Former CNN host Chris Cuomo and legal expert Mark Geragos are teaming up against CNN in a $125 million dismissal case, according to sources. Cuomo was fired by the news network after allegations that he gave advice to his brother, former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, during a sexual misconduct scandal while he was supposed to be covering the story as a journalist. Geragos, a contributor to the network for 20 years, was summarily dismissed after he was named as a co-conspirator in an extortion case against jailed lawyer Michael Avenetti, although he was later cleared of the allegation.
The Lawsuit
Cuomo has hired Geragos, who has represented the likes of Winona Ryder, Colin Kaepernick, Michael Jackson and Jussie Smollett, to represent him in the lawsuit against CNN. Sources say Geragos was chosen because he is a good lawyer and because they both have a grudge against the network. Geragos is planning to call in some central figures for depositions in the coming weeks, including former CNN president Jeff Zucker and Zucker’s now-girlfriend and longtime mistress (and former public relations chief) Allison Gollust.
Geragos’ Criticism of CNN
Geragos has been critical of CNN since he was dismissed, branding the network a “lame-ass” and “know-nothing network”. He called on the network to change its name to the “Cut and Run Network” and claimed that all of its anchors were as outraged as he was about his dismissal. He has also been appearing regularly on Cuomo’s new network, News Nation.
Cuomo filed court papers in March 2022, claiming that he had been “damaged in countless ways” by CNN’s decision to fire him, including having his journalistic integrity unjustifiably smeared, making it difficult for him to find similar work in the future, and damaging him in amounts exceeding $125 million. Cuomo was originally being represented by Freedman + Taitelman and Clayman Rosenberg, but it is not clear if Geragos is replacing that team as Cuomo’s counsel or joining it.
Neither Cuomo nor Freedman + Taitelman responded to requests for comment. A representative for Geragos declined to comment.