♪ this is "nightline." >> tonight, coming home. five americans wrongfully detained in iran, now free after a controversial prisoner swap. >> it means that husbands and wives, fathers and children can hug each other again. >> the deal, which included unfreezing $6 billion in iranian assets, sparking protests.

this coming one year after a 22-year-old woman died in the custody of iranian police, arrested for allegedly wearing her hijab incorrectly, fueling a movement. >> i couldn't believe that a woman just got killed for a little bit of hair was visible. >> we hear from women inside iran. >> living here is scary, especially when you try to stand against the regime. plus, one-on-one with julie chen moonves. >> welcome to "big brother." >> our exclusive with the big brother host speaking out for the fist time since her husband, the cbs chairman was accused by sexual assault by a dozen women, which he denies. >> did you ever ask him if these allegations were true? >> how she says a newfound spirituality helped her move forward. >> julie chen before she found god was kind of a shallow person. >> and her new comments about her exes from "the talk".

>> i need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son. >> apparently compared to it being stabbed in the back. >> "nightline" will be right back. feel at home. with trusted nutrition, no wonder it's the number one dry cat food in america. come home to cat chow. - bye, bye cough. - later chest congestion. hello 12 hours of relief. 12 hours!! not coughing? hashtag still not coughing?! mucinex dm gives you 12 hours of relief from chest congestion and any type of cough, day or night. mucinex dm. it's comeback season.

>> byron: good evening. thank you for joining us. we begin tonight with five americans wrongfully detained in iran free for the first time in years after a prisoner swap with that country.

the white house facing backlash, though, for giving iran access to $6 billion in revenues frozen under u.s. sanctions as part of the deal. here is abc's chief white house correspondent mary bruce. >> reporter: the first moments of freedom on u.s. soil tonight as the five americans held prisoner in iran arrived back home, finally free after years of negotiations. >> it means that husbands and wives, fathers and children, grandparents can hug each other again. so it's a day that i'm grateful for. >> reporter: three of the americans, oil executive siamak namazi, held for eight years, conservationist morad tahbaz, and businessman emad shargi were accused of espionage, which they vehemently deny. the fourth and fifth americans wish to remain anonymous. in exchange for their freedom, the biden administration granting clemency to five iranians held in the u.s. and agreeing to unfreeze $6 billion

in iranian oil revenues that had been held up by u.s. sanctions. the biden administration adamant that this is not american money and that iran has agreed to only use the funds for humanitarian purposes. >> this involved the access by iran to its own money. >> reporter: but top republicans say any deal with iran is dangerous. >> unfortunately, the deal that secured their release may very well be the latest example of president biden rewarding and incentivizing tehran's bad behavior. >> reporter: president biden today defending the negotiation, saying it ended years of agony, uncertainty and suffering, adding, reuniting wrongfully detained americans with their loved ones has been a priority for my administration since day one. >> byron: our thanks to mary. one year ago, the death of a 22-year-old iranian woman in police custody sparked outrage and a global movement. she was arrested by the so-called morality police for

allegedly wearing her head scarf incorrectly. what the women of iran are saying tonight about their long, hard fight for freedom. here is my "nightline" co-anchor juju chang. >> reporter: calls demanding freedom for iranian women echoing around the world. >> reporter: from london and istanbul. to berlin and all across the united states. >> say her name! >> reporter: saturday marked one year since the death of mahsa amini, a 22-year-old iranian woman who died while in police custody after reportedly being beatin' by iran's notorious morality police. her alleged crime, not wearing a mandatory hijab, or head scarf, properly. her death sparked acts of defiance on the streets and acts of massive protest. iran's security forces last year

responding with a violent crackdown, killing over 500 people and detaining more than 22,000 in the months following. >> it's a sad day because nothing happened, but on the other hand, it proves that we are still fighting. >> reporter: inside iran, reports of security forces doubling up to crack down on protests remembering amini. activists frustrated over the lack of change since amini's death. >> this regime does not represent the values and morals of the iranian people. >> september 16 of last year, i was full of anger, but at the same time, i was hope. >> reporter: looking back, activist masi is filled with mixed emotions. >> i can't believe that a woman just got killed for a little bit of her hair was visible. but at the same time, i was so proud of seeing a lot of women cutting their hair, burning the head scarf. >> reporter: amini's death

