♪ here it come now here it come now ♪ ♪ here it is the hardest cut ♪ ♪ [ cheers and applause ] ♪ >> announcer: this is "nightline." >> juju: tonight, race against time. a desperate search for a missing "titanic" tourist sub far out in the atlantic. vanishing in remote waters 13,000 feet deep.

what we're learning about the five crew members. and cancer con artist? >> i am too sick from treatment where i can't go anywhere. >> juju: a young woman's story tugging on heartstrings. >> this week is not a chemo week. it's just a radiation week. >> juju: collecting more than $30,000 in donations. but was it all just a scam? >> you can see that the actual positioning of the port per se is not accurate. >> juju: how her story unraveled. plus juneteenth. tonight a celebration of the women blazing a trail. ♪ it must be angie ♪ with music and hits like "ladies' night" to fashion. >> june ambrose literally took jay-z from tens and white tees to suit and tie and dapper. >> juju: their struggles for equality. >> they pit us against each other all the time. >> yeah. >> juju: and marking the day

with commemorations across the country. >> announcer: "nightline" will be right back. ill living with o? get back in there and freshen instantly with new febreze air mist. febreze's new, finer mist floats longer in the air to fight even your toughest odors. so long stinky smells and hello amazing freshness. discover the new febreze scents today! densify from crest pro-health. like bones, your teeth lose density over time. but, crest has you covered. crest densify actively rebuilds tooth density to extend the life of teeth. the #1 toothpaste brand in america. crest.

but do they really? do they see that crick in your neck? that ache in your heart? will they see that funny little thing that wasn't there last year? a new bounce in your step? the way your retinal scan connects to your blood sugar? at kaiser permanente all of us work together to care for all that is you. >> juju: thanks for joining us. tonight the clock is ticking for rescuers trying to find a "titanic" tourist sub now missing for more than 24 hours. the u.s. and canadian coast

guard searching a remote area in the north atlantic near where the "titanic" originally sank. how long can the five crew members survive? here's abc's james longman. >> reporter: tonight a race against time in the desperate search for a missing submersible carrying five crew members touring the wreckage of the "titanic." the u.s. and canadian coast guards scouring an area over 900 miles off the coast of massachusetts, deploying radars and sonars capable of searching above and below the water. >> we're working very closely at this point to make sure that we're doing everything that we can do to locate the submersible and rescue those on board. >> reporter: the ship left newfoundland, canada on friday, carrying a submersible operated by oceangate expeditions. that vessel started its voyage down to the "titanic" sunday morning. officials say an hour and 45 minutes into that dive the ship lost contact with the sub and alerted the coast guard. oceangate says the crew of five has enough oxygen to survive for

96 hours. since 2021 oceangate expeditions has offered tourists paying roughly $250,000 a chance to travel with scientists studying the doomed oceanliner two miles down at the bottom of the ocean. that tour, aboard a submersible called "titan," it's the only one in the world able to carry five people to "titanic" depths. >> we are taking scans. >> reporter: the sub itself doesn't have a gps but it's guided to the wreckage site by the ship above via text message. the round trip is at least eight hours long. the sub is supposed to rise to the surface if there are any problems. tonight abc news is learning that among the missing passengers, british billionaire hamish harding. his company confirming he was on board. he posted on facebook hours before the dive, "a weather window has just opened up and we're going to attempt to dive tomorrow. more expedition updates to follow if the weather holds." >> juju: our thanks to james. turning now to a college student and her heartbreaking battle

with cancer. detailing her day-to-day struggles on tiktok, collecting tens of thousands of dollars in donations from strangers moved by her plight and looking to help. but was it the ultimate con? here's abc's mona kosar abdi. >> reporter: in the beating heart of the american heartland just last year the internet found the kind of story that seemed inspiring. at just 19 years old college student and iowa resident madison russo's best days seemed ahead of her, until she told the world she was battling a deadly form of cancer. >> i'm too sick from treatment where i can't go anywhere. i can't do anything. >> reporter: so she called on social media for help with the high cost of her medical wills. and people came through in spades, donating more than $37,000 to maddie's fight. it's the kind of story that's supposed to warm your heart, until the cold truth started to come to light. >> as people dug more and more into russo's story, they saw

that donations were actually nothing but deception. >> reporter: madison russo spent the last year documenting her battle first with pancreatic cancer, then leukemia and a spinal tumor on her social media. >> this week is not a chemo week. it's just a radiation week. >> reporter: posting dozens of photos and videos like these on social media, which have been taken down and reposted by other users. >> in the cancer world eventful is not good. my favorite word is uneventfully because it means you're coasting along. >> reporter: but authorities have said it was all a lie. she was arrested in january and just last week pleaded guilty to felony theft by means of deception. she now faces up to ten years in prison. >> prior to russo pleading guilty in the case at least what we're observing was ironclad. you have the receipts. you have the movement of money from donors to the gofundme page to her accounts, and then of course her own statements and

her own words. >> reporter: in a press release published in the north scott press police saying, "witnesses who have medical experience sat with the investigating officer on january 11th and pointed out many medical discrepancies found on her pictures posted on social media sites." >> you can see that the actual positioning of the port per se is not accurate. also the way that it's secured, the type of tape that's used is not the same clinical tape that we would use in the hospital. >> reporter: authorities say russo's subpoenaed medical records show she has never been diagnosed with any type of cancer or tumor. and that social media support quickly turned against her. >> i saw this girl's story on tiktok yesterday, and i can't stop thinking about it. >> this girl collected over $37,000 from people claiming that she had cancer. >> my mom is actually laying in bed incredibly sick because she has cancer. >> reporter: her lawyer telling "nightline" in a statement,

