UPDATED, Sunday, 6:37 AM PT: Chris Cuomo is asking his termination from CNN “unwarranted” following a report {that a} junior colleague at one other community got here ahead with an allegation of sexual misconduct.
“These apparently nameless allegations should not true,” a spokesperson stated. “To the extent that they had been despatched to CNN to negate what Chris Cuomo advised his viewers, he totally stands by his on-air statements about his connection to those points, each professionally and in a profoundly private method. If the purpose in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, which will clarify his unwarranted termination.”
CNN fired Cuomo after conducting a overview of latest details about the extent to which he assisted his brother, Andrew Cuomo, as he confronted allegations of sexual harassment. The New York governor resigned in August.
In response to The New York Occasions, legal professional Debra Katz knowledgeable CNN on Wednesday {that a} shopper, described as a junior colleague at one other community, alleged sexual misconduct in opposition to Chris Cuomo. She stated that it was “unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter.”
Katz didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.
It was not instantly clear what function the allegation performed in Cuomo’s termination.
A CNN spokesperson stated in an announcement on Sunday, “Based mostly on the report we obtained concerning Chris’s conduct along with his brother’s protection, we had trigger to terminate. When new allegations got here to us this week, we took them significantly, and noticed no purpose to delay taking quick motion.”
In September, Shelley Ross, a former government producer at ABC Information and CBS Information, wrote an essay for The New York Occasions wherein she described a 2005 incident wherein she stated Chris Cuomo groped her at a going away occasion for a colleague. In an announcement to the Occasions, Cuomo stated, “As Shelley acknowledges, our interplay was not sexual in nature. It occurred 16 years in the past in a public setting when she was a high government at ABC. I apologized to her then, and I meant it.”
In August, Chris Cuomo stated on his present that he urged his brother to resign, however “I by no means attacked nor inspired anybody to assault any lady who got here ahead. I by no means made calls to the press about my brother’s state of affairs and I by no means influenced or tried to manage CNN’s protection of my household.”
“I’m not an adviser. I’m a brother,” he stated.
PREVIOUSLY: CNN stated right now that anchor Chris Cuomo has been “terminated” by the community, “efficient instantly.”
The transfer comes as an outdoor regulation agency was retained to find how a lot Cuomo aided his brother, former New York state governor Andrew Cuomo, when he was accused of sexual harassment.
“Whereas within the means of that overview, further data has come to mild,” CNN’s assertion added. “Regardless of the termination, we’ll examine as acceptable.”
Cuomo issued his personal assertion.
“This isn’t how I would like my time at CNN to finish however I’ve already advised you why and the way I helped my brother. So let me now say as disappointing as that is, I couldn’t be extra pleased with the group at Cuomo Prime Time and the work we did as CNN’s #1 present in probably the most aggressive time slot. I owe all of them and can miss that group of particular individuals who did actually vital work.”
In a memo to staffers on Saturday, CNN President Jeff Zucker wrote, “Immediately, I let Chris know that we’re ending his employment at CNN. It goes with out saying that these choices should not simple, and there are a variety of complicated elements concerned.”
Cuomo insisted in a deposition that he was not engaged in “opposition analysis” on his brother’s accusers. However one other deposition transcript, with one in all Andrew Cuomo’s advisers, pointed to at least one occasion the place Chris Cuomo forwarded a “purported set of paperwork regarding Charlotte Bennett from her time in faculty.” Bennett, a former government assistant, got here ahead with allegations in opposition to Andrew Cuomo in a New York Occasions article on Feb. 27.
CNN and Zucker had stood by Cuomo in Could, when it was first revealed that he participated in technique session along with his brother and his gubernatorial workers. Then, the community famous that Cuomo had not coated Andrew Cuomo’s sexual harassment scandal, however they acknowledged that he “typically serves as a sounding board for his brother.“ Nonetheless, it was inappropriate to have interaction in conversations that included members of the Governor’s workers, which Chris acknowledges. He won’t take part in such conversations going ahead,” the community stated on the time.
Chris Cuomo acknowledged on the air that it was a mistake to participate within the workers calls to advise his brother.
Nonetheless, Cuomo’s involvement as an adviser to his brother drew criticism inside the community. Jake Tapper advised The New York Occasions that Cuomo put the community in “a nasty spot.” “I can not think about a world wherein anyone in journalism thinks that that was acceptable,” Tapper stated.
The primary indication that Cuomo’s destiny was unclear got here a number of hours after the textual content messages had been launched. The community issued an announcement saying that they had been reviewing them. The following day, the community stated that they “shed new mild on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s protection. The paperwork, which we weren’t aware of earlier than their public launch, increase severe questions. When Chris admitted to us that he had supplied recommendation to his brother’s workers, he broke our guidelines and we acknowledged that publicly. However we additionally appreciated the distinctive place he was in and understood his have to put household first and job second. Nonetheless, these paperwork level to a larger degree of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we beforehand knew. In consequence, we’ve suspended Chris indefinitely, pending additional analysis.”
Michael Smerconish is scheduled to host the 9 PM ET slot subsequent week beneath the title CNN Primetime. Cuomo’s exit will depart an enormous gap within the community’s schedule, at a time when all cable information shops are grappling with a plunge in viewership following final yr’s presidential election. Among the many doable names to fill the slot is Tapper, whose afternoon present was expanded to 2 hours in January and he was made lead anchor for all D.C. occasions.
However the community is also dealing with the prospect of latest house owners, with Discovery’s mixture WarnerMedia anticipated to shut by the center of subsequent yr. Lately, John Malone, whose Liberty Media is Discovery’s largest shareholder, advised CNBC that he “wish to see CNN evolve again to the form of journalism that it began with and, you realize, even have journalists which might be distinctive and refreshing. I believe a coward’s method out could be to promote it or spin it off after which promote it, do it in some tax environment friendly method.”
Cuomo joined CNN from an extended stint at ABC Information in 2013. He served as host of its morning program, New Day, and in 2018 was given a primetime slot. The present changed into a strong performer for the community, though its principal cable information rivals, Fox Information’ Hannity and MSNBC’s The Rachel Maddow Present, have drawn bigger whole viewership.
Cuomo’s firing is also the newest shakeup within the cable information panorama. Maddow signed a brand new cope with NBCUniversal in August, however reportedly desires to reduce her weeknight schedule. Brian Williams, in the meantime, introduced just lately that he would depart the community, the place he has hosted an 11 PM ET newscast since 2016. Williams has not stated what he deliberate to do subsequent.
Zucker’s memo to staffers is under:
December 4, 2021
You might be all conscious that earlier this week we made the choice to droop Chris Cuomo whereas we evaluated some new data that got here to mild concerning his involvement in his brother’s protection. Immediately, I let Chris know that we’re ending his employment at CNN. It goes with out saying that these choices should not simple, and there are a variety of complicated elements concerned. However, as all the time, it was vital to me to be upfront with every of you.
Ted Johnson contributed to this report.
Beneath is the assertion that we are going to be releasing publicly shortly.
STATEMENT FROM CNN
Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending additional analysis of latest data that got here to mild about his involvement along with his brother’s protection. We retained a revered regulation agency to conduct the overview, and have terminated him, efficient instantly. Whereas within the means of that overview, further data has come to mild. Regardless of the termination, we’ll examine as acceptable.
Jeff
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