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Chris Cuomo

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This article is about the American TV journalist. For the professor of philosophy, see Chris Cuomo (philosopher).

Christopher Charles Cuomo (/ˈkwoʊmoʊ/ KWOH-moh; born August 9, 1970)[1][2] is an American television journalist anchor at NewsNation, based in New York City. He has previously been the ABC News chief law and justice correspondent and the co-anchor for ABC's 20/20, news anchor for Good Morning America from 2006 to 2009,[3] and an anchor at CNN, where he co-hosted its morning show New Day from 2013 through May 2018, before moving to Cuomo Prime Time in June 2018.

Chris Cuomo
Cuomo in 2016
Born
Christopher Charles Cuomo

(1970-08-09) August 9, 1970 (age 54)[1][2]
New York City, U.S.
EducationYale University (BA)
Fordham University (JD)
OccupationJournalist
Employer(s)NewsNation (2022–present)
CNN (2013–2021)
ABC News (1999–2013)
Known forCuomo Prime Time
Spouse
Cristina Greeven
​
(m. 2001)​
Children3
Parents
RelativesCuomo family

Cuomo is the brother of Andrew Cuomo, who was the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to 2021, and the son of Mario Cuomo, who was the 52nd governor of New York from 1983 until 1994. In December 2021, Cuomo was fired by CNN after reports that he assisted in the defense against the sexual harassment allegations that led to his brother's resignation.[4] He subsequently joined Nexstar Media Group, hosting Cuomo for NewsNation.

Early life and education

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Cuomo was born in the New York City borough of Queens. He is the youngest child of Mario Cuomo, the former governor of New York, and Matilda Cuomo (née Raffa), and the brother of Andrew Cuomo, a former governor of New York.[3] His parents were both of Italian descent; his paternal grandparents were from Nocera Inferiore and Tramonti in the Campania region of southern Italy, while his maternal grandparents were from Sicily (his grandfather from Messina).[5][6]

Cuomo was educated at Immaculate Conception School in Jamaica, Queens;[7] at The Albany Academy, a private university preparatory day school in Albany, New York, followed by Yale University, where he earned an undergraduate degree, and the Fordham University School of Law, where he earned his Juris Doctor in 1995. He is a licensed attorney.[8][9]

Career

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Cuomo's early career in journalism included appearances related to social and political issues on CNBC, MSNBC, and CNN. He was a correspondent and political policy analyst for Fox News and Fox Broadcast Network's Fox Files, where he covered a wide range of stories focusing on controversial social issues.[10] When asked if he should be considered a journalist on his show, Cuomo said, "I don't know how that's relevant. I don't care what they classify me as. I'm not forwarding my agenda. That's not my thing. My opinion is irrelevant." When hired for Fox Files Roger Ailes, the Fox News chairman, called Cuomo "fearless."[11]

At ABC and as co-anchor of 20/20, his year-long coverage of heroin addiction revealed the extent to which it was affecting suburban families.[10] His other work has included coverage of the Haiti earthquake, child custody, bullying, and homeless teens. Policy changes followed his undercover look at for-profit school recruiters, including an industry-wide cleanup. Cuomo's tip from a BMW owner led to a recall of over 150,000 affected vehicles.[3][10]

From September 2006 to December 2009, he was the news anchor for Good Morning America.[10] He was the primary reporter on breaking news stories, both in the U.S. and around the world, including dozens of assignments in some ten countries.[3][10] He covered the war on terrorism, embedded on multiple occasions in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Iraq (where his convoy was hit by an IED).[3] In the U.S., he covered the Virginia Tech shooting, the 2009 Fort Hood shooting, and the Pennsylvania Amish school shootings. He did live broadcasts of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the Sago Mine collapse, and the Minneapolis bridge collapse in August 2007. He anchored morning and evening coverage.[3][10]

During his period at ABC, he had a website, "Cuomo on the Case," as well as two weekly digital programs: The Real Deal and Focus on Faith.[10] He also appeared with Father Edward Beck on ABC News Now, the network's 24-hour digital outlet.[10]

Move to CNN

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In February 2013, Cuomo moved to CNN to co-host its morning show.[12] He made his debut on CNN as field anchor on the February 8, 2013, episode of Piers Morgan Tonight, covering the February 2013 North American blizzard.[13] In March 2018, while serving as the co-anchor of CNN's morning show New Day, CNN announced that Cuomo would move to prime time to host Cuomo Prime Time.[14]

