CNN fired anchor Chris Cuomo on Saturday in the wake of revelations he secretly aided the defense of his embattled older brother, former Gov. Andrew Cuomo — and the ousted host now faces a sexual misconduct allegation of his own.
“This is not how I want my time at CNN to end,” Chris Cuomo said in a statement after his firing but hours before news surfaced of the allegation against him.
“But I have already told you why and how I helped my brother,” he continued.
CNN confirmed the firing and said that Cuomo had been “terminated … effective immediately” as an outside law firm continues to investigate “his involvement with his brother’s defense.”
The station was notified by an attorney representing an accuser of a sexual misconduct allegation against Chris Cuomo not related to his role in his brother’s scandal, The New York Times reported. Attorney Debra Katz had reached out to CNN Wednesday, according to the Times.
Katz also represents ex-Gov. Cuomo’s former aide Charlotte Bennett, who accused her one-time boss of sexual harassment.
It wasn’t clear if CNN’s decision to can Chris Cuomo had anything to do with the allegation made against him. CNN had said prior to the report on the allegation late Saturday that its probe uncovered new information, though it didn’t specify the nature of that data.
“While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light,” the network said. “Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate.”
The “Cuomo Prime Time” star was suspended Tuesday when documents released by state Attorney General Letitia James showed that Chris Cuomo used his press connections to help his brother’s staff pry into the past of a woman who accused him of inappropriately touching her – and then participated in strategy sessions aimed at helping the governor beat the sexual harassment scandal that eventually forced him to resign. (NYPost)