Disgraced former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo has hit the far-left network with a $125 million arbitration demand.
The former “star” host, who was fired over multiple scandals, accuses CNN of a “calculated campaign to smear Cuomo and destroy his reputation.”
Cuomo is demanding that the network pays him for “future wages lost as a result of CNN’s efforts to destroy his reputation.”
The claim was filed by Cuomo’s attorneys at Freedman + Taitelman LLP and Clayman Rosenberg Kirshner & Linder LLP.
It includes $15 million that Cuomo claims he is owed for the rest of his contract.
However, Cuomo also is demanding the cable network pays “future wages lost” because of CNN’s alleged “violation of the Agreement.”
Cuomo’s filing says:
“As a result of Turner’s indefensible choice to unceremoniously fire him, Cuomo has been damaged in countless ways.
“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.
“Turner’s unjustifiable termination of Cuomo reflects nothing more than an apparent rush to judgment and caving to uninformed public and internal pressure that was based on speculation and assumption rather than facts and evidence.
“CNN, including Zucker and Gollust, knew of Cuomo’s role as a confidant and sounding board to his brother, and the details of his interactions with Gov. Cuomo and his staff, long before the transcripts of the NYAG investigation were publicly disclosed.
“Cuomo had no reason to believe that his assistance to Gov. Cuomo was inconsistent with CNN’s or Turner’s policies nor its expectations, especially given the fact that Zucker and Gollust had encouraged him to do so and had themselves provided advice to Gov. Cuomo,” the filing said.
Chris Cuomo wants CNN parent WarnerMedia to keep paying him even though he no longer works there….https://t.co/SEhyv58BSo via @variety
— Brian Steinberg (@bristei) March 16, 2022
Chris Cuomo Serves CNN With $125M Arbitration Demand https://t.co/6USzKR3LcZ
— The Hollywood Reporter (@THR) March 16, 2022
His lawyer, Bryan Freedman, said in a statement:
“It should by now be obvious that Chris Cuomo did not lie to CNN about helping his brother.
“In fact, as the limited information released from WarnerMedia’s investigation makes clear, CNN’s highest-level executive not only knew about Chris’s involvement in helping his brother but also actively assisted the governor, both through Chris and directly themselves.
“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, it’s clear that CNN wrongfully terminated Chris and further violated the express terms of his employment agreement by allowing its employees to disparage him,” he said.
