this is "nightline." >> tonight, breaking news. at least eight people dead in three separate shootings at massage parlors in the atlanta area. what we're now learning from the police investigation. plus "counsel culture." nick cannon responds to the backlash after making anti-semitic comments on his podcast "cannon's class." >> can't be anti-semitic when the semitic -- when we are the semitic people. >> revealing in his first television interview since his bigoted remarks why he says apologizing isn't enough. >> are you seeking forgiveness? >> i'm not seeking forgiveness. i'm seeking for growth. and leyna

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we begin with breaking news in the atlanta, georgia, area. at least eight people killed in three separate shootings at massage parlors. the 21-year-old suspect, robert aaron long, has been taken into custody. police say it is extremely likely the suspect is connected to all three shootings. authorities say most of the victims appear to be of asian descent. the motive is unclear at the moment. we'll have continuing coverage "good morning america."rrow on - we turn now to nick cannon, sitting down for his first tv interview since widespread condemnation over his anti-semitic comments. here's abc's linsey davis. >> you've made a very clear distinction between an apology versus atonement. >> atonement. >> are you seeking forgiveness? >> i'm not seeking forgiveness. i'm seeking for growth. >> reporter: nick cannon is not asking for forgiveness, but after what he said this past summer, many think he should. after years of building his

brand, bigoted comments he made on one podcast throuew his starm and future into a tailspin. >> these people who didn't have what we have. when i say me, i speak of the melinated people. they had to be savages, they had to be barbaric. >> reporter: the episode featured richard griffin, "professor griff," kicked out of public enemy in 1989 for anti-semitic comments. he and nick retread anti-semitic conspiracy theorys and question the birthright of the jewish people. >> the semitic people are black people. >> right. >> you can't be anti-semitic when the semitic -- when we are the semitic people, when we are the same people that you -- who they want to be. >> uh-huh. >> that's our birthright. >> that's our birthright. >> reporter: the reaction was swift and widespread. an buy an ra ham cooper condemned the commentary saying, anyone seeking a ph.d. in jew

hatred should watch this interview. explanations and subsequent apologies fell short. nick lost his deal with viacom cbs and stepped away from a daily radio show, an upcoming talk show put on ice. there are reports that you were pressured to apologize in order to keep your job. any truth to that? >> i can answer this wholeheartedly. who pressured me? ultimately i've always said that apologies are empty. >> reporter: for nick his road back meant more than apologies. he sought atonement. >> in hebrew they call it teshovah, the process of not only repenting, but through that, if you're ever met with a similar situation that you make a different decision. that goes beyond apologizing. and i'm on this journey of atonement because it's the right thing to do. >> reporter: his journey began with the rabbis, welcoming them onto his podcast to learn from

them. the first one to come on, the very rabbi who denounced him, rabbi cooper. >> i didn't know you, but the world knows you. >> right. >> when i watched the piece and there was somebody there who was saying -- i'm not even a real jew. >> right. >> that goes right to the heart. >> i hurt people. i'm going to lean into it. i want to understand why i hurt you, why, what did i say, what are these tropes? educate me. >> reporter: nick's quest for education isn't new. last year he fin iished undergrad at howard university, now pursuing a master's degree in divinity. >> divinity and theology has been something that's a part of my life. i always tell people, i sin way too much to be a preacher. >> one of those things people paid attention to was you saying to professor griff that, black people can't be anti-semitic because they are the semitic people, and black people are the true hebrews.

>> the purpose first was to say, we are all the same people. that -- that's ultimately what i was saying. i was like, how can you hate when you believe that you come from the same people that are saying you're being hateful? >> is that your belief, that it is the birthright of black people? >> one thing that can't be debated is we all originate from africa. >> during the podcast, you actually went beyond the jewish community and talked about non- non-melinated people. do you believe non-melinated people are evil, savage, barbaric? >> absolutely not. >> reporter: nick is the latest in a line of recent black celebrities accused of making anti-semitic comments. to him they're not rooted in prejudice. >> it's definitely ignorance. i don't believe it's hatred. i believe it's frustration. >> the black and jewish

