Grab the popcorn because the Chris Cuomo CNN saga is going to get a whole lot more fun.
A spokesman for Cuomo now says that CNN President Jeff Zucker knew about everything that his former star anchor did for his brother during the sex scandal.
The Cuomo spokesman tells the Wall Street Journal that CNN executives knew about Chris Cuomo’s involvement, saying the details “were widely known to be extremely close and in regular contact, including about the details of Mr. Cuomo’s support for his brother. There were no secrets about this, as other individuals besides Mr. Cuomo can attest.”
CNN responded to Cuomo’s claims saying (emphasis added):
“he has made a number of accusations that are patently false. This reinforces why he was terminated for violating our standards and practices, as well as his lack of candor.”
This comes as the New York Post reports that Cuomo is set to sue the network for the rest of the money on his contract.
“Fired CNN host Chris Cuomo is set to sue the network if it balks at paying him at least $18 million to cover what’s left on his contract, sources told The Post on Monday.
Cuomo, 51, has hired lawyers and is preparing to file the lawsuit over the remainder of the four-year contract he signed last year — after a bitter back-and-forth about what the network knew of his secret efforts to aid his embattled brother, then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, said sources familiar with the matter.
His contract was reportedly worth $6 million annually, leaving between $18 million and $20 million that he would be owed, sources said, adding that Chris Cuomo would also likely seek damages.
But CNN has “no intention of paying [Chris] Cuomo a penny,” an insider said.
“If he gets a settlement, there would be uproar,” the source added.”