CBS This Morning pulled no punches on Tuesday morning when reporting on the sexual misconduct bombshell about their colleague, veteran journalist Charlie Rose. The Washington Post reported the accounts of eight separate women on Monday detailing unwanted sexual advances by Rose from the ’90s through to 2011. Hosts Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell opened up the show by announcing the story while Bianna Golodryga ran through the details, as well as Rose’s response.
Rose told The Post that he was “greatly embarrassed” by what had transpired and that he had “behaved insensitively at times,” while also refuting the accuracy of some of the allegations. He has since been suspended by the network while they investigate the matter.
Later, the women addressed the allegations with frank honesty, as Golodryga told the audience that “it’s important we cover it the same way as the other ones” before turning things back over to King and O’Donnell. “This is a moment that demands a frank and honest assessment about where we stand, and more generally the safety of women,” continued O’Donnell. “Let me be very clear, there is no excuse for this alleged behavior. 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,” O’Donnell went on, powerfully.
For her part, King said she echoed O’Donnell’s statements, while admitting that she was still reeling from the news and had gotten less than two hours of sleep the night before. “After reading that story in The Post, it was deeply disturbing, troubling, and painful for me to read,” she said. “That said, I think we have to make this matter to women, the women who have spoken up, the women who have not spoken up because they’re afraid, I’m hoping that now they’ll take the step to speak out too, that this becomes a moment of truth.”
(Via CBS News)