Dennis Rodman Erupts After CNN Asks Him About American Imprisoned in North Korea, Claims Media 'Abuse

Former NBA player Dennis Rodman in an interview that aired Tuesday blasted CNN’s Chris Cuomo for asking questions about Kenneth Bae, an American citizen who has been imprisoned in the Hermit Kingdom since November of 2012.

A bottle of vodka with handmade illustrations of Rodman with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and Rodman's name in Korean sits on the roof of a car outside a Pyongyang hotel on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014 (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

Rodman, who is no stranger to bizarre public outbursts, has in recent months taken a lot of flack for cozying up to North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and for refusing to use that friendship to buy leniency for Bae.

“Are you going to take an opportunity, if you get it, to speak up for the family of Kenneth Bae and say, 'Let us know why this man is being held?’ If you can help them, will you take the opportunity?” Cuomo asked.

“The one thing about politics, Kenneth Bae did one thing. If you understand — if you understand what Kenneth Bae did,” Rodman said, adding, “do you understand what he did? In this country?”

“What did he do?” Cuomo asked. “You tell me.”

“You tell me,” Rodman responded. “You tell me. Why is he held captive?”

“They haven’t released any charges,” Cuomo said. “They haven’t released any reason.”

“I would love to speak on this."

“Go ahead,” Cuomo said.

And ahead Rodman went – except all he wanted to talk about was his teammates and all the “sacrifices” they have made. He added that he and his teammates don't need to take any “abuse” from the U.S. media.

Bae has been sentenced to 15 years in prison.

Rodman’s ongoing relationship with Jong-un has infuriated many because of the Hermit Kingdom’s infamous track record of human rights abuses.

This illustration reportedly comes from a North Korean inmate who managed to escape the country's prison system (image source: Imgur)

Indeed, as noted before on TheBlaze, North Korea has long been suspected of committing acts of terror against its own people. As many as 120,000 political opponents are currently locked up in the country’s prison camps, according to Time magazine.

(H/T: Mediaite)

--

Follow Becket Adams (@BecketAdams) on Twitter

[related]