Chris Cuomo says he "obviously" cannot cover sexual harassment allegations against his brother
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo addressed the sexual harassment allegations against his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, Monday night, saying that he "obviously" cannot report on the story.
At the start of Monday's "Cuomo Prime Time" show, the journalist said that he will not be covering the story due to the conflict of interest.
"You're straight with me, I'll be straight with you," Cuomo told his audience. "Obviously, I'm aware of what's going on with my brother. And obviously, I cannot cover it because he is my brother."
"Now, of course, CNN has to cover it," he continued. "They have covered it extensively and they will continue to do so. I have always cared very deeply about these issues, and profoundly so. I just wanted to tell you that. There's a lot of news going on that matters also, so let's get after that."
CNN allowed the Cuomo brothers to banter on air on several occasions last spring, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. — when New York was the epicenter and the journalist contracted the virus. Since Cuomo joined the network in 2013, he had been prevented from covering stories surrounding his brother.
"The early months of the pandemic crisis were an extraordinary time," a CNN spokesperson told Entertainment Tonight. "We felt that Chris speaking with his brother about the challenges of what millions of American families were struggling with was of significant human interest. As a result, we made an exception to a rule that we have had in place since 2013 which prevents Chris from interviewing and covering his brother, and that rule remains in place today. CNN has covered the news surrounding Governor Cuomo extensively."
Governor Cuomo is facing allegations that he was sexually inappropriate toward three women. Harassment allegations from two women, former aides to Cuomo, led New York Attorney General Letitia James to launch an investigation, and the governor faces calls to resign.
Cuomo attempted to apologize in a statement Sunday.
"I now understand that my interactions may have been insensitive or too personal," he said. "Some of the things I have said have been misinterpreted as an unwanted flirtation. To the extent anyone felt that way, I am truly sorry."
At the same time, the FBI and federal prosecutors in Brooklyn have opened an investigation into how Cuomo's administration handled nursing home residents who contracted COVID-19 in the early months of the pandemic.
