Here’s How Chris Cuomo May Now Get Millions from CNN

Following a very brief suspension, CNN personality Chris Cuomo was fired on Saturday after what the network described as new information emerged about his efforts to help his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, fight the sexual harassment allegations that ended his tenure as governor.

Yet as NPR reported on Sunday, Chris Cuomo’s problems may not end there, with a potential sexual harassment allegation heading his way soon.

Then on Monday, the New York Post was among the first to report that Cuomo was preparing to sue CNN for the remaining $18 million he believes is owed to him under his current contract.

Cuomo could absolutely pursue a lawsuit against CNN as a starting point for a negotiation. How well this will all go for either side remains to be seen, but what is certain is that between Cuomo’s brief suspension and termination, CNN lawyers dug fast and deep into his contract to build a potential defense for the firing. One of the things they may have found in the contract is a morals clause.

A morals clause is an instrument in a contract for the protection of the employer. This type of provision can render a contract void if the employee is found to have committed certain behaviors. The problem for CNN is twofold, though.

First, these clauses generally prohibit behavior in a person’s private life. Examples would be illegal drug use and sending lewd pictures.

The second is the nature of Cuomo’s relationship with his brother. Could something like nepotism be part of a morals clause? Sure, but here’s where CNN would get into very sticky territory.

Back in the very early days of the coronavirus, CNN was closely covering the elder Cuomo’s daily updates as governor. New York was one of the states hardest hit back in March and April of 2020, so covering his news conferences made good sense. The nation could learn from the issues New York was facing and see how Cuomo was dealing with them.

With Andrew Cuomo’s star shining brighter than ever, some at CNN consciously decided it would be a good idea to have Chris Cuomo interview his brother. The two had a fantastic natural rapport on camera, and while the interviews were factual and serious in the beginning, over a period of months they became more frequent, lighter and more playful. The audience loved it, ratings went up and CNN was very, very happy.

For CNN to now claim that Chris Cuomo violated a morals clause by helping his brother would be a remarkably interesting and challenging issue for a court and one that many of us are looking forward to seeing play out. It could be an immense stretch for CNN if certain stories about CEO Jeff Zucker and Cuomo are true.

Clearly, Cuomo wasn’t an unwilling participant in the “which brother loves the other more?” show. It was perceived as being good for everyone involved and made for great TV.