♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, deadly storms. relentless rains in california turn hillsides into rivers of mud. ellen degeneres posting this video from her montecito home. whole neighborhoods gone. residents racing to get out. then, andrew tate. the self-proclaimed king of toxic masculinity. >> i have seen so many women fail to park and crash cars and do dumb [ bleep ]. i do not want a female pilot flying me. >> arrested in romania, charged with human trafficking and rape. how the former kickboxer became an alpha male influencer and anti-woman. some say promoting hisux lifestyle is bad for young men. >> it's putting gender equality

and progression back years. plus, challenging journey. 12 years after a gunman nearly ended her life, former congresswoman gabby giffords turning pain into purpose. >> she's about never giving up. >> what is your advice? >> be a leader, an example. be passionate. be courageous. be your best. and two on one. the l.a. clippers stars hoping to spark a conversation about mental health. >> people view us as superheroes, and you know, celebrities or whatnot. but you know, we all fight the same battles. aah, it's a good day to cough. oh, no! bye, bye cough. later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! hmmm, ok. not coughing at yoga? antiquing not coughing?

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even the most chill of parents know when it's time to go into protect mode. nothing kills more viruses on more surfaces than lysol disinfectant spray. ♪ ♪ thanks for joining us. tonight, at least 17 people have died in catastrophic storms along the west coast. california is now under a state of emergency after days of rain and more storms are on the way. 34 million people are under flood watches or alerts. whole communities have been inundated. here's abc's senior meteorologist rob marciano. >> reporter: tonight, those relentless rains lick wafying southern california hillsides. >> i heard a big thunderous roar. my dogs went crazy. >> reporter: in the hollywood

hills, mud and debris inundating this studio city neighborhood. families in the area forced to shelter in place. in central california, highway patrol officers blocking traffic as massive boulders rained down on highway 168 in fresno county as a storm moved through. in the past 24 hours, dozens of dramatic rescues across california. outside santa clarita, this man saved from his vehicle in raging rapids. in chatsworth, a 15-foot-deep sinkhole swallowing one vehicle, then another falling on top of it. some 50 firefighters rushing to hope. using a rope and a ladder truck to hoist a teenage girl and a woman from the bottom vehicle to safety. across the state, tens of thousands ordered to evacuate monday. >> this is next to our house. this creek never floods, ever. >> reporter: ellen degeneres posting this video. residents in the community racing to get out. in san luis obispo county, authorities searching for

5-year-old kyle doan, lost after the car he was in with his mother was swept away. >> there are some nearby neighbors that were able to rescue the mom, but the boy floated off in a different direction. >> reporter: in hard-hit santa cruz county, a combination of heavy rain and powerful surf ravaging the coast. in higher elevations, the epic snowfall shows no sign of letting up. so much snow that mammoth mountain had to cease operations for the day. the conditions just too intense. >> our thanks to rob. we turn now to the case of andrew tate. the former kickboxing championing in romanian custody, accused with three others of human trafficking, rape, and being part of an organized criminal group. it's a mighty fall for the influencer who has made a name for himself as a proud misogynist. here's abc's ashan singh. >> i believe that certain roles suit females and certain roles

suit males. >> reporter: he's one of the most controversial personalities online. >> i have seen so many women fail to park and crash cars and do dumb [ bleep ], i do not want a female pilot fly me through a hurricane. >> reporter: his anti-female diatribes going viral. >> i've seen enough female driving to know that is a bad idea. >> that's a fundamental tenet of the male supremacist doctrine, that women are second class to men. >> reporter: former kickboxer and "big brother" contestant andrew tate, infamous for toxic masculinity. >> if you were to use that sort of language in the workplace or on television or anywhere else in society, you'd be sacked from your employer. >> reporter: tate's core message centers around the belief that masculinity is in the crosshairs. and he's defending it, his target audience, young men. what is it about andrew tate that seems to have captivated a full generation of the most impressionable? >> i think he's presenting

himself as this sort of maverick. this anti-hero which is very appealing. he's showing them a way to sort of regain power and control, and it's predominantly over women. >> reporter: tate's ideology, which is popular in some circles of adolescent boys and grown men, often dehumanizes women. >> a violent misogynist who justifies rape, who justifies grabbing a woman by the neck, punching her, threatening her with a machete in his videos. is given such prominence. >> reporter: he recently mocked greta thunberg on twitter, "i have 33 cars, please provide your email address so i can send a complete list of my car collection and the respective enormous emissions." her reply telling him to email in an address ending in "get a life." >> the way he tried to troll