In October 2017, sister network HLN premiered a new documentary series hosted by the anchor, Inside with Chris Cuomo, which focused on "stories affecting real people, in real towns and cities across America."[15]

In September 2018, he began hosting a two-hour weekday radio show "Let's Get After It" on the P.O.T.U.S. channel on SiriusXM.[16]

"Fredo" incident

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On August 13, 2019, in Shelter Island, New York, Cuomo threatened to throw a heckler down a flight of stairs at a bar and chastised him with profanity-laced insults after the man called him Fredo, in reference to the unglamorous fictional character from The Godfather novel and films. Cuomo told the man that the use of the name "Fredo" was equivalent to "the n-word" for Italian-Americans,[17] which caused debate on Twitter about the assertion.[18][19] Cuomo addressed the incident publicly, tweeting his appreciation to his supporters but acknowledging that he "should be better than what [he] oppose[s]."[20]

Andrew Cuomo coverage and suspension from CNN

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While recovering from COVID-19 in early 2020, Chris Cuomo interviewed his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on his CNN program.[21] After reports about sexual harassment allegations against his brother surfaced, Cuomo said on his program in March 2021 that he could not cover any issues regarding the allegations on the program, acknowledging his obvious conflict of interest.[22]

In May 2021, Cuomo was reported to have participated in strategic discussions to advise his brother on how to respond to the allegations. CNN called Cuomo's engagement in the conversations "inappropriate" but said that it would not take any disciplinary action against him.[23][24] Multiple CNN staffers said they were "vexed" by Cuomo's conduct and the violation of journalism ethics and standards.[25][26] Cuomo subsequently issued an apology and stated that advising his brother was a "mistake" that would "never happen again."[25] In August, Cuomo addressed his brother's impending resignation, reiterating he was not an adviser to Andrew and noting he had persuaded his brother to step down as governor.[27]

On November 29, 2021, the New York attorney general's office released documents that show Cuomo used his media sources to uncover information about his brother's known accusers and inquire about the possibility of new accusers who had yet to come forward publicly.[28][29] The documents also show that Cuomo helped formulate statements for Andrew and that Cuomo was actively in touch with a top aide to Andrew about future reports about Andrew's alleged misconduct.[30] The following day, Cuomo was suspended indefinitely from CNN.[31] Cuomo called his suspension "embarrassing" but said he understood "why some people feel the way they do about what I did."[32] Following his suspension, several conservative commentators defended Cuomo. These supporters include Sean Hannity,[33] Tucker Carlson,[34] and Greg Gutfeld.[35]

On December 4, after an internal review conducted by a law firm, CNN terminated Cuomo's employment and said they would investigate Cuomo's "involvement with his brother's defense".[36][37] Cuomo stated he never tried to influence his own network's coverage of his brother's sexual allegation problems.[38] In February 2022, Cuomo mentioned in a recorded interview that he “was going to kill everybody including myself” after his firing.[39]

Sexual misconduct allegations

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In September 2021, Cuomo's former boss Shelley Ross accused him of sexual harassment in a New York Times op-ed. Stopping short of asking him to be fired from CNN, she said she would "like to see him journalistically repent".[40] Cuomo admitted to the incident, describing it as "not sexual in nature". He said he "apologized to her then, and I meant it".[41] In December 2021, Debra Katz, the attorney for another former colleague of Cuomo's, informed CNN that her client had accused Cuomo of sexual misconduct.[4] The woman claimed that Cuomo invited her to his office for lunch and after the woman rejected Cuomo's sexual advances Cuomo allegedly assaulted her.[42][43] Katz has since claimed that this accusation precipitated Cuomo's termination.[44]

Termination fallout

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On December 6, 2021, Cuomo announced he would be leaving his program on SiriusXM.[45]

On the same day, it was reported that Cuomo threatened to file a lawsuit against CNN to recover the $18 million of his remaining contract because network president Jeff Zucker understood the details of Cuomo's involvement with his brother's defense.[46] Zucker has denied this was the case, and subsequently claimed in a virtual meeting with employees that he had reprimanded Cuomo in May, and that "Chris had gone further than he had told me and told other members of our senior executive team."[47]

