CNN's Chris Cuomo accused of sexually harassing female producer while at ABC News

A veteran television journalist accused CNN's Chris Cuomo on Friday of once sexually harassing her when they worked together at ABC News and she feels the "Cuomo Prime Time" namesake needs to "journalistically repent" for his behavior.

In a guest essay for the New York Times, former executive producer Shelley Ross outlined an incident where Cuomo, who came under fire this year for giving private advice to his brother New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo during his sexual harassment scandal, squeezed the cheek of her buttock without her permission in 2005. She also produced an email where Chris Cuomo appeared to admit to the incident and apologize for his behavior.

"At the time, I was the executive producer of an ABC entertainment special, but I was Mr. Cuomo’s executive producer at 'Primetime Live' just before that," she wrote. "I was at the party with my husband, who sat behind me on an ottoman sipping his Diet Coke as I spoke with work friends. When Mr. Cuomo entered the Upper West Side bar, 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."

Ross said Cuomo told her, "I can do this now that you’re no longer my boss" and did it "with a kind of cocky arrogance." Ross said she told him he couldn't, pushed him off her and revealed her husband was right behind her, and they quickly left the party, which was celebrating an ABC colleague's departure.

Ross printed a copy of an email from Cuomo the same evening where he said he was "ashamed" of his behavior and even noted actor Christian Slater had been arrested for similar conduct.

"[T]hough my hearty greeting was a function of being glad to see you … christian slater got arrested for a (kind of) similar act, (though borne of an alleged negative intent, unlike my own)…and as a husband I can empathize with not liking to see my wife patted as such," he wrote.

Cuomo, who was 34 at the time of the alleged incident, asked Ross to pass along an apology to her "very good and noble husband," and also "I apologize to you as well, for even putting you in su]ch a position." He added he would remember his lesson the next time he was happy to see her.

"Mr. Cuomo may say this is a sincere apology. I’ve always seen it as an attempt to provide himself with legal and moral coverage to evade accountability," Ross wrote.

CNN did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Ross wrote she didn't wish for Cuomo to be fired from CNN, where he's worked since 2013. However, she noted his rhetoric in March while addressing his brother's political scandal, where he claimed to care "very deeply about these issues." That day, Cuomo said he would not cover the harassment charges against his brother, after he was allowed to do friendly interviews with him at the outset of the coronavirus pandemic.

Two months later, the Washington Post reported that Chris Cuomo participated in strategy calls with Gov. Cuomo's top aides on how to address the harassment charges. Sources told the paper the younger Cuomo urged his brother to not step down and even invoked "cancel culture," a talking point the governor used back in March while engaging with reporters.

A report from New York Attorney General Letitia James would later note he was one of the trusted outside confidants whose commitment to protecting the governor contributed to Albany's "toxic" workplace culture. Gov. Cuomo resigned from office last month.

Between that, and an image of Chris Cuomo wearing a "Truth" t-shirt shortly aft... (Read more)

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