CNN has terminated their star anchor, Chris Cuomo after news broke that he has involvement in the defense of his brother, Andrew Cuomo. Andrew Cuomo has resigned as the governor of New York after allegations of sexual harassment came into light. Amid the sexual harassment scandal faced by his brother, Chris was fired by CNN on December 4, 2021. This move came four months after the issue surfaced in the news.
Chris Cuomo was reportedly suspended just earlier this week while waiting for the pending results of his evaluation on the information that he has involvement on his brother’s defense. According to a statement published by CNN, they have retained a respected law firm who will conduct the said review but decided to terminate his contract effective immediately. While the review is still in progress, additional information came into light which led them to decide that terminating his contract would be the best option. However, despite terminating him immediately, they will still conduct the appropriate investigation regarding the matter.
The stunning downfall of Chris Cuomo was cemented after the announcement of his termination. Once a top-rated anchor at CNN and a veteran TV journalist, he was considered one of the most successful broadcast anchors outside his well-known political family. Before he was involved in the controversy, Chris Cuomo enjoyed the support of the CNN president, Jeff Zucker. He did not face any punishment or disciplinary actions even though he was strategizing his brother's political aides, which breach the journalistic norms.
However things took a turn after a batch of testimony and messages were released by the attorney general of New York on November 29. It was revealed that Chris Cuomo had played a bigger role in his brother’s political affairs, contrary to CNN's previously known information. The executives of CNN had backed up Chris prior to the release of the new evidence have decided to put him on an indefinite suspension on Tuesday. He was eventually terminated on Saturday of the same week.
Chris Cuomo has expressed his disappointment with CNN’s decision to terminate his contract. He was easily earning $6,000,000 annually from his CNN contract. All this is gone after he was terminated. Cuomo reiterated that he only helped his brother to some extent and he did not play a vital role in his agenda. Although he was disappointed, Cuomo said that he is proud of his Cuomo Prime Time team because they were able to work hard to the extent that they became the #1 show on CNN on the most competitive timeslot. He said that he accepts the decision but will surely miss the staffs of the show because they all have created a deep bond already.
Sources: NY Times, Variety, Hollywood Life