The Chris Cuomo Allegations Are More Disturbing Than We Originally Thought
Back in December 2021, CNN announced that one of its most popular stars, Chris Cuomo, had been fired "effective immediately." The "Cuomo Prime Time" host was investigated by an outside law firm over his connection to brother, and former New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, and the role Chris played in allegedly assisting him with sexual harassment allegations. After first suspending Chris "indefinitely," CNN revealed in a statement that "additional information" had come to light during the review, causing them to act quickly.
Responding to his termination in a statement, Chris shared, "This is not how I want my time at CNN to end but I have already told you why and how I helped my brother. So let me now say as disappointing as this is, I could not be more proud of the team at 'Cuomo Prime Time' and the work we did as CNN's #1 show in the most competitive time slot." Now, further disturbing details have come to light over what exactly led to Chris's downfall at CNN, and what, in particular, additionally was discovered during the outside investigation.
f you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).
Chris Cuomo wasn't simply fired for assisting his brother
According to The New York Times (via the New York Post), CNN lawyers learned about a shocking allegation of sexual assault made against Chris Cuomo in the course of their review into the news anchor. Chris allegedly attacked a female colleague while they were both working at ABC News after she turned down his advances. The accusation originally came to light in December 2021, when lawyers were looking into Chris's involvement in brother Andrew Cuomo's own sex abuse case. The younger Cuomo was fired soon after.
His accuser, known only as "Jane Doe," decided to speak up after learning Chris had been suspended for helping his brother fight back against multiple allegations of sexual harassment. She sent a letter to CNN through her lawyer, Debra Katz, alleging that Chris lured her to his office in 2011 with the promise of helping with her career. But, when Doe arrived, there was no food there and Chris quickly made a move on her. After turning him down, Chris allegedly got violent.
According to Katz, the CNN anchor subsequently reached out to his accuser as the #MeToo movement gained traction. She revealed the woman, who was "deeply traumatized" by the incident, believes he contacted her in order to "test the waters," and to ensure she wasn't going to go public about what had happened. Several friends and former colleagues corroborated that Doe had told them about it at the time.