Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is seeking a $125 million arbitration award, claiming the network wrongly terminated him, the TV host’s legal team said Wednesday.
Cuomo was let go after it emerged that he played an active role in advising his brother, then-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, when the latter was fighting to stay in office as women accused him of sexual harassment.
“It should, by now, be obvious to everyone that Chris Cuomo did not lie to CNN about helping his brother,” Chris Cuomo’s attorney Bryan Freedman said in a statement.
“In fact, as the limited information released from WarnerMedia’s investigation makes clear, CNN’s highest-level executives not only knew about Chris’s involvement in helping his brother but also actively assisted the Governor, both through Chris and directly themselves.”
Related video: Fired from CNN, Chris Cuomo also accused of sexual harassment
Gov. Cuomo announced his resignation in August, and questions were raised about whether his brother might have crossed journalism ethics lines to help him. Chris Cuomo was fired by CNN in December.
During early days of the pandemic in 2020, Gov. Cuomo was a frequent on-air guest of his brother’s and Freedman said that cozy relationship clearly had the blessing of CNN.
“As CNN has admitted, network standards were changed in a calculated decision to boost ratings. When those practices were called into question, Chris was made the scapegoat,” according to Freedman.
“The legal action filed today makes clear that CNN wrongfully terminated Chris and further violated the express terms of his employment agreement by allowing its employees to disparage him. Chris is owed a full apology from those responsible.”
A representative of CNN could not be immediately reached for comment on Wednesday.