greta thunberg in reality her slapback at andrew tate just drew more attention to tate. >> reporter: hours later, tate and his brother tristan, along with two others, were arrested at their villa in bucharest, the capital of romania, accused of human trafficking, rape, and being part of an organized criminal group. according to romanian prosecutors, the tate brothers and two romanian citizens lured women to the country then committed acts of physical violence and mental coercion against them. and forced them to perform pornography. tate appeared in a romanian court today. his attorney rejecting all charges, saying there was not a single piece of evidence apart from the victims' statement regarding the rape charges and no evidence regarding human trafficking and organized crime. the judge ruled tate must remain in custody. >> the romanian police now say he may be guilty of sex trafficking and rape. that will come as no surprise to

those people who have seen him talk about women in a way that says that their bodies are owned by men and that they are fundamentally there to be subjugated by men. >> reporter: andrew tate, now 36 years old, began his rise to fame as a kickboxer, winning multiple titles. >> what a round! >> reporter: in 2016, tate was cast on the british version of "big brother" but was kicked off the show after only five days. according to a report from vice, "big brother's" producers removed tate from the show once they learned he was under investigation for rape. tate was never charged. after "big brother," tate started to build his online empire and a web cam business where he paid women to perform on camera. tate claimed the business once earned $600,000 a month. >> success is actually nothing to do with being good at your job. >> reporter: tate also offers online classes, once called

"hustler's university" for marketing, e-commerce, and crypto investing. >> bmw. that's not a luxury car, that's [ bleep ] basic. >> reporter: courses offering skills to get rich. for $50 a month. tate showing off his flashy collection of super cars helps paint the picture of the success he's trying to sell. but his rhetoric and lifestyle becoming so inflammatory, he was and tiktok. facebook, youtube, - however, he's still active on twitter where he has over 4.4 million followers. >> i've known him since 15, 16 years now. >> reporter: still, andrew tate has his defenders and fans. tam cotton is a former professional mma fighter. he's called tate a friend over 15 years. how did you first actually meet andrew? >> we actually know each other from when i was a professional, he was a professional fighter. andrew was a young kid, 17, 18 years old. very tough, talented kid.

quiet, we always used him for our shows because he was reliable. >> reporter: tate has visited khan at his high-end gym in dubai. his appearance always makes waves with young men who line up for selfies. what do the young people and the athletes that go to your gym make of tate? >> i've had, you name it. john cena, jean claude van damme. when andrew tate came, we had to get security, he shut down malls here. young kids say, "he tells us to be a better person, he speaks for us, he's out there for us, he talks about being successful." she's are 8, 9, 12, 14-year-old kids. >> reporter: khan disagrees with how tate portrays women but argues it's just a way to build an audience and did an empire. do you have any person that the wrong message, the wrong

information, is actually getting through to these young kids? >> i don't agree with a lot of it, to be honest. i'm a father of two daughters. if i believed he was a misogynist i wouldn't be around him because i want my girls to be interrogatory, i want them to be the next serena williams. >> reporter: one thing khan does agree with tate on, their idea that masculinity is in the crosshairs. >> we came so far in society for masculinity, for men going to armies, defending countries, for men being the -- the women raising the kids, the man going out to work, striving ought day. have your opinions but let's not delete the alpha male. let's not delete guys who died for us. >> what is the effect of his rhetoric? >> it's putting gender equality and progression back years. in the worst-case scenario, this is breeding ground for future abusers. because that is just normalized with these attitudes and behaviors.

>> our thanks to ashan. up next, abc's robin roberts with former congresswoman gabby giffords. her remarkable recovery and her hopes for the future. my moderate to severe plaque psoriasis... ...the burning, the itching. the stinging. my skin was no longer mine. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®, most people saw 90% clearer skin at 16 weeks. the majority of people saw 90% clearer skin even at 5 years. tremfya® is the first medication of its kind also approved for adults with active psoriatic arthritis... ...and it's 6 doses a year after 2 starter doses. serious allergic reactions may occur. tremfya® may increase your risk of infections and lower your ability to fight them. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms or if you had a vaccine or plan to. emerge tremfyant®. with tremfya®... ask your doctor about tremfya® today. my most important kitchen tool?