On December 7, 2021, HarperCollins announced they would not be going forward in publishing Cuomo's book, originally titled Deep Denial in the fall of 2022. The book was to be an analysis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the presidency of Donald Trump.[48]

On March 16, 2022, Cuomo filed a demand for arbitration claiming $125 million in damages against Turner Services and CNN America. The filing claimed Cuomo's "journalistic integrity" was "unjustifiably smeared", making the chance to find similar work impossible. He was looking to recover his remaining salary and future wages forfeited for his reputation being damaged.[49]

NewsNation

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On July 26, 2022, during an interview with Dan Abrams on NewsNation, Cuomo announced that he would be hosting a new primetime program on the Nexstar Media Group-owned channel later that year.[50]

The new series, Cuomo, premiered on October 3, 2022.[51] During the premiere, Cuomo stated that he had "learned lessons good and bad" since his firing from CNN, and that his new show would not be "typical", and would (as with the remainder of NewsNation's programming) aim to be more neutral and less partisan in its commentary and content, arguing that "extremes are not America’s majority", and that "In politics what you ignore you often empower. And the right has made a mistake in its silence for too long. Our election was not stolen. Your Republican leaders know this."[52]

Among the interviews Cuomo gave in his first month with NewsNation included Kanye West, with whom Cuomo clashed over West's recent antisemitic comments.[53][54]

Podcast

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Cuomo began a podcast, The Chris Cuomo Podcast, on July 21, 2022.[55]

Awards

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Cuomo has received multiple Emmy Award nominations. His Good Morning America profile of the 12-year-old poet Mattie Stepanek was recognized with a News Emmy, making him one of the youngest correspondents to receive the award.[3]

He has been awarded Polk and Peabody Awards for team coverage. His work has been recognized in the areas of breaking news, business news, and legal news, with the Edward R. Murrow Award for breaking news coverage, the 2005 Gerald Loeb Award for Television Deadline business reporting for "Money for Nothing?",[56] and the American Bar Association Silver Gavel Award for investigating juvenile justice.[8][10]

Personal life

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In 2001, Cuomo married Gotham magazine editor Cristina Greeven in a Roman Catholic ceremony in Southampton, New York.[57] They reside in Manhattan with their three children.[8][58] Cuomo also owns a home in Southampton.[59]

