Twitter explodes after CNN dumps anchor Chris Cuomo for helping sex pest brother Andrew

Social media users wasted no time in mocking Chris Cuomo after CNN fired the star anchor for trying to help his older brother Andrew Cuomo fight off a sexual harassment scandal earlier this year. 

Chris Cuomo’s speedy demise was met by an equally quick reaction from the many right-wing detractors of CNN’s highest rated anchor, who was often saddled with the nickname Fredo – the weak brother of Michael Corleone in the classic Godfather movies. 

One online jokester, going by the Twitter handle @seth_3333,  posted a gif of an iconic scene from The Godfather II where the Al Pacino-played gangster gives his brother Fredo the ‘kiss of death’ after learning of the latter’s treachery against the Corleone crime family, and was accompanied by the caption ‘You broke my heart.’

CNN announced Saturday that the Cuomo PrimeTime host was ‘terminated’ after suspending him on Tuesday. 

One online jokester, going by the Twitter handle @seth_3333, channeled fictional mafioso Michael Corleone in a post poking fun at the scandal embroiling the embattled anchor

One online jokester, going by the Twitter handle @seth_3333, channeled fictional mafioso Michael Corleone in a post poking fun at the scandal embroiling the embattled anchor

Embattled anchor Chris Cuomo has been 'terminated' by CNN 'effective immediately,' the network announced in a statement Saturday - prompting a firestorm on social media

Embattled anchor Chris Cuomo has been ‘terminated’ by CNN ‘effective immediately,’ the network announced in a statement Saturday – prompting a firestorm on social media

CNN host Chris Cuomo (right) has admitted that he helped strategize brother Andrew Cuomo's (left) response to a sexual harassment scandal that forced the then governor of New York to resign earlier this year

CNN host Chris Cuomo (right) has admitted that he helped strategize brother Andrew Cuomo’s (left) response to a sexual harassment scandal that forced the then governor of New York to resign earlier this year

CNN fires Chris Cuomo after AG’s documents revealed he wrote brother Andrew’s sex pest rebuttals 

Embattled anchor Chris Cuomo has been ‘terminated’ by CNN ‘effective immediately,’ the network announced in a statement Saturday.

Though it was not referenced in CNN’s statement, an attorney told the New York Times that she had informed the network on Wednesday of her client’s allegation of prior sexual misconduct against Chris Cuomo.

Debra S. Katz, a prominent employment lawyer who also represents one of Andrew Cuomo’s accusers, said that the allegation against Chris Cuomo was made by a former junior colleague at another network, and was unrelated to the Gov. Andrew Cuomo matter.’ 

Further details about the allegation are unclear, including which network Chris Cuomo was working at at the time of the alleged misconduct. Cuomo’s spokesman denied the claim, saying: ‘These apparently anonymous allegations are not true.’

CNN’s statement cited only Cuomo’s ‘conduct with his brother’s defense’ in its decision to terminate the anchor.

‘Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother’s defense,’ the network said in the statement.

The announcement further revealed that an outside law firm was enlisted by the network to aid in their investigation into how exactly their star anchor aided his brother, Andrew Cuomo, then the governor of New York, try to fight off a sexual harassment scandal this year.

‘We retained a respected law firm to conduct the review, and have terminated him, effective immediately. While in the process of that review, additional information has come to light. Despite the termination, we will investigate as appropriate.’

After amassing a trove of texts and documents pointing to a serious breach of network standards by the journalist, CNN notified Cuomo of his termination Saturday, the network’s statement revealed.

‘Chris Cuomo was suspended earlier this week pending further evaluation of new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother’s defense,’ the network’s statement began.  

The announcement went on to reveal that CNN had enlisted an outside law firm to look into how exactly Cuomo aided his brother, then the governor of New York, before sexual assault allegations from 1 women spurred the politician to resign in August to avoid a likely impeachment trial.

According to the network, the firm found ‘additional information’ through their investigation that incriminated the newscaster, 51, spurring execs to ‘terminate him, effective immediately.

Cuomo joined CNN as a field anchor in February 2013 following stints at ABC and Fox News. After rising through the ranks, he was tapped in March 2018 to host Cuomo Prime Time.

According to some estimates, Cuomo had an annual salary of $6million.

His 9pm show was CNN’s highest rated broadcast. It drew an average of 774,000 viewers during November, when it ranked No. 25 among all cable TV news programs – right behind Anderson Cooper’s show.

However, the network saw a 19 percent bump after Cuomo was suspended Tuesday and Cooper filled in. The network has not indicated who will be his permanent replacement.

A slew of journalists chimed in following CNN’s announcement, including Huffington Post Senior Front Page Editor Philip Lewis, who speculated how damning the ‘additional information’ found in the outside law firm’s probe must be.