"maddie cannot sufficiently express the depth of her remorse for her actions. maddie is hopeful her acceptance of responsibility and full repayment of all financial restitution can promote healing and be the first steps in making amends to the community." but russo's grift extended far beyond just money. she made herself a spokesperson of sorts for pancreatic cancer sufferers, giving a long interview to a local newspaper, saying "at 19 years old i don't know if i will live to see the day i graduate from college, get married or become a mom. in the meantime, i will fight." and spoke to the project purple podcast, an organization that is trying to bring about a world without pancreatic cancer. the group removed the podcast from its platforms, but it was reposted to tiktok. >> i want people to live. i want to live. you know, i want there to be a cure and to not have to go through all of the terrible, you know, leaps and bounds you've got to go through just to have an 11% survival rate.

>> reporter: louis frulman was one of the many people who believed russo's sob story, selflessly donating $500 to a complete stranger. >> her story was something that would, you know, gain empathy. my thinking is say a prayer for this young kid because she's going to have a lot of temporary consequences as a result of this. >> reporter: frillman's 500 has since been returned. >> we've been charitable most of our adult lives, and people who inflict pain like this young lady has done, my opinion is that they're in a lot of pain themself. >> reporter: gofundme telling abc news tonight the website has zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform. all donors who donated to the fund-raiser created on behalf of madison russo were fully refunded. and she has been banned from using the platform for any future fund-raisers. russo is just the latest online cancer hoax to take advantage of people's goodwill.

>> amaamanda's blogs weren't ju filled with words. there were hundreds of heart-wrenching and raw intimate pictures detailing her journey. >> reporter: there was the unbelievable true story of amanda c. riley. >> and it was really like a soap opera. very easy to get sucked into the writing of it. >> reporter: a young mother faked cancer, bilking people of tens of thousands of dollars. the entire saga has been expertly crafted in lionsgate hit podcast scamanda hosted by charlie webster and produced by nancy moscatello. >> the question everyone wants to know is why? why would someone fake cancer? >> i think it happens slowly over time where somebody realizes that they can get attention from something like this. and you can see how -- i'm not saying it's okay. but you can see how that becomes very addictive. i think. and then i think money comes secondary to that. >> nancy, you were the one who was hot on her trail saying i think this woman is faking it. what was that like?

>> yeah, being that person that is pointing the finger and asking those hard questions is -- that's what we do. that's the important part of it. >> reporter: she ultimately pled guilty to wire fraud and was sentenced to five years in prison last year. >> i could not fathom somebody would fake having cancer and -- i mean, there's no other -- almost like weaponize it. it's like it was just so horrific what she was doing with it. >> i really understand -- i understand why people believed her. anybody can fall for these things because it's not about us, it's about them and it's important to put their behavior back onto them. >> juju: our thanks to mona. coming up, honoring the female legends of hip-hop on this juneteenth holiday. my a1c was up here; now, it's down with rybelsus®.

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♪ >> juju: in honor of the juneteenth holiday we bring you a conversation with some female legends of hip-hop, including mc lyte, angie martinez and june a br ambrose. their struggle to earn respect as women of color in a male-dominated industry and handing the baton to a new generation of stars. >> the women who set this thing off would be women like salt-n-pepa, queen latifah, mc lyte, sweet t, roxanne shante, the real roxanne.

these are the women really letting the men know the women had something to say. in 1995 salt n pepa and queen latifah made history by being the first female rap artists to win grammy awards. that was amazing because hip-hop was really very much a boys' club. i mean, it still is very much a boys' club. >> lyte, you could help paint this picture. you're a female artist, which how many others were there? could you count them on one hand at that time? >> yeah. when i came out, i think it was a little sparse during that time. which made it easy for me because i don't know that the class of today is like so many, you know. but yeah, it was a great time. 1987, coming with a record. and i had -- i didn't have the intention of this has to be a hit, you know. i was having fun. i've been nominated twice. once in '93 for "roughneck." ♪ i love my roughneck and ain't nothing going down ♪ ♪

