CNN's Chris Cuomo accused of sexual harassment by his former boss

Chris Cuomo, the CNN host and brother of former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), has been accused of sexual harassment by his former boss at ABC News.

Shelley Ross, a journalist who has served as producer at ABC and CBS, in a New York Times essay published Friday alleged that Cuomo "sexually harassed me at a going-away party for an ABC colleague" in 2005. Ross, who was formerly Cuomo's executive producer at ABC's Primetime Live, writes that he "walked toward me and greeted me with a strong bear hug while lowering one hand to firmly grab and squeeze the cheek of my buttock," and he allegedly told her, "I can do this now that you're no longer my boss." Ross says Cuomo emailed her to apologize an hour later, and the essay includes a copy of that email, which has the subject line of "now that I think of it ... I am ashamed." Cuomo first apologizes in the email to Ross' "very good and noble husband" and then "to you as well."

Cuomo's brother, Andrew, resigned as New York governor in August amid a sexual harassment scandal. The CNN host also faced criticism after it was revealed that he participated in strategy calls with the governor's staff on how to handle the allegations. CNN said it was "inappropriate" for him to do so but didn't take disciplinary action.

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In her essay, Ross writes that Cuomo "crossed a line with me" and questions his "relationship with truth and accountability." She says she doesn't wish for him to be fired but calls for him to "journalistically repent: agree on air to study the impact of sexism, harassment and gender bias in the workplace, including his own, and then report on it." Cuomo in a statement to the Times said that "our interaction was not sexual in nature" and that "I apologized to her then, and I meant it."