Chris Cuomo was reportedly offered 'temporary leave' from CNN to advise brother on sexual harassment allegations

(Image credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images for CNN)

published 5 August 2021

CNN executives reportedly offered their superstar host Chris Cuomo "temporary leave" to formally advise his brother New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) when sexual harassment allegations surfaced against the governor earlier this year, The New York Times reports.

The May offer was apparently both informal and optional, and "intended as an acknowledgment of [Cuomo's] unique position as both a prime-time network anchor and the brother of a prominent politician facing a scandal," the Times writes. The host would be able to return to the network later.

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Cuomo had otherwise told CNN leadership he planned to "abide by rules preventing him from commenting on his brother's scandal," writes the Times. The network temporarily lifted those restrictions to allow the governor to appear on-air during the peak of the pandemic in New York, which earned some criticism regarding potential conflicts of interest. Cuomo's regularly-scheduled appearance on Tuesday was a "clear signal" that CNN President Jeffrey Zucker is "fully behind" the anchor. Read more at The New York Times.

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Brigid Kennedy worked at The Week from 2021 to 2023 as a staff writer, junior editor and then story editor, with an interest in U.S. politics, the economy and the music industry.

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