comments, it's a complicated history. you have really great and powerful examples of alliship between the two communities who have often faced similar forms of oppression. unfortunately, it's the differences and the tension that have often been more of the highlight. >> reporter: jamelle hill is a journalist who ended up facing backlash of her own after a piece she wrote in 2008. >> one of the things that i said in the column was, rooting for the celtics is like rooting for hitler, or something along those lines. and immediately drew a complete firestorm. >> reporter: jamelle was mortified and apologized. >> we have to realize that stereotypes play into a larger issue of global racism. and so that's where it's dangerous. we can't be arrogant or

presumptuous if you're in a marginalized group. that's when you start disrespecting other people that you have so much more in common with. we are much more powerful together against racism and oppression and white supremacy if we find common ground. >> you are sitting in the conference room where dr. king used to come and do his work. >> wow. >> where the luminaries of the civil rights movement met and debated. >> reporter: it's here at the religious action center that nick chose to host a podcast, taping with a diverse group of jewish americans. >> i've actually heard a jewish person of color say, this is -- when i walk in the room, they don't know i'm jewish. when i walk in a room, they know i'm black. >> you can have anti-semitism and have suffered. my grandma survived the pogroms of europe. believe me, i know the violence. the tree of life shooting. all of that is real. and we have to confront the deep-rooted systemic racism that is particularly pointed toward black and brown americans. >> indeed.

>> and have been invented in this culture and society for the past 400 years. >> right. >> i think the way by like to think about this out-call culture is calling in. >> it's not cancel culture, it's counsel culture. >> reporter: viacom has acknowledged nick's efforts. they're now back in business together. rick's mid a return to radio and is launching a daytime talk show with fox. he's helped kick off the "black-jewish entertainment alliance." nick may have begun the process, but reconciliation rarely comes quickly. >> my journey's not going to stop whether the person watching this forgives me or not. i'm still going to hopefully do this process, be on the right side of history, bring people closer together. >> our thanks to linsey. and a programming note," soul of a nation" airs tuesday evenings, 10/9 central, only on abc. coming up, trans, proud, and making an historic splash in "sports illustrated." olar energy

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♪ leyna bloom is breaking down barriers, becoming the first transgender black and asian american to grace the swimsuit issue of "sports illustrated." and using her moment to shine a light on a community so often left in the shadows. life, trying to survive.in this- and i was reborn again each time as a new person. >> reporter: for this incarnation, leyna bloom managed to carve out a space for herself in a world that hasn't always been welcoming. was this moment, in your mind,

whenner you crossed just from 75ing to actually living? >> i'm still trying to survive. i'm still trying to get what i deserve. the idea that trans women are just out here and living in spaces and on billboards and magazines is very new. >> reporter: she made her way into those glossy magazines. and today is making history in the coveted "sports illustrated" swimsuit issue as the first black and asian-american trans woman to grace its pages. what does it mean to you to be in this edition? >> for me it makes me feel like i'm worth it. it makes me feel that i'm worthy. it makes me feel that my body, my anatomy, my autonomy, is being respected. >> how does you being? "si" change the narrative? >> the idea that any person that comes from the south side of chicago, that is from the ballroom community, that is a representation of being beautiful in those magazines. >> reporter: leyna has already broken barrier after barrier.

a cover girl in every sense of the word. strutting down catwalks and striking a pose for brands like levi's and dior. in 2019, she became the first openly trans woman of color to star in a movie at the cannes film festival. the movie "port authority" tells the story of a straight cis man falling in love with a trans woman. all set against new york's vibrant ballroom scene. >> i think it was important to tell that story, because trans women are often sensationalized and sexualized. and here's a trans woman that is not. she's the one that is in charge and she knows who she is. >> reporter: the film imitating life. hain in's found family, the ballroom community where she competed in the "face" competition. >> face as unique expression of mind and body and soul and how to present that beautifully. this is an example. you have a nose. you have a structure. you have cheekbones.

