Chris Cuomo Fired Days After CNN Reportedly Learned of a Sexual Misconduct Allegation ‘Unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo Matter’
Photo by Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for CNN
Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo lost his job three days after a lawyer for a former colleague contacted the network with an allegation of sexual misconduct, the New York Times reported on Saturday.
Cuomo was suspended on Tuesday amid a probe into his efforts to aid his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), in overcoming several allegations of sexual misconduct. The network announced his termination on Saturday.
According to the New York Times, lawyer Debra Katz contacted CNN on Wednesday about a client who had an accusation of sexual misconduct against Chris Cuomo. Katz, who represents Andrew Cuomo accuser Charlotte Bennett, said the client was a former junior colleague at another network and the accusation was “unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter.”
The Times reported that Katz’s client “came forward because she was disgusted by Chris Cuomo’s on-air statements in response to the allegations made against his brother” including Chris Cuomo’s remark that he has “always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so.”
While the report notes it is currently unclear the level of influence the new allegation had in the decision to fire the CNN anchor, a spokesperson for the network said in a statement on Saturday: “Based on the report we received regarding Chris’s conduct with his brother’s defense, we had cause to terminate. When new allegations came to us this week, we took them seriously, and saw no reason to delay taking immediate action.”
Steven Goldberg, a spokesperson for Chris Cuomo, hit back at the report of the new allegation, calling “these apparently anonymous allegations” untrue.
“He fully stands by his on-air statements about his connection to these issues, both professionally and in a profoundly personal way,” Goldberg added. “If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination.”
