60 Minutes

Prince Harry says he was so distraught over the death of his mother -- Princess Diana -- that he resorted to heavy drinking and taking drugs -- including cocaine -- to deal with all the grief.

Harry made the stunning admission to Anderson Cooper on "60 Minutes" Sunday night as part of the Duke of Sussex's media blitz for his controversial memoir titled, "Spare," which is out tomorrow.

As for the relationship between Harry and his immediate family, it seems fully ruptured. Harry says he would like to clear the air and resume a familial relationship, but based on the public allegations he's made over the last 6 months, it seems like wishful thinking.

Anderson set the stage, asking Harry if he blamed the paparazzi for their alleged role in the 1997 car crash that claimed Diana's life in Paris when he was only 12.

Harry responded, "Yeah, I mean, it was obvious to us as kids the British press' part in our mother's misery and I had a lot of anger inside of me that luckily, I never expressed to anybody."

He continued ... "But I resorted to drinking heavily.  Because I wanted to numb the feeling, or I wanted to distract myself from how … whatever I was thinking. And I would, you know, resort to drugs as well."

In a voiceover, Anderson noted Harry smoked weed and ingested cocaine because the prince felt "hopeless" and "lost" in his late 20's.

Harry then revealed he was unable to cry over his mom's death due to the burden he felt, so he tried experimental treatments using hallucinogenic mushrooms and other psychedelics.

"I would never recommend people to do this recreationally," Harry said. "But doing it with the right people if you are suffering from a huge amount of loss, grief or trauma, then these things have a way of working as a medicine."

He added that the treatments wiped away the idea "that I needed to cry to prove to my mother that I missed her when, in fact, all she wanted was for me to be happy."

To close the painful chapter, Harry said he reviewed the police file containing images showing cameramen snapping photos of Diana lying dead in the car.

He also visited the accident scene to confirm his belief that the paps chasing Diana caused the deadly collision -- instead of his mom's chauffeur, whom the police said was to blame because he had been drinking.

Prince Harry says he was probably bigoted/racist before he met Meghan Markle.

The Duke of Sussex was railing on the British news media, telling "60 Minutes" how racist they were toward Meghan, and then turned things on himself, saying he too may have harbored racist feelings before meeting his wife.

Harry told Anderson Cooper, "I had no idea the British press were so bigoted. Hell, I was probably bigoted before the relationship with Meghan."

He went on to say there was a rocky right of passage for other female members of the royal family, but adding race into the equation was a whole different thing.

Harry said he had no idea news outlets would react to Meghan the way they did.

As for how Meghan changed him, he said, "Put it this way. I didn't see what I now see."

Harry has made allegations of racism against other royals, telling Oprah a senior member of his family worried about the color of Archie's skin ... though he did not specifically say who.

Liz Cheney has done a 180 on gay marriage -- an issue that fractured her family given that her sister is gay -- and she flatly says ... she was wrong to oppose it.

The Wyoming congresswoman did the about-face during her interview on "60 Minutes" Sunday night ... and it stunned Leslie Stahl.

Liz's sister, Mary, is married to a woman, and although their father, former Veep Dick Cheney, came out in support of gay marriage, Liz dug her heels in and opposed it.

Cheney's reshaped view is stunning, as she said, "Freedom means freedom for everybody."

Cheney's in trouble in her home district in Wyoming, in large part because she wouldn't buy into Donald Trump's false claims the 2020 Presidential election was stolen. She sure seems undaunted ... and confident she'll win reelection.

Rep. Cheney says anyone who votes against her in 2022 ... is voting against the Constitution.

Cheney goes on to say Trump "doesn't believe in the rule of law" and unlike many of her GOP colleagues, she's openly rebuked the Jan. 6 insurrection.

Sen. Marco Rubio says it's time to start talking about UFOs seriously in this country -- especially on Capitol Hill -- because he says ... frankly, they're a threat.