>> i think the first time we started seeing female mcs they probably were coming in looking a little more like b boys. they wanted to dress the part in order to be accepted into the community and the culture. but by the time we get to the mid '90s lil' kim comes on the scene. you know, someone who could be a little bit more overtly sexual and really have agency over her body and agency over the lyrics. and that really helped change the game for women in hip-hop. >> i mean, women have been part and parcel, woof and warp of hip-hop from the beginning. >> when you think about tremendous stylists like june ambrose, i mean, she has dressed the who's who of african american artists, of hip-hop artists. >> june ambrose made happen. she literally took jay-z from

times and white tees to suit and tie and dapper. >> you made me understand that not every woman in this business was forward facing. the power of the woman who was behind the scenes. >> for me coming into the industry was all about character developing, designing the look, brand building, the artist from inception. >> what was the first time you saw that from a woman in the culture? >> i would have to say my love and still to this day, missy elliott was one of those artists. and at the time there was no one that looked like missy. you couldn't compare her to anyone. we didn't have social media. ♪ me i'm super fly ♪ ♪ super duper fly ♪ >> what this generation of hip-hop is doing is really looking at how to use social media to their advantage. and so tiktok and instagram is essentially becoming the new radio station. so this is how artists like lola brooks is able to have such an incredible fan base. ♪ don't play with it ♪ ♪ don't play with it ♪ >> lola brook is one of the

newest mcs who's really been able to catapult out of social media. >> lo is like looking at you it's just -- you're the woman that we wanted to see. that's why we did what we did, so we can give you the space to be creatively and authentically yourself. >> and also there are so many women right now, right? is there a community that you guys are building? are you feeling that support? >> i do feel the support for sure. i always say to myself that i'm willing to support, so when you're willing to support you always run into a group of women that's willing to support you as well. >> so ladies' night was my first time on a major record. and it wasn't just the women on the song. it was the women that showed up for us. it was the community that showed up for us. ♪ it's ladies' night ♪ ♪ it must be angie on the mike ♪ ♪ the butter pea honey got the sugar got the spice ♪ >> mary j. blige and tlc and changing faces and total and missy elliott. ♪ i ain't even gonna leave without saying something on this track ♪ ♪ you ain't gonna use me to just be singing hooks ♪

>> i mean just countless women that showed up in this one room. were there a lot of women execs when you started? >> well, there was the woman exec. that signed me which was sylvia rome. so she was the first to have that opportunity to run her own department there at atlantic records. and i was part of the first signing there. but i don't think a business runs without a woman. >> i was going to say like for me coming into the business what i was able to see that really made me feel like i could belong was the women that weren't -- that were working behind the scenes. i walked in that day, and i never looked back. >> and the title that you hold now i think we should establish that. >> the president of roc nation. >> i just wanted you to say it. >> it's hard for me to talk about myself. but yes, the president of roc nation label. >> i hate when there's one or there's two. because then what happens is they pit us against each other all the time. have we gotten better at that, at not pitting ourselves against

each other? >> not pitting ourselves or not letting them pit ourselves -- >> both. >> i think we have. i mean, this generation and space that we're in now is a testament to that. >> it's almost difficult now to hear a son a female mc and not have another female mc on that track too right now. and i don't know why it took so long for us to get here. but know that it's here i don't see us slowing down anytime soon. >> what is our hope for the next ten years of women's roles in hip-hop? >> if they continue to expand. >> my hope is just as we grow, especially on the executive side, that we all understand there's enough room at the top. because i don't think that that's understood enough. you know. it takes the people that are in position to make the room, you know, as we climb. >> what could men do better to support us, to uplift us, to -- >> i almost feel like to get out the way. if you're going to be an ally, know that you're partnering, not

leading. or get out the way. >> ju: >> juju: hip-hop at 50. rhythms, rhymes and reflections. a soul of a nation presentation. now streaming on hulu. up next, juneteenth celebrations up next, juneteenth celebrations across the country. i have moderate to severe crohn's disease. now, there's skyrizi. ♪ things are looking up ♪ ♪ i've got symptom relief ♪ ♪ control of my crohn's means everything to me. ♪ ♪ ♪ control is everything to me. ♪ feel significant symptom relief with skyrizi, including less abdominal pain and fewer bowel movements at 4 weeks. skyrizi is the first and only il-23 inhibitor for crohn's that can deliver both clinical remission and endoscopic improvement. the majority of people on skyrizi achieved long lasting remission at 1 year. serious allergic reactions and an increased risk of infections or a lower ability to fight them may occur. tell your doctor if you have an infection or symptoms, had a vaccine or plan to. liver problems may occur in crohn's disease.

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♪ >> juju: and finally tonight, the sights and sounds of juneteenth around the nation. honoring the end of slavery. celebrations in galveston, texas, the birthplace of juneteenth. >> the world watches, and they're excited about

juneteenth. >> juju: sleeves freed there more than two years after the emancipation proclamation. >> black history is american history. >> american history. >> and this truly brings home that fact. >> no doubt about it. >> juju: thousands lined up to view that historic document at the national archives in washington, d.c. >> i think we're progressing forward every day. you know, people from all walks of life here in this line, you know, all colors. so i think that's powerful and impactful. >> juju: and in fort worth, texas 96-year-old opal lee, the grandmother of juneteenth, once again leading the 2 1/2-mile walk representing that long wait for freedom. happy juneteenth. that's "nightline." you can watch all of our full episodes on hulu. we'll see you right back here same time tomorrow. thanks for staying up with us. good night, america.