Woman Accusing Chris Cuomo of Sexual Misconduct Used to Work With Ex-CNN Host at ABC, Media Says
09:07 GMT 06.12.2021 (Updated: 19:56 GMT 18.10.2022)
© AFP 2023 / THEO WARGO
Subscribe
This is not the first time that the TV presenter has faced such accusations. In September, Shelley Ross, his former boss at ABC wrote in The New York Times that Cuomo groped her at a party in 2005. Mrs Ross said hours later he sent her an email in which he apologised for his behaviour.
The woman who has accused Chris Cuomo of sexual misconduct worked with him at ABC, the New York Post has reported, citing its sources. On Sunday, The New York Times (NYT) reported that prominent lawyer Debra S Katz had informed CNN about an individual, a client of hers, who came forward with accusations against the TV presenter. The woman was only identified as a junior colleague "at another television network".
Sources also told the New York Post that CNN fired Chris Cuomo not only over his role in helping his brother, ex-New York Governor Ander Cuomo, defend his reputation amid sexual harassment accusations, but also over a sexual misconduct complaint about him.
According to them, the channel's bosses felt compelled to lay him off after learning about allegations against him last week.
Sources also told the New York Post that CNN fired Chris Cuomo not only over his role in helping his brother, ex-New York Governor Ander Cuomo, defend his reputation amid sexual harassment accusations, but also over a sexual misconduct complaint about him.
According to them, the channel's bosses felt compelled to lay him off after learning about allegations against him last week.
"From a legal standpoint, CNN had cause to fire Chris on Friday based on the Letitia James information", one source said, referring to the probe conducted by the attorney general of New York, which revealed that the TV host helped his brother fight sexual harassment allegations made against him by at least 11 women, in breach of journalistic norms.
"From a practical standpoint, when the sexual-misconduct claim came in, CNN decided, 'enough is enough'", the source said.
CNN seemingly corroborated the insider's claim.
"Based on the report we received regarding Chris's conduct with his brother's defence, 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", the channel's spokesman said.
What are the Accusations?
Ms Katz did not elaborate on the details of the purported incident, but said she had held discussions with CNN "about providing documentary evidence" of her client's allegations as well as making her "available for an interview with CNN's outside counsel".
The New York Post writes, citing sources familiar with the matter, that Katz had put in a condition – she will identify the accuser and let СNN's lawyers interview the woman only after the channel agrees to sign a non-disclosure agreement with her. Sources told the outlet lawyers are preparing to interview the woman this week.
Debra Katz said that the individual decided to speak out against the TV host because "she was disgusted" by the remarks Chris Cuomo made earlier this year, while speaking about the allegations of sexual harassment against his elder brother Andrew Cuomo.
"I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that", the TV host said during a March broadcast.
Steven Goldberg, a spokesman for Chris Cuomo said "these apparently anonymous allegations are not true". Goldberg stressed that the TV host "fully stands by" the statements he made about the allegations against his brother.
"If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination", the spokesman said.
This is not the first time that Chris Cuomo has faced accusations of sexual misconduct. In September, Shelley Ross, a former executive producer at ABC wrote in The New York Times how the TV host groped her derriere at a party in 2005. Hours after the incident took place Chris Cuomo apologised for his actions, Ross wrote.
Cuomo confirmed that the incident took place. "I apologised to her then, and I meant it", he wrote to the NYT.
Cuomo confirmed that the incident took place. "I apologised to her then, and I meant it", he wrote to the NYT.
Several days after Shelley Ross wrote her essay, PageSix reported that Melanie Buck, who worked as an executive producer on Chris Cuomo's show at CNN was replaced after she complained to the channel's president, Jeff Zucker, that she "felt threatened" by the presenter. PageSix writes that after Ms Buck made the complaint she was reassigned to work on live morning coverage at CNN+.