inspiring an historic movement across the world, and shedding light on the plight of a nation. >> massa game a symbol of revolution, a symbol of saying no to dictators, no to oppressors. >> reporter: iranian americans blasting president raisi and his visit to the united nations this week. human rights organizations point to an alarming surge in executions, sentencing an estimated 700 people to death over the past year, some children. in 1988, he is accused of playing a role in the killing of tens of thousands of political prisoners. including human rights activist mitra, his best friend who was just 20 when she was arrested for peacefully protesting. she was later executed by raisi's so-called death committee. >> this shouldn't have happened. he shouldn't be welcomed here. he should be prosecuted for the crimes against humanity. >> reporter: she spent four years as a political prisoner in

iran, arrested at just 18 years old for distributing flyers. she says this is nothing new. >> i witness pregnant women being executed, gang raping women, young girls. so this actually is the worst thing that could happen to somebody. but it took me three years of constant therapy to be normal again, if i'm normal. >> i tattooed my mother's name close to my heart, and she is always with me, in my heart. >> reporter: last september, another life also changed forever. >> she went out to just against the brutally murdering of mahsa amini. maybe she think about the next generation or her granddaughters. she went for freedom. >> reporter: mahsa was at home

in the uk when she received the devastating news about her mother back home in iran. >> they said your mother has been shot, and she is in hospital. i just asked them is she alive? and they said no, she is dead. i fell on the floor. people outside around the world, they see just a second of the life of the woman in iran. you can see many women. they go out with no hijabs, these days, but it is a battle for them. >> reporter: one year after amini's death sparked a global outcry, life as woman in iran is still a daily fight, says this 35-year-old we're calling laila to protect her identity. >> i wear something underneath my pants to protect my legs from plastic bull whips. >> every day one of us is arrested. another one is murdered.

living here is scary, especially when you try to stand against the regime. >> reporter: despite these terrors, laila says women in iran joined by their fathers and brothers are not giving up. >> this society is not going to stop. we have found each other recently. it's been a year that we have the feeling that we are not alone. >> we're here to end you and your regime. >> reporter: back in new york city, mahsa herself has faced death threats and currently lives under fbi protection after repeated kidnapping and assassination attempt against her. >> the islamic republic have guns and bullets. they have everything. they can kill you. they can rape you. they can execute you. but what people have, their words, their there is social media. their lyrics. these became our weapon, and that scares them. >> reporter: for mahsi and all the women who continue to speak

out, it's their dreams of a one day free iran that keep them going. >> the islamic republic took everything away from us, everything, but not hope. the power of collective voice, getting together, and that scares the regime. because we're not alone. together we are stronger. >> our thanks to juju. up next, one-on-one with julie chen moonves, the "big brother" host on after her world was rocked by scandal. i didn't know who i would be. but here i am... being me. keep being you... and ask your healthcare provider about the number one prescribed h-i-v treatment, biktarvy. biktarvy is a complete, one-pill, once-a-day treatment used for h-i-v in many people whether you're 18 or 80. with one small pill, biktarvy fights h-i-v to help you get to undetectable—and stay there whether you're just starting or replacing your current treatment. research shows that taking h-i-v treatment as prescribed and getting to and staying undetectable

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>> byron: many know her as the long-time host of "big brother" and former co-host of "the talk." now julie chen moonves is open up in a new memoir in what she describes as a spiritual awakening after her world was turned upside down by scandal. she sat down with my "nightline" co-anchor juju chang for an exclusive interview. >> in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit. >> julie chen moonves, as you've probably never seen her before sharing this video of her baptism last year. >> up until i came out of that water, i was still in like performance mode, how is the lighting, how is the camera shot. and i came up, and it was like hallelujah! i was focusing on the wrong things, and now i'm focused on one thing. pleasing god. >> reporter: the veteran journalist and host of cbs' "big brother" now a born again christian. >> i'll pray sitting in the makeup chair.

i'll pray driving. i'll pray any time, anywhere. >> reporter: chen moonves is detailing her spiritual journey after her husband, les moonves was rocked by scandal. in her new audio memoir, "but first, god." who was julie chen before she found god and who is she today? >> julie chen before she found god was a self-absorbed career-minded vain gossipy, fun to be with, but probably kind of a shallow person. julie chen moonves, who now knows the lord is someone who wants to help others and see how she can be of service. >> reporter: five years ago, she was flying high in her career, hosting two hit shows on cbs. >> welcome to "big brother." >> hello, everyone, and welcome to "the talk". >> reporter: when moonves, then chair and ceo of the network stepped down, accused of sexual assault and misconduct bay dozen

