Chris Cuomo said that he never manipulated media for his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in a NewsNation interview released Tuesday.
“I never contacted any media who were covering my brother to try to affect their coverage,” the former CNN host told Dan Abrams, noting that he talked to people in the media “all the time.”
Cuomo also insisted that he “never lied and there were no secrets” regarding his involvement in his brother’s sexual harassment scandal.
When Abrams pressed Cuomo on whether he did make calls to the press, Cuomo insisted that there was a “meaning difference” between talking to the press and trying to influence their coverage of the controversy surrounding his brother.
“The concern would be, not that I called you and said ‘what do you think is going on?’ It’s me calling you and saying ‘hey, tonight in your segment I hope you remember that-,” said Cuomo, before being interrupted by Abrams.
The journalist, who was fired from CNN in December 2021, also pointed to his commitment to his family and “love” for his brother that led Cuomo to advise his brother on allegations of sexual harassment.
“The rule in my family is very simple: family, trouble, goal,” said Cuomo, “For me it was about helping my brother in a hard way and doing it in a way that I didn’t think compromised what matters. That’s what guided me.”
Despite his termination from the popular news organization, Cuomo said he does not feel like he is a victim of cancel culture, saying “I don’t feel sorry for myself; I’m certainly not a victim.”
The interview comes a week after Cuomo launched a podcast titled “The Chris Cuomo Project” after teasing a comeback. In his debut episode Cuomo addressed the controversy by saying, “I do regret how everything ended, but I will never regret helping my family.”
According to the podcast’s official description, Cuomo’s releases will embrace his “independent voice” and “provides listeners with an up-close view of politics, global affairs, and American culture from a vantage point uniquely shaped by decades of insider experience.”
