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Chris Cuomo has a serious ally in Matt Lauer right now, as insiders are suggesting that the 63-year-old former Today Show host knows exactly what the 51-year-old former CNN reporter is currently going through, since he found himself embroiled in his own sexual misconduct scandal back in 2017. Cuomo was indefinitely suspended from CNN on Tuesday, November 30th (and officially fired on Saturday, December 4th!) after he was found to have helped his brother Andrew Cuomo, who served as the 56th governor of New York from 2011 to August 2021, cover up the sexual harassment allegations that were made against him.
While Cuomo has lost some friends and colleagues because of his actions, he appears to have gained a friend in Lauer, who wasted no time in reaching out to him. “If anyone in the world knows what Chris is going through it is Matt Lauer. Matt has reached out to him because that is the sort of guy he is,” an insider told Radar Online. “To these guys, getting fired isn’t just about losing a job, it is about losing an identity.” The insider added: “Chris was CNN. He lived and breathed being a famous TV personality. Like Matt he loved being a respected journalist and all the perks, including financial, that come with the job. Now they have all gone. Can you imagine going to bed one night and waking up the next morning and the life that you loved has gone?”
Another friend corroborated this, adding that Lauer remembered what losing friends after several women came forward with sexual misconduct allegations against him was like, which is why he was even more determined to lend his support. The friend said: "Matt might be the only person on the planet who understands. Matt also knows the few people that contacted him after he was fired. When he was on TV he got hundreds of calls and emails each day. The day after he was fired, Matt could count the calls on one hand."
It's not yet known whether Cuomo has returned Lauer's messages, as sources claimed that he didn’t respond to any calls, texts, and emails from friends and loved ones for several days after being fired. "Chris just needs time with his family," the insider added. "For a man who was so connected to everything it can’t be easy to step away but that is exactly what he has done. For his own mental health, Chris has tuned out all the noise and has focused on the health of those nearest and dearest to him."
On Wednesday, December 1st, Cuomo addressed the firing on his show, Let’s Get After It With Chris Cuomo, saying: "Quick note about the obvious, I’ve been suspended from CNN. You know this already. It hurts to even say it. It’s embarrassing, but I understand it. And I understand why some people feel the way they do about what I did. I’ve apologized in the past and I mean it. The last thing I ever wanted to do was compromise any of my colleagues and do anything but help."
CNN released a statement in reference to Cuomo's suspension, writing: "The New York Attorney General’s office released transcripts and exhibits Monday that shed new light on Chris Cuomo’s involvement in his brother’s defense. The documents, which we were not privy to before their public release, raise serious questions. These documents point to a greater level of involvement in his brother’s efforts than we previously knew. As a result, we have suspended Chris indefinitely, pending further evaluation."