women, allegations he denies. >> that new fodder for the me too movement. les moonves stepped down overnight. >> more women came forward to accuse him of sexual misconduct. >> days later she herself made an abrupt exit from "the talk" after nearly a decade. >> i need to spend more time at home with my husband and our young son. >> you say in the book quite clearly, leaving "the talk" was a decision made for you. >> yeah, i never revealed that until "but first, god." that was a hard time. i felt stabbed in the back. i was. >> reporter: but you've reconciled? >> yes. and i don't know if i could have reconciled if i didn't have god in my life. god has taught me so much. forgiveness being one of the biggest lessons. >> reporter: chen moonves says she was laid low, but it led to her spiritual journey, standing by her husband then and now. you also said in the book that

one of the hardest parts of your family crisis was having to tell your son. i mean, there was some pretty graphic accounts. what did you tell him? >> well, i told him in like drips and drabs. i told him there were reports that were false about our family. so if you ever hear anything or you read anything, you come to us first. >> reporter: long before she became a mom, she says she prioritized her career. after a stint in local news and then landing her dream job at cbs news, anchoring "early mornings." in 2000, a new reality show came calling. you were basically told to go do "big brother." in fact, you tried to turn it down. >> i did turn down "big brother." and i got called in for a meeting with the then president of cbs news. i flat-out asked him. i said why me? they said well, you know live television. you know how to ask questions. and that's the purpose of this host. >> reporter: it changed the course of your life. >> it definitely changed the course of my life.

i met my husband because of it. god maybe didn't open up certain doors for jobs i thought i wanted. it's no, you're going down this path. >> reporter: the show now in its 25th season, still very much a cutthroat competition for money at the expense of housemates. you talk about gossip being a sin, and yet here is a house that is full of social intrigue and lots of gossip. how does that square now? >> i never thought of that show having gossip. yeah, there are lies and there is manipulation. i always thought of the other show i did as the gossip show, the talk show. >> today we're sharing secrets. >> i was making a living off of sinning every day, and having a good time of it. i was so naive, i didn't even know gossiping was a sin until i started my walk with god. >> reporter: just days before she left "the talk," she began signing her signoff, adding her married name on big brother. >> i'm julie chen moonves, good night. >> when i married my husband, i didn't take his last name

because i made a name for myself, and i thought that would be kind of like just flaunting power. and then when his name wasn't so powerful, that's when i took it, to kind of let the world know this is who i am and here's where i stand, and there should be no questions. >> reporter: but did you ever ask him if these allegations are true? >> that's not what we're here to talk about, but of course, yeah. i know my husband. you know, i know my husband. at >> reporter: at the end of the book, you say he's the best husband. >> he is. listen, i'm a journalist, you know. i do my research. and quite often, i feel like he knows me better than i know myself. >> reporter: did you read all the research? >> yeah. >> reporter: when the allegations came out? >> yeah, of course, yeah.

>> reporter: what did you think? >> but i'm not here to talk about that. >> reporter: ultimately cbs fired moonves for cause and repaired to pay his multimillion-dollar severance payout. last year new york's attorney general ordered moonves to pay a $2.5 million penalty after saying they found moonves and cbs guilty of insider trading and concealing sexual assault allegations against moonves. cbs' parent company did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement. neither cbs nor les moonves responded to our requests for comment. there are two words that are not in the book, and that is "me too." what do you think of the movement and this idea of believe her? >> i think that's getting off track from "but first, god." people, we all go hard times in this world and our lives. mine are not over just because i found christ.

>> reporter: who what would you say to the critics who think this is just a pr rebrand? >> oh, no. i don't need that i was approached to do this. i actually called simon & schuster to offer my services for free to do a reading of the bible. and they weren't interested in that they said why don't you write about your own journey? >> reporter: chen says she is donating the money she was paid for the book to one of her favorite churches. >> what i hope people get is what i got out of starting a personal relationship with god. because once i started that, i found peace. i found acceptance, undying love. but most of all, i found hope. and i saw a light. >> byron: our thanks to juju. up next, a shark tale. why beachgoers came to the aid of a shark.

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and finally tonight, florida beachgoers coming to the aid of massive shark. the bizarre scene occurring at pensacola beach. the predator thrashing and resisting the aid of a group of men. >> babe, it's too dangerous. don't be doing that. >> but eventually they manage to get it back in the water, surviving their wild shark tale. [ cheering ] >> byron: that's something you don't see every day. that's "nightline" for this evening. catch our full episodes on hulu. we'll