Calling it “one of the most embarrassing, humiliating experiences” of her life, former CNN commentator Angela Rye alleged this week that former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo sent her an inappropriate text about a bikini photo when they were colleagues.
She also drew a connection between Cuomo’s explicit message and her contract not being renewed by the cable network in January 2021, noting that her release from CNN happened weeks after Cuomo called her “tinsel crotch” alongside a screenshot of her picture.
During the premiere episode of her new podcast Native Land Pod, which she co-hosts with former Florida gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum and ex-MSNBC host Tiffany Cross, Rye got emotional while sharing her experience for the first time publicly.
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Noting that she had been dumped by CNN the day after President Joe Biden’s inauguration, Rye said that it was just 10 days prior that Cuomo—then a primetime host for the network—was texting her about a “promising and regular role” for her on his program.
“Truthfully, I had my doubts about the genuine nature of this idea,” she said, adding that “Cuomo came up with this particular segment idea after a text exchange that went woefully wrong.” Rye added that she questioned herself at the time, wondering if she could “ignore this indiscretion” that had previously occurred.
That indiscretion, she alleges, occurred on New Year's Day of 2021 when she posted an image of herself in a gold-sequined swimsuit on Instagram. According to Rye, Cuomo soon took a screenshot of the photo and privately messaged her: “Happy New Year, tinsel crotch.”
“Stunned, I read and re-read the message a dozen times, trying to understand if I somehow brought this on myself, since whatever you post on social is fair game, right,” Rye stated. “I felt like the safest place I had on a show on CNN had been compromised.”
Claiming she initially “ignored it just hoping it would go away,” Rye said she didn’t respond to Cuomo for two more days even though he texted “hello” a few hours after sending the message.
“I tried to punt until after the Georgia runoffs, asking a week later if he still wanted to discuss his work idea despite him mentioning tinsel bikini and tinsel bottom along the way. As I think about this, it feels so fucking small compared to what other women in the workplace experience. But I was afraid to speak up between New Year’s and my follow-up.”
Choking back tears, Rye went on to tell her podcast colleagues that she felt that her eventual dismissal from CNN was linked to Cuomo’s messages.
A representative for CNN declined to comment. A spokesperson for NewsNation, where Cuomo now hosts a weeknight show, said: “We have no comment on anything that may or may not have happened prior to Mr. Cuomo’s employment with Nexstar.”
Cuomo did not respond to a request for comment.
After saying she was worried about speaking up and “making it a bigger deal,” especially since she was in talks with other networks about a potential role, Rye said that Cuomo had reached out to her in 2023.
“Chris, you texted me from a new number last year asking if I’m mad at you. I was, but I was really mad at myself. I was mad at myself for not saying anything sooner because I was lacking courage and preferring my financial well-being over my mental health,” she proclaimed.
“I was mad at myself for protecting your image with the Black women I know who loved you, who looked forward to hearing your voice. I know I'm not the only one,” Rye continued. “And truthfully, I’m mad about that too, that everyone has given you a pass for fear of what it might mean to hold you accountable for clearly inappropriate behavior and overstepping.”
Furthermore, Rye asserted that she had a “great rapport” with Cuomo before the incident, saying she was “worried about damaging a friendship and a working relationship that you actually damaged.”
Cuomo was terminated by CNN in December 2021 for helping to dig up dirt on his brother Andrew’s accusers amid the disgraced former New York governor’s sexual misconduct scandal. Besides his efforts to help fight the allegations against his brother, Cuomo has been hit by accusations of sexual harassment as well, which CNN said also led to his firing.