‘That “additional information” must be wild,’ the journalist wrote less than an hour after the anchor’s axing was announced.

Minutes prior, another news-minded commentator, Washington Post media critic Erik Wemple, gawked at the magnitude of the announcement while questioning why CNN elected to wait until the weekend to make such a declaration, after suspending Cuomo earlier in the week.

‘This is a stunning thing for @CNN to announce at 5:09 pm on a Saturday afternoon,’ Wemple wrote. 

Minutes after CNN’s statement, another Post staffer, reporter Jose A. Del Real, similarly took to Twitter to lampoon the newscaster, who is accused of using his position and media connections to help prepare his brother and his political team as the then-governor’s accusers started to make their stories public.

‘Actually,’ Del Real wrote in the wake of the announcement, ‘CNN should fire whomever allowed Chris Cuomo to interview his governor brother live on air in broad daylight.’

‘That’s where his conflict of interest became material,’ the journalist joked. 

In an announcement released Saturday afternoon, the network revealed that more information had come to light during its internal investigation into the anchor - which is still ongoing

In an announcement released Saturday afternoon, the network revealed that more information had come to light during its internal investigation into the anchor – which is still ongoing

Rolling Stone Editor-in-Chief Noah Shachtman, meanwhile, praised the network and the New York Attorney General’s office in a more serious post

‘It’s great that CNN finally did the right thing,’ Shachtman wrote less than a half hour after the initial announcement.

He then added: ‘It shouldn’t have taken an investigation by the Attorney General of New York to force the network to do so.’

Minutes later, less than an hour after CNN’s initial tweet, Intercept investigative reporter Ken Klippenstein joked that the dumped newscaster should edit his bio – which still lists him as the anchor of Cuomo Prime Time.

‘Might want to update your bio,’ Klippenstein chided. 

Members of the media were not the only internet users to commend CNN’s decision. 

‘Better late than never,’ Republican New York Congresswoman Elise Stefanik wrote minutes after CNN’s Saturday afternoon bombshell.

‘This is the correct decision.’

Meanwhile, another Republican, former Iowa congressman Steve King, who served the Hawkeye State for nearly two decades before losing his reelection bid this year, quoted the Bible in a post chastising Cuomo for allegedly using his high-powered position at CNN to dig up dirt on his brother’s alleged victims to stop them from speaking up.

‘Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.’ 

But others were not so quick to cast aside the scandal-plagued anchor. 

Bill O’Reilly, Fox’s former No. 1 talking head before he was dumped for his own problems, questioned why Cuomo was getting fired, when the network were the ones ultimately responsible for the practices of their employees.  

‘Chris Cuomo fired by CNN,’ the former O’Reilly Factor host tweeted after CNN’s announcement. 

‘But isn’t that organization responsible for what happened?’ 

O’Reilly was pulled from Fox’s airwaves after the New York Times revealed that he and the network had paid millions to settle sexual harassment lawsuits filed against him over the years 

Others questioned why CNN did not reveal what findings uncovered during the Attorney General office’s investigation spurred them to axe the anchor.

‘What additional information?’ alt-right media personality and political commentator Mike Cernovich wrote minutes after CNN’s statement.

‘You’re supposedly a media outlet. Break the story. Tell the truth,’ Cernovich sniped.

Washington DC journalist Judd Legum, meanwhile, shared a similar sentiment.

‘CNN says it is now firing Cuomo because “additional information has come to light,”‘ Legum wrote.

He then declared: ‘What additional information? CNN does not say. Seems like now is the time for transparency. 

Others questioned why Cuomo was getting the boot when legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin – who came under fire last year for exposing himself and masturbating while on a work Zoom call – is still employed by the network.

‘Yet the dude cranking his junk on a zoom call is still employed there,’ one user wrote in the wake of CNN’s announcement.

‘But you retained Jeffery Toobin who jacked off during a zoom meeting,’ another proclaimed Helped a family member-fired, jacked off during a zoom meeting-no problem. 

According to the network, the New York Attorney General’s office’s investigation into the extent of Cuomo’s role his brother’s sordid sex scandal is still ongoing.

After CNN’s announcement, the veteran TV journalist also took to social media to say his piece regarding his public axing.

‘This is not how I want my time at CNN to end,’ Cuomo wrote.

He then asserted: ‘But I have already told you why and how I helped my brother.’

Cuomo, 51, issued acknowledging his axing Saturday in a public statement expressing regret in his part of the scandal - but asserted that he was only helping his brother, who was forced to resign in August due to the allegations

Cuomo, 51, issued acknowledging his axing Saturday in a public statement expressing regret in his part of the scandal – but asserted that he was only helping his brother, who was forced to resign in August due to the allegations

source: dailymail.co.uk