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♪ 12 years after an assassin attempted to kill her in a mass shooting, former arizona congresswoman gabby giffords has dedicated her life to fighting back against gun violence. giffords still bears the scars of the shooting, but she also has hope. robin roberts sat down with

giffords and her husband, senator mark kelly. >> reporter: former astronaut mark kelly swearing in for his first full term as arizona's senator. by his side his wife, former congresswoman gabrielle giffords. >> public service has always been a big part of not only gabby and me, for both of us, also for our family. >> i'm so proud of him. i'm so proud of him, mwah. >> thank you. >> thank you. >> reporter: the couple reflecting on the life-altering moment which happened 12 years ago. it was a meet and greet event outside tucson. a gunman killing six and injuring 13, including gabby, who was shot in the head. >> we cannot forget how both of your lives changed. january 2011, senator kelly. you have been by her side all of this time. what don't we know about the strength and resilience of your wife? >> she's always been about never

giving up. >> inch by inch. >> and just -- she often tells me, "remain focused." she was in a coma for probably about a week or so. but gabby's recovery has been quite remarkable. >> what have you learned from the experiences these past 12 years? >> to be grateful for friends and family. and to live every day to the fullest. >> reporter: aphasia has impaired her ability to speak, but still, gabby makes incredible progress in her recovery. her outrage transforming into events of sandy hook, which - killed 26 people including 20 young children. >> the day that happened, we were not in the same place. >> no. >> and i got on the phone with gabby. >> "enough is enough." >> that's what she said. "enough is enough." and we made a decision to start an organization.

gabby's organization that she built has had tremendous, tremendous impact. >> and gabby, what is your hope this year for giffords? >> save lives. save lives. save lives. save lives. >> and that is your battle cry? >> yes. >> reporter: gabby's now celebrating a decade of her organization "giffords," bringing together survivors and advocates, including jeanette and pam, two moms who both tragically lost their sons to gun violence. tell us about patrick. what were his dreams? >> patrick was an artist and a student at the ringling college of art and design when he was killed. she was very talented and driven and just an amazing person. >> and pam, tell people what they need to know, especially today, this special day, about your son. >> this is my own son, terrell bosley. today it says "35th birthday." he was everything. instead of me celebrating his

35th birthday at the cemetery, i'm here with you all, and i appreciate that. but it's difficult today. >> reporter: turning their pain into purpose. giffords dares to dream what a future looks like without gun violence. looking ahead, are you optimistic? are you optimistic about the work that giffords can continue to do to make a difference? >> i'm optimistic. it will be a long, hard haul. but i'm optimistic. >> if somebody's watching and wondering what they can do in their own communities to help, what is your advice? >> be a leader. set an example. be passionate. be courageous. be your best. >> our thanks to robin. when we come back, the basketball stars and the important message they want everyone to hear. moderate to severe eczema still disrupts my skin. despite treatment it disrupts my skin with itch.

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♪ finally tonight, two friends who just happen to be nba teammates with a message that they hope resonates beyond the basketball court. here's abc's will reeve. >> reporter: paul george and reggie jackson of the los angeles clippers are basketball stars, best friends, and advocates for mental health issues. >> people view is as superheroes and celebrities or whatnot. but you know, we all fight the same battles >> reporter: george, a seven-time all-star and six-time all-nba player, and jackson, a 12-year veteran, are using their platform to spark a dialogue and hopefully a positive shift to

get more people to open up about their struggles. you two are incredibly close. what sort of discussions do you have about your mental health? >> a lot of our conversation is, truly, "how are you feeling? what's your thoughts, what are you thinking?" it's always just checking in to see how the person is. everybody is expected to perform to the highest level. i tend to be in my head on most occasions when i'm having a lot of anxiety. i'm the person that reads the room and sits back, i analyze a lot of things. it can hurt me at times. the more we can talk about it, the more we can make it normal, normalize the situation. i think people will start to be able to address it themselves. >> we are mind, body, spirit. you've got to take care of all aspects and understand that without having them all in sync, you really can't move and feel well. >> reporter: a recent gallup poll revealed that only about one-third of americans feel their mental health is excellent, and less tan half

feel it's good. both new lows. but nearly one-quarter saw a mental health professional last year. george feels strongly about therapy, influenced by his time isolated from the outside world, playing in the nba's covid bubble in 2020. >> i couldn't sleep. it just was a downward spiral that i was going through. every moment, i felt i was out there to prove something. i wasn't okay. i was able to get help and figure out a way to cope with it. >> what did you find from therapy? how did it help? >> it was a huge help, hearing someone else's perspective of my life. >> experts say that african american males face significantly more mental health challenges and are much less likely to get the help they need. why do you think that is? >> economically, demographically, historically. we already don't have the resources. we already feel weaker than probably a lot of us are able to speak for. a lot of times we don't even

know what we're feeling. i think that's why the numbers are tilted the way they are. >> the brain is the strongest thing in our body. people think it's you work out, build your muscles. you've got to do the same with your brain. you have to take care of your brain. >> and that's "nightline." you can watch all our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.