you give it structure. you have a jawline. you give it structure. you have a smile. give it personality. >> you just went full ballroom on me. >> i did. >> i love it, oh my god, that was so good, thank you so much. >> reporter: in the ballroom, she found the acceptance she'd longed for for years. after losing a high school dance scholarship. >> i had to de-transition to receive the scholarship. it was a men's scholarship for me to cadance as a man. they asked me to cut my hair off. they asked me to develop a diet to build up muscle. because of the scholarship, i fell into a really serious depression and my grades were affected by that. so it was either get my grades up and continue with the scholarship, or do something else with your life. so i chose to transition again and move to new york city and live my most authentic self. >> but without your scholarship and without a lot of economic opportunities, you, like many

trans young adults, faced homelessness? >> yes. i've dealt with homelessness throughout my life. my dad and me raising two children in san diego before we moved back to chicago. we were homeless on the beach. dad out of the service, he couldn't take care of two kids by himself. when i moved to new york city, being homeless on the trains, being homeless on the benches, it wasn't homeless for a purpose. >> you had the dream? >> i had the dream. the dream was feeding me when i was starving through my body. >> reporter: one man stood by her side, her father. >> here's a single black man who was raised in the projects, raising a transgender, biracial child in today's society. you know, the things that i could not learn in school, he made sure i learned them at home. >> your father was with you every step? >> when interested -- when i--i wanted to transition, to feel my

complete self, he was right there. we went to thailand together when i was 18. when i woke up from surgery, he was right there. >> literally, the living emboatment of unconditional love. >> of course, yes, that's what that's called. this is what it looks like when you do that. >> reporter: that unconditional love and support have become leyna's lifeline. are there times you feel a victim of hate? >> every single day of my life, but it makes me stronger. this is what it looks like. all my haters make me who i am. >> every single day? >> yes. >> in many ways i look at you and i think, there's so much progress, there's so much hope. >> yes. >> yet i know the reality for trans women of color, there's a lot of adversity. >> of course. there's no education, there's no medical aid, there's no opportunities for jobs. moments like this is a huge leap in the right direction. >> reporter: for years the swimsuit edition has catapulted careers, from christie brinkley

to tyra banks to kate upton. now leyna hopes it's her time. >> leyna is just so many wonderful things in one body. she's joy, she's perseverance, she's strength. >> reporter: m.j. day is editor-in-chief of "sports illustrated" swimsuit. it seems to me you've tried quite consciously to expand the definition of female beauty. you've featured athletic women and plus-sized women. why is it important to include trans women, especially a trans woman of color, into that universe? >> because i think it's a responsibility that we have. i think it's something we as a brand believe in with every bit of our soul, you know, that we can do this for society, for the world that we can introduce you to thinking differently. >> it's one thing to have society be ready for it. it's another thing to have "sports illustrated" readership be ready for trans models. >> i mean, if they're not ready for it, they can go somewhere

else. because this is what we are. this is the future of our brand. >> the audience for "sports illustrated" is predominantly male. sometimes straight men have a hard time when they find themselves attracted to a trans woman. >> right. >> so what do you say to the straight male who finds himself attracted to you? >> that there's something inside you that is honest, there is something that was pure, that is something that doesn't lie to you and that's what you should lead into and be attracted to. in society, we're taught not to do that. >> reporter: now bloom's success guiding the conversation along with big names like former nba superstar dwyane wade. >> he's raising a young transgender, beautiful, black, dark-skinned, chocolate queen. when you have leaders like that saying, this is my daughter who is trans, i'm a basketball star, icon, and i am presenting this in a way. that is how we change the narrative. >> reporter: and that change begins with visibility, where revealing your true self is an

act of defiance. and an act of courage. is this beautiful covering a shield? or a true expression? >> it's both. i have to protect it. i have to protect all of this. being in "sports illustrated," that's the weapon. here's a magazine that has had so many different walks of life for women, and now it's a moment for a trans woman to take her moment in the spotlight and go back to the beach and tell other women that are trans of experience and all different forms of experience to say, get your suntanning lotion, get your chair, get your blanket, and lay on a beach and be there, you deserve to be at the beach also. >> we'll be right back with "the final note." in your home never. that's why microban 24 doesn't just sanitize and stop. it keeps killing bacteria for 24 hours.

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♪ and finally tonight, recapping the breaking news. at least eight people were killed in three separate shootings at massage parlors in the atlanta, georgia, area. police have one suspect in custody and say most of the victims are of a asian descent.

stay with abcnews.com for continuing coverage and much more tomorrow on "gma." that's it for "nightline" for tonight. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.