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Cuomo announced on March 31, 2020, that he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.[60] During his quarantine, he broadcast his usual weekday program from his home.[61] Cuomo later said he had a hallucination of his late father, former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, as a result of symptoms from the virus.[62]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Cuomo, Christopher C. [@chriscuomo] (August 9, 2019). "Today is my birthday. 49. My gift to myself is to redouble efforts to expose where our govt falls short. We can do better than this form of justice. As a second generation American, as a lawyer and a journalist and a parent - I know this. So do you" (Tweet). Retrieved April 2, 2020 – via Twitter.
  2. ^ a b "Happy birthday, Chris Cuomo!". CNN Video. August 6, 2015 – via www.cnn.com.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "Christopher Cuomo: Biography". Speakers Access. 2013. Archived from the original on October 7, 2016. Retrieved January 31, 2014.
  4. ^ a b Grynbaum, Michael M.; Koblin, John (December 4, 2021). "CNN Fires Chris Cuomo After New Details on Help He Gave His Brother". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  5. ^ Blauner, Peter (February 13, 1989). "All Star Family Feud: The Governor's In-Laws Battle Over a Father's Legacy". New York. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  6. ^ Arena, Michael; Arneberg, Marianne (October 20, 1988). "Cuomo's Father-in-Law Dies". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  7. ^ "Chris Cuomo: Mischief at Catholic School". ABC News. June 24, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c "Anchors & reporters: Chris Cuomo". Atlanta, GA: CNN. 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  9. ^ "Chris Cuomo Biography", biography.com, Retrieved August 5, 2019
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Chris Cuomo's biography". ABC News. May 7, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  11. ^ Huff, Richard (January 3, 1999). "Another Cuomo with a Cause". New York Daily News. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  12. ^ "Chris Cuomo: I'm moving to CNN!". TMZ: EHM Productions, Inc. January 29, 2013. Retrieved February 1, 2014.
  13. ^ Kurtz, Jason (February 8, 2013). "Chris Cuomo debuts on CNN, field anchors amidst blizzard: 'It's truly an honor to join the CNN team'". CNN. Archived from the original on February 13, 2013. Retrieved February 9, 2013.
  14. ^ Grynbaum, Michael (March 14, 2018). "CNN Moves Chris Cuomo to Prime Time". The New York Times. Retrieved March 14, 2018.
  15. ^ de Moraes, Lisa (October 17, 2017). "Chris Cuomo Anchors 'Inside' For HLN Over Five Fridays". Deadline. Retrieved October 21, 2017.
  16. ^ "CNN's Chris Cuomo to host live weekday show exclusively for SiriusXM". September 19, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  17. ^ Gold, Michael (August 13, 2019). "CNN's Chris Cuomo Threatens Man Who Called Him 'Fredo'". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  18. ^ Bote, Joshua (August 13, 2019). "Chris Cuomo said 'Fredo' is an ethnic slur as he erupted in anger in a viral video. Is it?". usatoday.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  19. ^ Nardi, William Z. (August 14, 2019). "'Fredo' Is Not an Ethnic Slur". National Review. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
  20. ^ Rupar, Aaron (August 13, 2019). "The viral video of Chris Cuomo going berserk over being called "Fredo," explained". Vox Media. Archived from the original on August 14, 2019. Retrieved August 14, 2019.
  21. ^ Steinberg, Brian (March 2, 2021). "Chris Cuomo's Interviews With His Brother Create Family Affair for CNN". Variety. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
  22. ^ Bauder, David (March 1, 2021). "CNN's Chris Cuomo says he 'obviously' can't cover brother". Associated Press. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Dawsey, Josh (May 20, 2021). "Chris Cuomo took part in strategy calls advising his brother, the New York governor, on how to respond to sexual harassment allegations". The Washington Post. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  24. ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (May 20, 2021). "CNN's Chris Cuomo Advised Gov. Cuomo, Raising Ethics Questions". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 28, 2021. Retrieved May 20, 2021.
  25. ^ a b Baragona, Justin (May 20, 2021). "Chris Cuomo Somehow Claims He 'Knows Where the Line Is' After Scandal Erupts". The Daily Beast. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  26. ^ Darcy, Oliver (May 20, 2021). "CNN says it was 'inappropriate' for Chris Cuomo to participate in strategy sessions advising brother on sexual harassment allegations". CNN. Archived from the original on May 20, 2021. Retrieved May 21, 2021.
  27. ^ Wong, Wilson (August 17, 2021). "CNN's Chris Cuomo breaks silence, says he urged his brother to resign 'when the time came'". NBC News. Retrieved August 17, 2021.
  28. ^ Wulfsohn, Joseph (November 29, 2021). "CNN's Chris Cuomo turned to media sources for info on brother's accusers: 'I have a lead on the wedding girl'". Fox News. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  29. ^ Schwartz, Brian (November 29, 2021). "CNN host Chris Cuomo used his media sources to find out info on brother Andrew's accusers, records show". CNBC. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  30. ^ Fandos, Nicholas; Gold, Michael; Ashford, Grace; Rubinstein, Dana (November 29, 2021). "Chris Cuomo Played Outsize Role in Ex-Gov. Cuomo's Defense". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2021.
