CNN host Anderson Cooper says that vultures quickly started circling Chris Cuomo's prime-time slot after the news of his departure broke.
Cooper said that he got a call from Andy Cohen, the host of Bravo's Watch What Happens Live, asking whether he would have a chance at securing the empty 9 p.m. anchor job soon after the network announced Cuomo was fired on Dec. 4.
"I was, like, ‘Andy, you’ve got enough real estate in television,’" Cooper told late-night host Stephen Colbert on Thursday.
CNN STAFFER INDICTED ON CHARGES OF ENTICING MINORS INTO 'UNLAWFUL SEXUAL ACTIVITY'
Cohen hosts CNN's New Year's Eve coverage alongside Cooper annually and serves as the executive producer of the Real Housewives franchise.
"He feels he is fully qualified to host a presidential debate because he hosts the Housewives reunion," Cooper joked.
Michael Smerconish has been filling the spot since an investigation found that Cuomo violated journalistic ethics by helping his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, deal with his sexual harassment allegations while reporting on the story. Cooper told Colbert that he feels "terrible" for Cuomo.
"I don’t want anything bad to happen to somebody who's a colleague and somebody who is a friend of mine, and I feel terrible for him and his family,’ Cooper said. "That being said, look, journalists have strict ethics and strict rules that we are to abide by, and if you don’t abide by them, there are repercussions."
.@andersoncooper speaks on his former colleague Chris Cuomo losing his job. #LSSC pic.twitter.com/VJZn1j83OQ
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) December 17, 2021
Cuomo, who defended his coverage by saying, "I have already told you why and how I helped my brother" after his termination, is reportedly suing CNN for the $18 million remainder of his contract money. The four-year contract Cuomo signed last year purportedly pays $6 million annually, leaving between $18 million to $20 million on the table. Cuomo will also seek damages for the termination, a source said.
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CNN has suffered several setbacks lately. A network staffer was indicted on Dec. 10 on three charges related to sexual abuse after allegedly enticing women over the internet to allow him to teach their daughters sexual acts.
CNN anchor Don Lemon also received scrutiny when actor Jussie Smollett said Lemon had warned him about the police not believing his story of being a victim of an alleged hate crime. Smollett was found guilty on five of six charges of lying to authorities about his role in orchestrating the 2019 incident.