The legislator from Florida -- who headed up the Senate intelligence committee just last year -- spoke openly on the taboo subject ... saying despite the snickering that still goes on, he wants answers on unexplained aerial phenomena.

In Sunday's "60 Minutes" interview, Rubio said regardless of what these things may or may not be ... they pose a serious risk to our national security, seeing how they're constantly being spotted floating in and around our air space without any explanation. To Rubio, that's a problem that needs addressing.

That's exactly why the Senator demanded a report on UFOs/UAEs from the Pentagon that's expected to be published in about a month, which he says should shed light on everything the Defense Dept. knows about UFOs, making that knowledge public for the first time.

The timing seems right ... especially as Uncle Sam has slowly, but surely, confirmed different sightings and videos that have surfaced in recent years -- documenting strange, lightning-quick aircrafts that nobody seems able to identify or pin down.

"60 Minutes" also talked to a federal contractor named Luis Elizondo, who was hired to work on this exact issue for several years, and who touched on what sorta technology we're talking about that he says he's seen and studied with his own 2 eyes.

There was even a first-hand account from Naval pilots who claim they saw a UFO up close, in-person in 2004 -- alleging it was as big as their own jet, and that it disappeared before their eyes.

That seems to jibe with other videos that have leaked of late ... which seem to show UFOs darting across the screen and vanishing into plain sight, or simply descending into water.

Apparently, these sightings off the coasts of our nation have been taking place for a good long while now ... but it wasn't until recently that military members were encouraged to report them and talk about them openly.

Seems like whatever stigma may have been associated with UFOs is finally starting to fade -- because too many people have seen the same things.

Keith Ellison -- the Attorney General of Minnesota responsible for leading the way to Derek Chauvin's guilty verdict -- says he felt many emotions after the ex-Minneapolis cop was convicted of George Floyd's murder ... including compassion.

The lead prosecutor in Chauvin’s trial admitted on "60 Minutes" Sunday night that he "felt a little bad" for the defendant afterward ... something he says stems from spending 16 years as a criminal defense lawyer.

Ellison says above all though, he felt gratitude, humility and a sense of satisfaction for holding Chauvin accountable for what he did. He adds that Chauvin definitely deserved to be convicted ... but Ellison wants to remind people that everyone in this process is a human being.

The Minnesota AG also gave his thoughts on how the judge should sentence Chauvin, and says he believes this wasn't a hate crime but rather a crime perpetuated by social norms ... and a lack of accountability.

He says of Chauvin ... "I think that if he looks at history, he has every reason to believe that he would never be held accountable … so history was on his side."

Nancy Pelosi is clearly still dealing with the trauma of the deadly Capitol breach ... and also seems to be fed up talking about Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez.

Speaker Pelosi appeared on "60 Minutes" Sunday to talk about the deadly insurrection last week, and got emotional -- appearing to hold back tears -- as she blamed President Trump for what she calls a "terrible violation" of the legislative branch of the U.S. government.

Pelosi also got worked up -- in a much different way -- when Lesley Stahl asked her about AOC complaining she and other Democratic honchos are excluding the younger generation of representatives from leadership roles.

Her response is telling ... and Stahl clearly noticed.

As we've reported ... it seems some of the insurrectionists who stormed the Capitol had far worse intentions than just walking around and putting their feet up on desks -- like Richard Barnett did in Pelosi's office -- so it's understandable why she's shaken up and wants Trump to pay for it. As AOC herself said, the insurrectionists may well have murdered half the members of Congress if they had their way.

Barack Obama laid it all out on the table for "60 Minutes" -- offering advice to President Trump, dishing on how we can overcome systemic racism ... and giving rare insight into how pissed Michelle was at him for pushing for the presidency.

44 gave a wide-ranging interview to CBS's Scott Pelley, and the first order of business was Trump's refusal to concede the election ... despite a clear and decisive win for Joe Biden. Barack was asked what he might tell the sitting President in a time like this, and his answer was both meaningful and heartfelt ... this, to someone who by all accounts hates his guts.

