Chris Cuomo is addressing the elephant in the room: his brother Andrew Cuomo‘s resignation amid his sexual harassment scandal.
Last week, New York Gov. Andrew resigned following an explosive report by New York Attorney General Letitia James, which stated how the governor “sexually harassed multiple women” and, in doing so, “violated federal and state law.”
During this past Monday’s episode of CNN’s Cuomo Prime Time, Chris revealed he did his best when it came to his brother.
“So, I never reported on this scandal, and when it happened, I tried to be there for my brother,” he informed his audience.
“I’m not an advisor. I’m a brother. I wasn’t in control of anything. I was there to listen and offer my take,” Chris, 51, continued. “And my advice to my brother was simple and consistent: ‘Own what you did. Tell people what you’ll do to be better. Be contrite. And finally, accept that it doesn’t matter what you intended. What matters is how your actions and words were perceived.’ And yes, while it was something I never imagined ever having to do, I did urge my brother to resign when the time came.”
“I never attacked nor encouraged anyone to attack any woman who came forward. I never made calls to the press about my brother’s situation. I never influenced or attempted to control CNN’s coverage of my family,” he added.
Back in May, Chris apologized on-air after reports revealed he advised his brother on the sexual harassment allegations made against Andrew. The Washington Post reported that he participated in “a series of conference calls” alongside his brother, the governor’s top aides and strategists, as well as lawyers about how to navigate the allegations.
The report released by the attorney general’s office last week revealed how Chris advised his brother as the allegations began to pop up.
Chris was one of many who developed talking points as well as strategies for the governor as accusations first began to threaten Andrew back in February — according to emails and text messages made public by investigators Tuesday.
Emails included in the report reveal that Chris was copied or mentioned in messages regarding Gov. Cuomo’s first denials of the harassment claims.
“It was a unique situation being a brother to a politician in a scandal and be a part of the media. I tried to do the right thing, and I just want you all to know that. As I said, we have rules here at CNN that prevent me from reporting on my brother. They remain in place and will continue to,” he said.
Chris concluded that Monday’s speech would “be [his] final word on” his brother’s scandal.
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