Time's Up plans to 'rebuild and reset' after Andrew Cuomo controversy

Time's Up is vowing a "reset" but "not a retreat" as its lays off virtually its entire staff.

The organization founded to fight sexual harassment will lay off the majority of its remaining employees, with only a "skeleton staff of three people" left, The Washington Post reported on Friday. The move came after the release of an internal report sparked by controversy over leaders for the organization consulting former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo's (D) advisers when he was accused of sexual harassment.

"We're going down to the studs," board member Ashley Judd told The Associated Press. "We're going to rebuild and reset and come back in a way that honors our mandate, incorporates the voices of our critics, learns from our findings ... and holds ourselves accountable but also lives up to our potential."

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In August, Roberta Kaplan resigned as chair of Time's Up following criticism over her involvement with trying to discredit one of Cuomo's accusers. Later that month, Tina Tchen resigned as CEO after it was reported she told colleagues to "stand down" on releasing a statement supporting one of Cuomo's accusers. By September, much of the group's board had also resigned, with outgoing board members including Shonda Rhimes and Eva Longoria saying, "Time's Up is ready for new leadership, and we want to move forcefully toward its new iteration."

The internal report interviewed current and former staff members, and employees said that the group's "status as a 'well-connected' organization was a weakness and that the world needed an organization that is not 'engaged in or beholden to politics,'" consultant Leilani M. Brown said, per the Post. Though board chair Gabrielle Sulzberger told the AP this "is a needed reset, not a retreat," a person close to Time's Up told Deadline, "It is hard to see how they come back from this year and now this."