(NewsNation) — Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo agreed to an exclusive interview with NewsNation’s Dan Abrams on Tuesday to talk about everything from his exit from the cable news outlet to his role in brother’s sexual misconduct scandal.
In a no-punches-pulled interview, Cuomo was asked about his relationship with his brother, ex-New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, after the latter was accused of sexually harassing state employees while in office.
In the hourlong interview, Cuomo further explained how his career at CNN ended and what’s next for him.
Here are the three takeaways from his interview:
Chris Cuomo is joining NewsNation
Eight months after he was fired from CNN, Chris Cuomo announced he will be joining NewsNation to host a prime-time show expected to start later this year.
“I’m going to come to NewsNation and I want to build something special here,” Cuomo said. “Work with Dan (Abrams), work with the team here. They’ve got great people who are really hungry to make a difference in ways that I think matter.”
The details about his show will be announced later, but when Abrams pressed for details, Cuomo hinted there may be more personal opinion injected into the show.
“I’d like to say yes, because it’s a good sell,” Cuomo said. “But I’ve always been that way. I really don’t fake the funk.”
Cuomo: CNN knew he was helping his brother
Cuomo told Abrams he harbored no secrets about helping his brother during the sexual misconduct scandal.
CNN suspended the anchor following an investigation into his role, which stated he was contacting journalists regarding his brother’s story. He also messaged the governor’s top aides to relay information he heard from sources, according to the investigation. The news outlet later fired him.
Cuomo said he did contact reporters, but added that his only intent was to find out when a story was going to publish, adding he did not try to manipulate the story.
“There was a curiosity at the time by my brother’s team, obviously, of what was coming next, who was writing what,” he told Abrams.
Cuomo has sued his former employer for $125 million, claiming his firing was “unlawful.”
Cuomo ‘proud’ of his brother’s struggle
The former anchor said of ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo, “I love my brother and I’m proud of him for the struggle.
“We don’t talk about struggle, we just prize outcomes,” he said. “This person beat this, this person overcame that. Watching somebody struggle, watching them when it’s hard, when they’re hurt, when they’ve hurt others, that’s when you learn what somebody is about.”
Cuomo explained his decision to help his brother was driven to protect his family’s legacy. But he realized his decisions had consequences beyond himself.
His brother is accused of sexually harassing 11 women while in office, according to an investigation by the state’s attorney general.