CNN Reveals Chris Cuomo's Future With The Network Following Investigation
Chris Cuomo's immediate future with CNN has been revealed. The controversial anchor has been very much in the headlines due to plenty of talk about his life and family, as speculation hit fever pitch about how much involvement he had with a case against his politician brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, after he was accused of sexual harassment earlier in the year.
Chris has been the host of "Cuomo Prime Time" on CNN since 2017, but his position with the show was thrown into jeopardy when documents released on November 29 claimed Chris may have misled people when he previously claimed he hadn't had much contact with his brother Andrew's aides. However, it was claimed in the documents that Chris had actually allegedly had a "cozy and improper nature" with some of them, according to CNN.
One former aid of Andrew's had alleged to The New York Times in November that Andrew made it clear he wanted to be intimate with her and asked her inappropriate questions about her personal life, which she said made her feel "uncomfortable and scared." Prior to that, multiple other women had accused Andrew of inappropriate behavior, including sexual harassment.
Andrew denied any wrongdoing but resigned in August amid the serious allegations, saying in a statement (via BBC), "The best way I can help now is if I step aside." Now, Chris' career is taking a similar turn...
CNN suspended Chris Cuomo indefinitely
CNN viewers will not be seeing Chris Cuomo on their screens for a while. The new network confirmed on November 30 that Andrew Cuomo's brother will not be appearing on the network for the foreseeable future, with his possible return "pending further evaluation."
CNN pointed to the release of The New York Attorney General's office's "transcripts and exhibits," which it claimed "shed new light on Chris Cuomo's involvement in his brother's defense" and "raise[d] serious questions." The network then suggested Chris may have played down his involvement before.
"When Chris admitted to us that he had offered advice to his brother's staff, he broke our rules and we acknowledged that publicly but we also appreciated the unique position he was in and understood his need to put family first and job second," a statement read, but noted it appears Chris had "a greater level of involvement in his brother's efforts than we previously knew."
Instead of "Cuomo Prime Time," November 30, the day of Chris' suspension, saw an extended version of "Anderson Cooper 360" air in its slot.
Chris was originally scheduled to return to his show on November 29 following a Thanksgiving break. He's not yet publicly acknowledged his suspension, with the most recent post on his Instagram account being posted on November 24. It shows him walking down a hallway with caption, "Walking into vacation like... I'll be back on Monday 11/29 my friends — #LetsGetAfterIt — and by 'it' I mean Thanksgiving!"
Anderson Cooper revealed Chris Cuomo's suspension
Anderson Cooper was the one who broke the news about Chris Cuomo's suspension on CNN as he explained that he'd be staying on air for an extra hour as "Cuomo Prime Time" was removed from the schedule.
The longtime anchor and Chris' colleague confirmed the news on "Anderson 360" on November 30, telling viewers, "Some news about this network. It involves Chris Cuomo, the host of 'Cuomo Prime Time.' New documents released this week indicated that Chris was more intimately involved than previously known in helping his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo craft a defense amid a flurry of sexual misconduct allegations."
He then read out CNN's statement regarding Andrew Cuomo's brother's indefinite suspension and confirmed that "Anderson Cooper 360" would be continuing into a "second hour" to fill "Cuomo Prime Time"'s vacant slot in the schedule.
The news has certainly had people talking. One of those welcoming the news Cuomo would be off-air for a while was none other than former President Donald Trump — who we know is no fan of Andrew. Trump said in a statement, "Great news for television viewers, they have just suspended Chris Cuomo indefinitely. The big question is, was it because of his horrendous ratings, which in all fairness have permeated CNN and MSDNC, or was it because his brother is no longer Governor? Probably both."
Chris Cuomo's apology
The news of Chris Cuomo's suspension came just over three months after several viewers called on CNN to suspend Chris in the wake of his brother, Andrew Cuomo's, sexual harassment scandal. The August calls for him to leave his anchor position on the show came after a report from the New York Attorney General claimed that Chris wrote a statement on behalf of Andrew and was given "confidential and privileged information" (via New York Post). That was seemingly a conflict of interests when coupled with his role as a CNN journalist.
CNN made it clear back in February that there was a "rule" preventing Chris from "interviewing or covering" his brother's scandal (via New York Post). Chris did appear to steer clear of speaking about his brother on "Cuomo Prime Time" for a while, but addressed his resignation during an August episode.
Though Chris is yet to speak publicly about his November suspension, in May, he apologized on air for advising his brother. "There are stories out there about me offering my brother advice. I have said it publicly and I certainly have never hidden it. I can be objective on just about any topic but not about my family," he explained on "Cuomo Prime Time." "It was a mistake because I put my colleagues here, who I believe are the best in the business, in a bad spot. I never intended for that, I would never intend for that and I'm sorry for that."