  31. ^ Steinberg, Brian (November 30, 2021). "Chris Cuomo Suspended by CNN". Variety. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Planas, Antonio (December 2021). "Chris Cuomo calls his suspension from CNN 'embarrassing'". NBC News.
  33. ^ Lahut, Natalie Musumeci, Jake. "Sean Hannity said Chris Cuomo 'helping a brother' shouldn't get him fired from CNN". Business Insider. Retrieved November 28, 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  34. ^ Baragona, Justin (August 10, 2021). "Tucker Carlson Sticks Up for Chris Cuomo: 'Loyalty Should Be to Your Family'". The Daily Beast. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  35. ^ Media Matters Staff (November 30, 2021). "Fox News' Gutfeld: "I'm going to defend Chris Cuomo"". Media Matters for America. Retrieved November 28, 2022.
  36. ^ Stelter, Brian (December 4, 2021). "CNN fires Chris Cuomo". CNN. Archived from the original on December 4, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  37. ^ Brown, Jon (December 4, 2021). "CNN terminates Chris Cuomo 'effective immediately'". Fox News. Retrieved December 5, 2021.
  38. ^ "Chris Cuomo sexual harassment allegation: Accuser 'disgusted' by 'hypocrisy' went to CNN". al. Associated Press. December 6, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  39. ^ "Chris Cuomo: 'I was going to kill everybody including myself' after CNN firing". Chicago Tribune. February 17, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2023.
  40. ^ Ross, Shelley (September 24, 2021). "Opinion | Chris Cuomo Sexually Harassed Me. I Hope He'll Use His Power to Make Change". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved September 24, 2021.
  41. ^ Bauder, David (September 25, 2021). "Former ABC News executive says Chris Cuomo harassed her". Associated Press. Archived from the original on December 1, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2021.
  42. ^ "Chris Cuomo was accused of assaulting young woman who denied his sexual advances before CNN fired him: report". New York Daily News. February 16, 2022. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  43. ^ McDougall, A. J. (February 16, 2022). "Ex-ABC Temp: Chris Cuomo Badgered Me for Sex Then Assaulted Me in His Office". The Daily Beast. Retrieved October 17, 2022.
  44. ^ Bursztynsky, Jessica (December 4, 2021). "Sexual misconduct allegation against Chris Cuomo led to his firing from CNN, attorney says". Retrieved December 10, 2021.
  45. ^ Failla, Zak (December 7, 2021). "Chris Cuomo Out Of Another Job After Sexual Misconduct Claim Amid Report He Plans To Sue CNN". Darien Daily Voice. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  46. ^ Staff Writer (December 6, 2021). "Chris Cuomo to sue CNN for $18m left on his contract, claims boss knew about his involvement in brother's scandal". The New Zealand Herald. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  47. ^ Mullin, Benjamin (December 7, 2021). "CNN Won't Pay Chris Cuomo Severance; HarperCollins Pulls Former Anchor's Coming Book". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  48. ^ Weprin, Alex (December 7, 2021). "Chris Cuomo's Upcoming Book Pulled by HarperCollins". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  49. ^ Dasrath, Diana; Li, David K. (March 16, 2022). "Chris Cuomo demanding $125 million from CNN in arbitration bid". NBC News. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  50. ^ Barr, Jeremy (July 26, 2022). "Chris Cuomo is returning to cable news, but on a much smaller channel". The Washington Post. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  51. ^ Steinberg, Brian (September 7, 2022). "NewsNation Readies New Chris Cuomo Show For October". Variety. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  52. ^ Johnson, Ted (October 4, 2022). "Chris Cuomo Launches New NewsNation Gig: "This Show Is Going To Be Different From What I've Done In The Past Because I'm Different"". Deadline. Retrieved October 7, 2022.
  53. ^ Cuomo, Chris; Jassin, Liz (October 17, 2022). "Cuomo, Ye discuss star's antisemitic remarks: Full interview". NewsNation. Retrieved November 5, 2022.
  54. ^ Young, Matt (October 18, 2022). "Chris Cuomo Confronts Kanye West Amid 'Jewish Underground Media Mafia' Rant". Daily Beast. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  55. ^ "Ex-CNN anchor Chris Cuomo returning with online, cable shows". WTOP News. July 27, 2022. Retrieved June 1, 2024.
  56. ^ "2005 Winners". UCLA Anderson School of Management. Archived from the original on December 16, 2005. Retrieved May 22, 2010 – via Internet Archive.
  57. ^ Tuma, Debbie; Becker, Maki (November 25, 2001). Mario's youngest son weds. New York Daily News. New York, NY: New York Daily News.
  58. ^ Shea, Danny (April 5, 2010). "Chris Cuomo, Cristina Greeven Cuomo Welcome Baby Girl Carolina". The Huffington Post. Retrieved February 4, 2011.
  59. ^ Kaplan, Thomas (July 18, 2012). "Cuomo Drawn to Hamptons by Family, Not Social Scene". The New York Times. Retrieved February 23, 2019.
  60. ^ Reed, Anika; Truitt, Brian (March 31, 2020). "COVID-19 positive, Chris Cuomo talks about chest 'tightness;' Don Lemon tears up for friend". USA Today. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  61. ^ Weiss, Joanna (April 6, 2020). "Chris Cuomo, Stay in Bed". Politico. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
  62. ^ Brito, Christopher (April 2, 2020). "CNN's Chris Cuomo says his coronavirus fever got so bad, he hallucinated seeing his dead father". cbsnews.com. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
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