Nightline's Top 5 Stories of 2011: Pick Your Favorite
Two members of Hollywood royalty, a juror in a horrific murder trial, the president and the mind of an intellectual genius were all subjects of "Nightline's" top five most popular stories of 2011.
Read the list below and watch the videos to get the full story of the people who made an impact this year:
1. Chaz Bono's 'Transition': He was first introduced to the world as Chastity, a golden-haired little girl in the arms of her famous parents, Sonny and Cher, but after undergoing gender reassignment surgery, he is now Chaz Bono. "This is how I was born. I mean, there's no doubt in my mind," Chaz told "Nightline" anchor Cynthia McFadden. In a rare and candid interview, Bono, 42, openly talked about going under the knife and going through a process known as "transitioning" - changing physically from female to male - his relationship with then-fiancee Jennifer Elia and growing up as in the spotlight.
2. Casey Anthony Juror Speaks : Casey Anthony juror Jennifer Ford told "Nightline" anchor Terry Moran in an exclusive interview that she and the other jurors cried and were "sick to our stomachs" after voting to acquit Casey Anthony of charges that she killed her 2-year-old daughter Caylee. "I did not say she was innocent," said Ford, who had previously only been identified as juror No. 3. "I just said there was not enough evidence. If you cannot prove what the crime was, you cannot determine what the punishment should be."
3. Marc Anthony: The Truth About His Split From Jennifer Lopez: In an exclusive interview with ABC News' John Quinones, for the first time, Anthony talked about why his marriage to J.Lo crumbled. Although tabloids claimed that he broke up their 7-year-old marriage with affairs, Anthony says, "absolutely not." The reason for their break-up, he says, was much simpler. Their marriage just no longer "worked." "It was a realization on both our parts. So you know it wasn't shocking. These things happen," he said. "It was a decision that we made jointly."
4. President Obama on Economy, Guns Going to Mexico:In an exclusive interview with ABC News senior White House correspondent Jake Tapper, President Obama talked at length about his frustrations with the country's current economic situation and how he viewed his overall performance as president.
On reviving the economy:
On breaking stalemates in Washington:
On the Justice Department's investigation of how U.S. guns were allowed to flow illicitly into Mexico under the watchful eyes of federal agents, Obama told Tapper that "people who have screwed up will be held accountable."
5. Most Startling 'Steve Jobs' Revelations : In the wake of Steve Jobs' death, "Nightline" anchor Bill Weir sat down with biographer Walter Isaacson to discuss what was going on inside the head of Apple's CEO. Isaacson's book, "Steve Jobs," is a near-600 page tome that delved into an intellectual hero's massive flaws, and painted a portrait of a deeply selfish man with a mean streak that bordered on pathological. Weir goes through the 11 most startling revelations in the biography, "Steve Jobs," touching on Jobs' estranged family, his advice to President Clinton and what he really thought of his replacement, Tim Cook.
