Charlie Rose has been fired by CBS News amid sexual harassment allegations, reports The Los Angeles Times.
CBS News David Rhodes wrote a note to the staff to let them know about Rose’s termination.
“This followed the revelation yesterday of extremely disturbing and intolerable behavior said to have revolved around his PBS program. Despite Charlie’s important journalistic contribution to our news division, there is absolutely nothing more important, in this or any organization, than ensuring a safe, professional workplace — a supportive environment where people feel they can do their best work. We need to be such a place,” the note said, according to the LA Times.
Rose’s termination is a blow to CBS News, whose success came in part because of CBS This Morning, a show built around Rose and his co-anchors, Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell in 2012.
Rose gained global recognition for his ability to engage in a wide variety of topics, and for his interviews with world leaders. He was suspended on Monday after The Washington Post reported that eight women said they were subjected to inappropriate behavior while working with him, according to the LA Times. The women said that Rose, 73, made unwanted sexual advances, appeared nude in their presence or groped them.
Rose posted a statement to Twitter apologizing.
My statement in full. pic.twitter.com/3kvFrqF2dT
— Charlie Rose (@charlierose) November 20, 2017
On Tuesday morning’s CBS This Morning, King and Donnell discussed their colleague’s behavior.
“There is no excuse for this alleged behavior,” O’Donnell said. “It is systematic and pervasive, and I’ve been doing a lot of listening and I’m going to continue to do that. This I know is true: Women cannot achieve equality in the workplace or in society until there is a reckoning and a taking of responsibility.”
King said she was still “reeling” from the revelations and that she would like to echo what O’Donnell said.
“I really applaud the women that speak up despite the friendship. He doesn’t get a pass because I can’t stop thinking about the anguish of these women, what happened to their dignity, what happened to their bodies, what happened maybe to even their careers,” she said.
CBS has not named a replacement for Rose on CBS This Morning.
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