Former anchor Chris Cuomo has filed an arbitration claim seeking $125 million from CNN, according to a new report.
Attorneys for Cuomo wrote that he had “been damaged in countless ways” due to the network “unceremoniously” firing him late last year.
“Cuomo has had his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it difficult if not impossible for Cuomo to find similar work in the future and damaging him in amounts exceeding $125 million, which includes not only the remaining salary owed under the Agreement, but future wages lost as a result of CNN’s efforts to destroy his reputation in violation of the Agreement,” the filing reads, according to Deadline.com. “Cuomo now seeks to recover the full measure of his damages against Turner and CNN.”
A day before he was fired, CNN reportedly received a letter from a prominent defense attorney detailing allegations of sexual harassment against Chris Cuomo, which the anchor has denied.
Zucker resigned after revealing to CNN’s parent company that he had been having a romantic relationship with another top staffer at the network, Allison Gollust.
Last month, WarnerMedia concluded an investigation that found violations of CNN’s News Standards and Practices by Zucker, Gollust and Chris Cuomo.
“I realize this news is troubling, disappointing and frankly painful to read,” Jason Kilar, CEO of WarnerMedia, wrote to CNN staffers at the time. “These are valid feelings that many of you have. We have the highest standards of journalistic integrity and those rules must apply to everyone equally.”
Rolling Stone published a lengthy report last week detailing Zucker’s downfall and the personal and professional relationships between Zucker, Gollust and the governor of New York, who she previously worked for before joining CNN.
Chris Cuomo has pressed WarnerMedia to divulge details of the investigation.
“It should by now be obvious that Chris Cuomo did not lie to CNN about helping his brother,” one of the former anchor’s lawyers told Deadline. “In fact, as the limited information released from WarnerMedia’s investigation makes clear … As CNN has admitted, network standards were changed in a calculated decision to boost ratings. When those practices were called into question, Chris was made the scapegoat.”
Former MSNBC top producer and head of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert” Chris Licht was tapped by WarnerMedia to replace Zucker late last month.
WarnerMedia is in the process of undergoing a major merger with media conglomerate Discovery, which is expected to finish before the summer.