and emile hissch are here to tell us. they climbed mt. kilimanjaro.

the climb is part of an upcoming documentary, "summit on the summit" airing sunday, march 14. they're here with musician kenna who put the whole expedition together. jessica, why did you do this? >> i wanted to understand more about this water crisis. how serious is it, what are the facts, what's the problems, what areas is it really affecting? and kenna invited me to be a part of this along with emile and a bunch of other incredible people, and it was one of the most incredible experiences of my life physically, mentally. i'm just so pleased i was a part of it. >> larry: kenna, what got you involved in this water problem, and what's the problem? >> well, actually, my dad came to me about three years ago and explained to me that he had saved about $10,000 to dig a well in ethiopia where i'm from. it kind of impacted me because i asked him why he did that, and he said as a child he had had water-borne illnesses and that

he lost his brother, and i felt like a bad son because i didn't know that had happened to my own family, so i started doing research about it and wanted to do something impactful. i climbed kilimanjaro five years ago and didn't reach the top so i had a little vendetta against the mountain, and so i decided that i was going to do something for the cause learning about a billion people not having clean water. that's why. >> larry: why climb a mountain to turn people's attention to water? >> well, you know what? kilimanjaro is the site of -- in tanzania is the site of a lot of climate change and water issues in general, and i think that what we wanted to do is do something extreme to raise awareness because nobody really knows that water is a problem. that a billion people don't have water, that a child dies every 15 seconds. i think people don't actually know it's a problem because we have it on tap, you know, so it's something that we felt like if we did something extreme it would work. >> larry: a child dies because

of water conditions every 15 seconds? >> every 15 seconds, yeah. >> larry: emile hirsch, what was this experience like for you? why did you do this? >> you know, i kind of was someone who boarded the mission last minute, probably about three weeks before kena called me, so i kind of had to cram in the training, so it was a chance to do something that i thought was really exciting, you know, combining something that was, you know, exciting for people to watch, you know, and to follow, climbing kilimanjaro, but at the same time a chance to educate people about issues that are important to people. hi been to zimbabwe with oxfam a year ago and i had an education and background on water so i knew how important it was and just immediately signed on board. it was daunting though, you know. 19,340 feet is -- the altitude can kind of get to you. i think we were both

hallucinating at one point even. you get a little funny in the head. >> larry: did you get to the top? >> yeah. 45 people out of the 45 we brought, we all got to the top. >> yeah. it was the largest group. >> larry: this wasn't easy for jess camp let's take a look at her on mt. kilimanjaro. >> kind of going in and out a little bit, you know. i feel like nauseous, you know, stomach upset. >> do you have any idea about how high we are? >> i know we're above 17,3. i don't know much other than that. i don't know if i even want to know, you know what i mean, because i feel like what's going to happen at 18? i just don't even want to know. but this is [ bleep ] challenging. >> larry: we're pick up with

jessica, emile and kenna right after these words. on his first . i want to run a marathon. i'm going to work with kids. i'm going to own my own restaurant. when i grow up, i'm going to start a band. [ female announcer ] at aarp we believe you're never done growing. thanks, mom. i just want to get my car back. [ female announcer ] together we can discover the best of what's next at aarp.org.

for a few hours in, i think a lot of people are feeling the altitude certainly, but the snow is picking up so we're taking a quick break. >> what's everybody doing? >> we're changing into our rain gear, snow gear. >> how are you feeling?

>> i'm good. i'm ready to charge up there. i want to run up there, but i know i'll pass out if i do. >> larry: looks like a terrific documentary. you'll see it sunday night, march 14th on the mtv documentary "summit on the summit." what was the toughest part, jessica, of climbing the mountain? >> well, i think the toughest part of climbing the mountain was probably the altitude. it really affects you in such a strange way, and you don't really know what's going to happen to your body. i think that's why i was saying what i was saying on the clip. i don't know what's going to happen at 18,000 feet. i don't know if i'm going to have a headache. i don't know if i'm going to feel nauseous or if my body's just going to stop working on me, so the mystery of that was very psychological. and i think that was probably the most difficult part for me. >> larry: kenna, what was the toughest for you? >> i think in part the same thing.

i went to our medic, melissa, and i asked her why i had a headache that was completely surrounding my head. and she said it was because my brain was swelling into my head cavity. which didn't make me happy and made me feel like i was doing something crazy and also bringing all my friends to do it. at the end of the day, i think what we wanted to do, we set out to do we actually accomplished. and to have people follow us on the summit.com and be able to follow us in the social media sense and we really kind of raised that awareness that was important. it was difficult to worry about your friends. more than anything i think i was really concerned that i had put my friends in harm's way. but we all survived, 45 people to the top, you know? >> larry: how long did it take to get there, emile? >> it was five days up and two days down. one of the great things about

kilimanjaro is the terrain changes at each altitude. so you start, you know, pretty much in a rain forest and then you go up to a desert and it gets more and more barren until it's pretty much snow and it's below freezing. so that was -- it's a really beautiful climb. it's amazing, you know -- >> larry: were you scared? >> there were a couple moments where i definitely had a little bit of panic. i wouldn't joke around about that. but, you know, i think the difference here as opposed to some of the other kind of physical challenges i've put myself through is that we had such a great team of people together. and we were all kind of united. and it wasn't just like we were united with, like -- we wanted to do something fun. we all really felt passionately about doing this for clean water and all getting up the hill to the summit together for that. >> and everybody -- >> larry: glad you did it, jessica? >> i'm so glad i did it. it is such a huge accomplishment. and you know, it's not even just to say oh, i climbed the

mountain, but really because i think what we were trying to experience is, yes, it was difficult. yes, this was challenging. but little girls around the world walk six hours a day with 80 pounds on their backs and on their heads carrying water to their families. so as difficult as it was for us, we experienced almost nothing -- not even close to what some families, some young children experience every day. >> larry: thank you all very much. can't wait to see this. jessica biel, emile hirsch, kenna, the dramatic climb chronicled in an upcoming documentary "summit on the summit" sunday, march 14th. we want to extend very best wishes for a speedy recovery to an old friend, former new york governor hugh carey. he's on the mend at the cornell medical center where he underwent cardiac bypass