Chris Cuomo degrades Dean

CHRIS Cuomo schemed to discredit Fox News meteorologist Janice Dean, allegedly calling her “that Fox weather bitch” in texts after she criticized then-Gov. Andrew Cuomo for transferring elderly COVID-19 patients to nursing homes.

Dean, Fox’s senior meteorologist, lost her mother-in-law and father-in-law, who were in nursing homes, to COVID in March and April of 2020, and became an outspoken critic of the governor.

She said on “Fox & Friends,” “He needs to go to jail!”

According to a source, canned CNN anchor Chris wanted to defend his brother, and he texted with Andrew’s staff about how to discredit Dean. The source said Chris allegedly asked in a text to a staffer how he could go after “this Fox weather bitch . . . Any help painting her as a far right crazy?”

It is also believed he participated in calls with the governor’s staff, including top aide Melissa DeRosa, about how to hit back at Dean.

Dean has said she was appalled by the Cuomo administration’s March 25 directive that nursing homes could not deny admission to someone solely because they had COVID-19. The policy was expanded to cover assisted living facilities on April 7.

Dean said in a statement to Page Six on Friday, “As I have said from Day 1, this was never about politics.” Referring to the state attorney general’s report revealing that Cuomo staffers were working to smear accusers, Dean said, “I am not surprised to hear that. The Cuomo administration alongside his brother, Chris Cuomo, were doing the same with me. I am glad these details are coming to light.”

A rep for Chris didn’t return multiple calls and e-mails. CNN declined to comment. Rich Azzopardi, spokesman for Andrew, said, “I have no knowledge of this ever happening, and you must ask, why then did the attorney general not put anything about it in her report or ask any of the relevant people about it?”