CNN Fires Chris Cuomo

Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for WarnerMedia By Malaika Jabali ·Updated December 6, 2021

Chris Cuomo, former CNN anchor and younger brother of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, was fired Saturday from the news network.

Andrew Cuomo resigned from his position leading New York State after a state investigation reported that he sexually harassed multiple women. Chris Cuomo reportedly worked as an “unpaid aide” for him during the investigation, CNN reports.

A slew of documents pointed to “a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew,” CNN said in a statement last week. “As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation.”

However, the immediate termination transpired after an allegation of sexual misconduct was made against Chris Cuomo as well.

Last Wednesday, Debra S. Katz, an employment lawyer who represents the accuser, said the allegation was “made by a former junior colleague at another network,” the New York Times reported.

“Asked about the new allegation,” as per the Times, “a CNN spokeswoman said in a statement on Saturday night: ‘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.'”

A spokesperson for the younger Cuomo said that the anchor “fully stands by his on-air statements about his connection to these issues, both professionally and in a profoundly personal way. If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination.”

Katz said that her client “came forward because she was disgusted by Chris Cuomo’s on-air statements in response to the allegations made against his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.”

These on-air statements are in reference to a March 1 broadcast where Chris Cuomo said: “I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that.”

TOPICS: Andrew Cuomo Chris Cuomo media news