Witness: Roy 'never seemed to struggle'
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Denise Previti says the audience thought at first that the tiger's attack was part of the performance.
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NEW YORK (CNN) -- Denise and Frank Previti went to Las Vegas, Nevada, for their honeymoon, in part to see illusionists Siegfried & Roy. However, after seeing Roy get mauled during Friday's show, the couple left a day early. On Monday, CNN anchor Anderson Cooper spoke with Denise Previti.
COOPER: So, you are sitting in the first row of the second tier. The show is going fine, and you are enjoying it. What happened?
PREVITI: There was a little break in the show. The whole thing is all glitz and glamour and smoke and costumes. And about halfway through the show, they kind of [turned] the lights up a little, and Siegfried and Roy came out and welcomed the audience and said thank you for coming, and Siegfried exited the stage and it was just Roy. He said, I'd like you to meet a very special friend of mine. He brought out the tiger on a little leash, and he walked the tiger out to the front and introduced the tiger. And he let the leash go, and I guess the tiger was supposed to sit down beside him. But instead it started going off the stage. So, he went over and tried to redirect it back, and it -- you could tell it didn't want to go. So he had the leash. He was trying to get it to sit and face the audience, and he had his arm out in front of him. And I guess the tiger, I guess, bit his arm. He [was] hitting the nose of the tiger with the microphone.
COOPER: While it's biting his arm.
PREVITI: Trying to get it off. After that, it's kind of a blur. But it seemed like he almost sat down or leaned back gradually and ...
COOPER: He went limp, basically?
PREVITI: Almost. And then the tiger bit his neck, shoulder area, and [dragged] him off stage. And it was very strange ...
COOPER: Were people screaming? Were people ...
PREVITI: No. Because the whole time, he never seemed to struggle. And he never seemed to freak out in any way. You would think, you know, he'd be screaming or his arms and legs would be waving. ... It's funny because earlier in the show they had a segment where they had the tiger in the cage and were showing the audience, 'look how scary this tiger is.' And they were taunting it from outside the cage making [it], you know, claw [its] arms out of the cage and growl. So there was a point in the show when they were showing the tiger was dangerous. So it almost in a way seemed to fit. You could justify it that way.
COOPER: Well, we appreciate you coming in and telling us the story. I know it's not a great way to end a honeymoon, but [we] appreciate you talking about it. Thank you.
PREVITI: Thank you.
