Chris Cuomo has been keeping a relatively low profile since being ousted from CNN at the end of 2021. The well-known TV journalist found himself at the center of controversy in May of that year, when he was found to be assisting his brother, former New York governor Andrew Cuomo, amid sexual harassment allegations. Chris has now, however, landed a new media gig with another network. And as he prepares to settle in, he’s addressing the situation involving his older sibling.
The 51-year-old Chris Cuomo is officially set to join Nexstar’s NewsNation this fall and made the announcement during a lengthy interview on one of the network’s programs, Dan Abrams Live. A number of topics were discussed, including sexual assault claims that he himself had faced. talk eventually turned to Cuomo’s brother and his alleged role in helping him overcome the harassment accusations he was facing. Chris was said to have assisted his brother by participating in strategy meetings regarding how Andrew should respond to the claims. While he denied being an advisor, legal documents released in November 2021 showed that Chris used his media contacts to learn about his brother’s accusers and also helped craft statements for him. The following month, he was fired by CNN.
In the recent interview, Dan Abrams sought clarification from the pundit in regard to his alleged discussions with people in the media. The former Cuomo Prime Time host then went on to deny that he’d tried to influence other people’s coverage:
I never contacted any media who were covering my brother to try to affect their coverage. I talk to people in the media all the time. They’re most of the people in my life.
Dan Abrams then questioned that statement, asserting that Chris Cuomo “did make calls to the press about your brother’s situation.” Cuomo responded by discussing a “distinction” that he believes should be made note of:
But I think the distinction has a meaningful difference. The concern would be not that I called you and said, 'What do you think’s going on here?' It’s me calling you and saying, 'Hey, tonight in your segment, I hope you remember that.'
After being fired, Chris Cuomo went after CNN via an arbitration worth $125 million. He asserted that the network had engaged in a “smear campaign” that sought to distort his journalistic image. The filing also mentioned other personalities on the network, who Cuomo says made false claims about him on air. Last year, during a televised segment, Don Lemon questioned Cuomo’s actions, mentioning the optics of having someone of his standing allegedly break “journalistic standards” and “get paid handsomely for it.” Jake Tapper also claimed that Cuomo threatened former network president Jeff Zucker amid the ousted TV personality’s reported demands for a multi-million-dollar payout.
Right now, Chris Cuomo seems to be happy with his new post at NewsNation and, in the same interview, he expressed no ill will towards his brother for how things played out. We’ll see how things pan out for his show when it joins the 2022 TV schedule later this year.
