NEW YORK — Charlie Rose was suspended by CBS on Monday after eight women accused him of sexual harassment, with allegations including groping, unwanted sexual advances and inappropriate phone calls.
The Washington Post broke the news about Rose, a co-host on “CBS This Morning,” a “60 Minutes” correspondent and the star of an eponymous PBS interview program. It published claims from the women — three of whom went on the record — in a story that became the latest to allege that a member of the media’s power class demonstrated inappropriate behavior.
“Charlie Rose is suspended immediately while we look into this matter,” a CBS News spokesperson said.
Additionally, PBS announced that it has suspended the distribution of Rose’s show, saying it was “shocked to learn today of these deeply disturbing allegations.” Bloomberg, which also airs Rose’s interview show, said it too would stop airing it.
Kyle Godfrey-Ryan, one of the three named accusers in the Washington Post story, told The Post that Rose often walked nude in front of her in the mid-2000s when she was working at one of his homes.
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After the Washington Post story was published, Godfrey-Ryan said on Facebook that she initially detailed her experiences off-the-record, until she read the transcripts from the other women who accused Rose.
“Though many came before me, some women were attacked violently and repeatedly after the time I worked there. These stories helped me reframe my perspective. I felt that by withholding my identity, I was de-legitimatizing the experiences of these other women,” she wrote. “I couldn’t be complicit in what silence meant for them, so I allowed my name to run with the story.”
In a statement to The Post, Rose said: “In my 45 years in journalism, I have prided myself on being an advocate for the careers of the women with whom I have worked. Nevertheless, in the past few days, claims have been made about my behavior toward some former female colleagues.
“It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behavior. I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.
“I have learned a great deal as a result of these events, and I hope others will too. All of us, including me, are coming to a newer and deeper recognition of the pain caused by conduct in the past, and have come to a profound new respect for women and their lives.”
The-CNN-Wire™ & © 2017 Cable News Network, Inc., a Time Warner Company. All rights reserved. (PHOTO: Carolyn Kaster/AP)
