New Chris Cuomo sexual misconduct allegation emerged days before CNN firing: report

CNN reportedly discovered a couple of new sexual misconduct allegation in opposition to its disgraced anchor Chris Cuomo simply days before his firing. 

The declare got here Wednesday from outstanding legal professional Debra S. Katz, who’s representing the accuser, according to The New York Times.

Katz’s consumer is a “former junior colleague at another network” and the newly emerged allegation in opposition to Cuomo is “unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter.”

The lawyer mentioned her consumer “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” when the CNN star addressed the scandal in March, telling viewers, “I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that.”

“She was disgusted by Chris Cuomo’s on-air statements in response to the allegations made against his brother, Gov. Andrew Cuomo.”

— Attorney Debra S. Katz, referring to unnamed Chris Cuomo accuser

Notably, Katz additionally represents Charlotte Bennett, the second girl to accuse now-ousted New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo of sexual harassment.  

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It was not instantly unknown if this latest reported revelation had any function in CNN’s firing of Cuomo on Saturday or if the allegation was the “additional information” the community referred to in its assertion saying the anchor’s termination. 

“Based on the report we received regarding Chris’s conduct with his brother’s defense, we had cause to terminate,” a CNN spokesperson advised the Times. “When new allegations came to us this week, we took them seriously, and saw no reason to delay taking immediate action.”

Steven Goldberg, a spokesman for Cuomo, moreover advised the Times, “These apparently anonymous allegations are not true,” including “If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination.”

“These apparently anonymous allegations are not true. If the goal in making these false and unvetted accusations was to see Mr. Cuomo punished by CNN, that may explain his unwarranted termination.”

— Steven Goldberg, spokesman for Chris Cuomo

CNN didn’t instantly reply to Fox News’ request for remark. 

Previous allegation

This would mark at the least the second time Cuomo has been accused of sexual misconduct. 

Shelley Ross, a veteran TV producer, went public in September, penning a visitor essay in The New York Times alleging that Cuomo squeezed her buttock at a piece operate in 2005 whereas the 2 of them had been colleagues at ABC News. She shared the e-mail he had despatched to her apologizing for the incident. 

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“It is always disturbing to watch someone’s fall from grace,” Ross advised Fox News in response to Cuomo’s firing. “Many people lost very important jobs in the wake of the sexual harassment scandals surrounding Gov. Cuomo.” 

“I am glad that CNN will fall on the right side of history. Those who harass women, strategize to silence or smear those who come forward, must be held accountable,” Ross added. 

“I am glad that CNN will fall on the right side of history. Those who harass women, strategize to silence or smear those who come forward, must be held accountable.”

— Shelley Ross, former colleague of Chris Cuomo

In September 2020, “Tucker Carlson Tonight” obtained a 2018 audio recording of Cuomo discussing how reporters had been allegedly investigating claims that had been made in opposition to him whereas he was an anchor for ABC News.

‘I’m at all times cautious’

“You know, I’m always careful when I talk to media, you know?” Cuomo advised former Trump legal professional Michael Cohen. “Do you know how many f—– phone calls I’ve gotten from people at ABC who say that reporters are calling and lying about things they heard about me to try to get stories about me when I was at ABC? Guys calling and saying, ‘I heard he’s the Charlie Rose of ABC, used to invite women to the hotel and open up his bathrobe.’ Do I look like the kind of f—– guy who’s gotta do that?”

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“Sure. Why not?” Cohen replied with a chuckle.

Cuomo, who left ABC News in 2013 after earlier anchoring “20/20” and “Good Morning America,” went into additional element about what he skilled.

“It’s lying- ‘so I already have a good source that says that he forced one woman to have sex. I just wanted to know if you heard anything like that.’ There is no woman! There is none of that!” the CNN anchor then mentioned. “So here’s the problem: women who do work there say, ‘Oh yeah, you know, some of these men’ and naming me with other guys, ‘You know, we bumped into each other once in the elevator and he put his hand on my shoulder and he made me really uncomfortable.’ I mean, what the f—?”

CNN issued an announcement Saturday night saying it had terminated Cuomo “effective immediately,” coming simply days after he was suspended pending a assessment of the damning revelations from the New York Attorney General’s workplace about his involvement in defending his brother.

“While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light. Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate,” CNN said. 

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In a memo to staffers, CNN president Jeff Zucker wrote, “Today I let Chris know that we are ending his employment at CNN,” including, “It goes without saying that these decisions are not easy, and there are a lot of complex factors involved. But, as always, it was important to me to be upfront with each of you.”

Cuomo launched his personal assertion reacting to his firing.

“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,” Cuomo wrote. “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. I owe them all and will miss that group of special people who did really important work.”

Beginning of the top

The starting of the top for Chris Cuomo at CNN started Monday when the New York Attorney General’s workplace launched paperwork from its sexual harassment investigation into ousted Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo, revealing the anchor was way more concerned in serving to his brother than he publicly acknowledged. 

Transcripts from his interview with investigators present the CNN star admitting he would attain out to media sources to search out out about new accusers who’ve but to come back ahead publicly. 

“When asked, I would reach out to sources, other journalists, to see if they had heard of anybody else coming out,” Cuomo advised investigators. 

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Cuomo’s admission contradicts what he advised CNN viewers in August when he claimed, “I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation.”

Three days after The New York Times broke the story about Anna Ruch, who alleged the governor sexually harassed her at a 2019 wedding ceremony reception, the CNN anchor texted high Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa, “I have a lead on the wedding girl.” 

In one other alternate, DeRosa texted to Cuomo, “Rumor going around from politico 1-2 more ppl coming out tomorrow,” then asking him “Can u check your sources?” 

Cuomo replied “on it,” later writing again “No one has heard that yet.”

The “Cuomo Prime Time” host snooped into the progress of Ronan Farrow’s reporting about his brother and relayed it to the governor’s interior circle.

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He admitted to contacting colleagues of Farrow for updates however claimed it was merely “business-as-usual” to make use of such strategies. Text messages launched by state investigators confirmed DeRosa asking about “intel” the CNN anchor had about Farrow’s report on March 15, to which he replied it wasn’t prepared for publication. Farrow’s story was finally revealed on March 18. 

Additionally, the transcript from investigators’ interview with Democratic strategist and Andrew Cuomo ally Lis Smith confirmed Chris Cuomo had forwarded her paperwork concerning the governor’s second accuser Charlotte Bennett and her “time in college.”

Fox News’ David Rutz and Brian Flood contributed to this report.