'I tried to do the right thing': Chris Cuomo breaks his silence about sex pest brother Andrew's resignation telling CNN viewers he was NOT an adviser and 'wasn't in control of anything'
Chris Cuomo on Monday night defended his behavior during the sex harassment scandal engulfing his brother - telling CNN viewers that he was not an adviser to Governor Andrew Cuomo, but rather: 'I'm a brother.'
Cuomo, 50, has been enjoying a week-long vacation, which coincided with his 63-year-old brother's resignation.
The CNN anchor, returning to the air, said he told his brother he needed to step down, after 11 women accused him of sexual harassment.
'I tried to do the right thing and I just want you all to know that,' he said.
Chris Cuomo on Monday night returned from a week vacation and admitted that being the brother of the governor and a journalist was a difficult tightrope to walk
Chris Cuomo, who has spent his vacation at his family home in the Hamptons, spoke out for the first time about his brother's August 10 resignation
Chris Cuomo was part of an 'inner circle' of advisers brought in to do damage control in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against his brother, according to a bombshell report into Andrew Cuomo's misconduct. They are pictured together in April 2018
Emails show Chris also apparently helped draft a written statement characterizing Andrew as someone who is 'playful' and 'makes jokes' sometimes
Both CNN and its star journalist have faced criticism for his interactions with his older brother.
Chris Cuomo frequently had Andrew on as a guest at the height of the pandemic, with their duet jarring many viewers.
Once Andrew was accused of sexual harassment, Chris began assisting him with media strategy - to the anger of CNN colleagues, including Jake Tapper, who said it put them in a difficult situation.
In May, when news of his assistance emerged, Chris apologized to viewers and colleagues.
And when the New York attorney general's report was published, on August 3, Chris Cuomo pointedly refused to discuss it - even while it was the lead item on his colleagues' shows.
The two regularly joked around on Chris's show at a time when hundreds were dying of COVID. Chris played with a giant swab on one show
Andrew Cuomo, who was at one point rumored to be in contention for a role in Joe Biden's Cabinet, is seen on August 10, the day he resigned
On Monday, back from vacation for his first day on the air since Andrew Cuomo's announcement, Chris Cuomo addressed the issues for what he said would be the last time.
He said he did not, this time, advise his brother on media strategy.
'I wasn't in control of anything,' Cuomo said on the air.
'I was there to listen and offer my take. And my advice to my brother was simple and consistent - own what you did, tell people what you'll try to do to be better, be contrite.
'Finally, accept that it doesn't matter what you intended, what matters is how your actions and your words are perceived.'
While he never imagined he would have to do it, 'I did advise my brother to resign when the time came,' he said.
That advice apparently came after the attorney general's report.
Andrew Cuomo is pictured with his daughter Michaela after he announced that he was resigning, on August 10
Pressure had been mounting on Andrew Cuomo to resign following the attorney general's report
The Post said in May that when the charges first came up, Chris Cuomo urged his brother to take a defiant position and not resign.
Chris Cuomo said he never reported on his brother's situation for CNN and never attempted to influence coverage of the situation by others at the network.
He made note of his brother's appearances on his show for interviews at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic last year - an exception to the policy that he not report on his brother - but said they were 'short-lived.'
He said he knew there would be a time his brother would be held to account, and 'I could not do that.'
The Cuomos' father, Mario, was a three-term New York governor and Chris said it had complicated his professional conduct.
'It's never easy being in this business and coming from a political family,' he said.
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