Media stars caught in scandals
Veteran TV journalist Charlie Rose among latest famous figures to face accusations
Television journalist Charlie Rose is the latest public figure to be felled by sexual misconduct allegations in the United States, with PBS halting distribution of his nightly interview show and CBS News suspending him following a Washington Post report with the accusations of eight women.
The women, who all worked for Rose or tried to work for him, accused the veteran newsman of groping them, walking naked in front of them and telling one that he dreamed about her swimming nude.
Rose, 75, said in a statement that he was “deeply embarrassed” and apologised for his behaviour.
The development came as a second woman accused Democratic Senator Al Franken of inappropriate behaviour and prominent New York Times reporter Glenn Thrush was suspended over sexual misconduct allegations.
Lindsay Menz told CNN that Franken pulled her in tightly and put his hand on her buttocks in 2010 while posing for a picture at the Minnesota State Fair. Last week Los Angeles broadcaster Leeann Tweeden accused Franken of forcibly kissing her during a tour performing for the armed services in 2006. Franken was also photographed apparently placing his hands on Tweeden’s chest while she was asleep aboard a transport plane.
News site Vox published a story accusing Thrush, whose reporting of last year’s election helped him land a book deal, of having a “history of bad judgment around young women journalists”. It painted a portrait of a powerful media figure aged 50 who often crossed the line with female reporters in their early 20s.
In the Post article on Rose, three women went on the record. Reah Bravo, a former associate producer for Rose’s PBS show who began working for him in 2007, told the newspaper: “He was a sexual predator, and I was his victim.” She said Rose groped her on multiple occasions and once, on a business trip to Indiana, called her to his hotel room where he emerged from a shower naked.
Kyle Godfrey-Ryan, one of Rose’s former assistants, said she was 21 when Rose repeatedly called her to describe his fantasies of her swim- ming naked at the pool at his Long Island home while he watched from his bedroom. She said she was fired when he learned she had spoken to a mutual friend about his behaviour.
Megan Creydt, who worked as a co-ordinator on Rose’s PBS show in 2005 and 2006, told the newspaper that she was sitting in the passenger seat as Rose drove in Manhattan one day when he put his hand on her thigh. Five women interviewed by the Post described similar grabs to their legs in what many interpreted as an attempt to see their reactions.
Rose said that he has behaved insensitively at times “and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate”.
Two hours after the Post story went online, one of its authors, Amy Brittain, tweeted that “sadly, my inbox is already flooded with women who have had similar, disturbing encounters with Charlie Rose”.
Stories of sexual misconduct have been coming in a flood since the New York Times first reported on Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein’s behaviour in early October. Other stars caught in the scandal include actor Kevin Spacey and comedian C.K. Louis.