Barack says if Trump wants at all to be remembered in any sort of favorable light -- even at this point -- the best thing to do is bow out gracefully and help Biden transition easily ... just like almost all administrations before him. Not only is it tradition -- it's the right thing to do, in BO's eyes anyway.

44 was also asked about systemic racism and police brutality -- specifically, about George Floyd and what he made of the video and the aftermath that followed. First, Barack said he had seen the clip -- which broke his heart. At the same time though, he also says he was heartened to see how many people, regardless of race or party, came out to decry Floyd's death and call it what it was ... murder.

As for what to do about police shootings on African-Americans, Obama said the issue will require more than just looking at how cops and police forces run -- although he said that needs to be reexamined and restructured as well.

In his mind, the police should be looking to get to the root of poverty, inequality and other issues in communities instead of just trying to "keep a lid on things," which he says so many officers in this country are trained to do. He also says that responsibility is on all of us, from the top down -- which extends to corporate America.

Lastly, Obama got brutally honest about how his political ambitions affected his family life -- especially as it pertains to his wife, Michelle, who told him she did NOT want him to run for President ... this according to Barack himself, as told in his new book, "A Promised Land."

Check out the clip to hear what she said to him -- it's clear the former First Lady wasn't totally on board with the White House stint, even after they'd won it. It also says a lot about Michelle's grace in general -- the fact we never saw this side in public speaks volumes.

Barack Obama is ripping Donald Trump and Republicans for continuing to make baseless claims of a fraudulent election ... he says it's a very slippery slope.

The former president broke his silence on Trump's unfounded claims of voter fraud in an interview with "60 Minutes," telling Scott Pelley he's troubled by the large number of Republicans going along with Trump's claims and humoring him.

Obama says Republicans are not only trying to delegitimize president-elect Joe Biden and his incoming administration, but also democracy in general.

What's more, Obama says what Trump and the GOP are doing is putting America on "a dangerous path."

President Trump just released video of his failed "60 Minutes" interview where he just walked out and never came back, and when Lesley Stahl challenged Mike Pence as to why the Prez walked out and didn't get an answer, she said they insulted her show.

Mike Pence tried to steamroll through Lesley's questions over Trump's abrupt departure, but she wasn't getting answers. As she put it, she got a bunch of campaign speeches from Trump and Pence, and that clearly frustrated her.

As you probably know by now, Trump felt the interview was an ambush, and he walked out in the middle. He accused Stahl of bias, claiming all Joe Biden gets are "softball questions."

President Trump is taking the gloves off against his top COVID-19 specialist, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and throwing his expertise out the window ... this after the doc, arguably, went on the attack on "60 Minutes."

POTUS had a press phone conference Monday, and let the insults fly against Fauci ... who he suggested was one of many "idiots" advising the White House and the public on the pandemic. He even said people were tired of hearing the guy ... plain and simple.

Reporters on the call said Trump called each of Dr. Fauci's media appearances a "bomb," but mused that firing him would cause more political fallout ... especially this close to the election. He also sarcastically referred to Fauci as a "wonderful sage" who's been around for "500 years."

Age shade from the 74-year-old.

Trump clearly feels it's time for Fauci to go, as he added ... "People are tired of COVID ... People are tried of hearing Fauci and all these idiots."

There's been tension between Trump and Fauci for months, but as for why Trump's going all out now -- blame it on "60 Minutes," perhaps.

Dr. Fauci did a thorough segment on that show Sunday and touched on a number of things COVID-related -- including a claim the White House had restricted him in recent months from doing more interviews to get the word out about the virus.

Fauci also talked about Trump's positive diagnosis, and how there seemed to be a war on science and authority ... which he implied had been sparked by the President while in office.

The gloves are off.

President Trump's painting featuring him with Grand Old Party presidents set the internet ablaze during his "60 Minutes" interview -- but it also lined the painter's wallet with cash.

