Charlie Rose's 'CBS This Morning' Co-Hosts Respond to Sexual Harassment Allegations

Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell addressed the accusations against Rose on-air this morning

BY Sarah MurphyPublished Nov 21, 2017

Yesterday (November 20), eight women came forward with accusations of sexual misconduct against Charlie Rose in a Washington Post report. The television personality has since been suspended by CBS, and CBS This Morning was thus hosted by Gayle King and Norah O'Donnell without him this morning (November 21).
 
During the early morning show, King and O'Donnell addressed the allegations against Rose, condemning their colleague's behaviour.
 
King grappled with her own complicated feelings on the air, saying, "What do you say when someone that you deeply care about has done something so horrible?"
 
She continued, "That said, Charlie does not get a pass here. He doesn't get a pass from anyone in this room."
 
And although she admitted that the allegations paint a portrait of a version of Rose that she had never personally encountered, she maintained that, "I'm also clearly on the side of the women who have been very hurt and damaged by this."
 
O'Donnell, meanwhile, related her co-worker's behaviour to the wider issue of harassment and assault in society at large, urging the importance of accountability and equality in the workplace.
 
"This is a moment that demands a frank and honest assessment about where we stand and more generally the safety of women," O'Donnell said. "Let me be very clear. There is no excuse for this alleged behaviour."
 
Included among the accusations against Rose are alleged incidents in which he groped women's breasts, buttocks or genitals, walked around naked in front of them, and made lewd phone calls to them.
 
"It is essential that these women know I hear them and that I deeply apologize for my inappropriate behaviour," Rose said in a statement responding to the allegations. "I am greatly embarrassed. I have behaved insensitively at times, and I accept responsibility for that, though I do not believe that all of these allegations are accurate. I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken."
 
In addition to his ongoing suspension at CBS, PBS has also stopped the distribution of his nightly interview show Charlie Rose.
 
Watch clips from today's episode of CBS This Morning below.
 

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