During 45's interview Sunday night, a lot of people noticed Trump had hung up a fantasy painting on a wall somewhere in the White House. It shows Trump drinking what appears to be a non-alcoholic beverage with guys like Abraham Lincoln, Richard Nixon, the Bushes, Ronald Reagan, Teddy Roosevelt and other Republican presidents ... who all got booze nearby.

Many art aficionados mocked 45's vanity and called the painting "tacky" and "trashy" -- and also ridiculously and slimmingly flattering. There are, however, fans ... 'cause Missouri-based artist Andy Thomas tells us business has been booming in the 24 hours since his artwork aired on TV.

Andy says he and his wife woke up Monday morning with 25 new orders for prints of his "Republican Club" painting. They typically get only 3 orders a day. He tells us 60 additional orders came rolling in an hour later.

It isn't just the GOP boys getting love -- Andy says prints of another painting he did depicting Obama and famous Democratic presidents have been flying off his digital shelves from his website.

Donald Trump revealed on "60 Minutes" ... he had to mock Dr. Christine Blasey Ford at a Mississippi rally in order to get the necessary votes to put Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court.

It was a stunning revelation ... Lesley Stahl grilled Trump like a cheeseburger over the now infamous campaign rally ... where Trump suggested Dr. Ford was a liar, to the delight of thousands who cackled their approval.

Stahl reminded the Prez Ford had told Senators the worst part of her high school encounter was the laughter by her assailants, and what she heard from the Mississippi crowd was laughter. Watch Trump's reaction to Stahl as he shrugs off the criticism.

Trump confessed, "Had we not made that speech we would not have won." As you know, the margin of victory was razor thin.

Mario Batali is reportedly being investigated by the NYPD for sexual misconduct after a woman came forward on '60 Minutes' to claim he'd sexually assaulted her.

Anderson Cooper spoke to a handful of women Sunday, one of whom anonymously said Batali had possibly drugged and sexually assaulted her in 2005 after waking up at the Spotted Pig with semen on her leg. The woman, who was an employee of his at the time, says she was getting romantic with Batali prior to blacking out the night before.

The woman says she went to the hospital to get a rape kit done, but never filed a police report.

Other women claimed Batali had inappropriately touched them under his employ, and that they'd once seen him sexually assault at least one other woman, who was either unconscious or semi-conscious, at the Spotted Pig. That woman refused to talk to '60 Minutes.'

Batali issued a strong denial to CBS, saying he vehemently denied sexually assaulting the woman who did speak. It's unclear if he was asked about about the alleged second sexual assault, or the alleged inappropriate touching. That said ... he did issue an apology for his behavior last year.

Donald Trump is keeping mum on whether he watched Stormy Daniels' explosive interview ... but he's sure she has no proof to back up her claims.

Trump's Deputy Press Secretary, Raj Shah, got a barrage of questions about Stormy's "60 Minutes" sit-down where she detailed her alleged tryst with Trump, and the overall theme was ... inconsistent. Shah came up with multiple ways to say 45 thinks Stormy is consistently inconsistent about their alleged affair -- including her signing statements denying it outright.

Shah also said the Prez doesn't believe Stormy was threatened in Las Vegas to keep quiet about him ... and especially not by anyone on his behalf. Even further, he insists she has no one to corroborate that bombshell allegation.

Long before he was a $100-million NBA star, Giannis Antetokounmpo says he was just another kid peddling goods on the streets of Athens to help put food on the table.

The Greek Freak spoke candidly about his childhood in poverty Sunday on "60 Minutes" ... describing his daily grind before he found basketball.

"We used to sell glasses, watches, ... CDs, DVDs. I was the best (salesman)," Giannis said. "I didn't give up ... and I was cute, too. I was young."

Giannis' parents left Nigeria for a better life before he was born ... but he says life was tough for them growing up -- all living in the same room and often going hungry.

But Giannis says their struggle could never break his spirit -- and credits that mentality with becoming one of the top ballers in the NBA.