It’s been nearly a year since the whole Predator-gate/Me-Too thing started. It’s a weird anniversary to celebrate, but life is messy and it’s worth it to take stock every so often to see how conversations have changed so drastically (or not so much) in just ten or eleven months. Predators were outed, victims were believed, investigations were launched and predators lost their jobs. Charlie Rose was one of those predators. As we now know, he had a lengthy, decades-long history of harassing, groping and abusing women, mostly very young women who worked for him in some capacity. He was first outed last fall. After a few months, he attempted a comeback by getting some friendly media outlets to write about how he was so tortured and brilliant and lonely. Shortly after that, the Washington Post revealed even more: they found 27 women who talked about how he’s a gross abuser.
Rose’s comeback seemed over before it started. But look at the header photo: Charlie Rose attended John McCain’s memorial in Washington. Methinks he still believes he’s going to come back in some way. Meanwhile, CBS News – who knew all about Rose’s behavior over the years – is seeking to dismiss the lawsuit filed by some of Rose’s victims:
CBS claims it can’t be held liable for alleged sexual misconduct by disgraced TV journalist Charlie Rose. In a Manhattan Supreme Court filing, the network’s news division asked to be dismissed from a suit filed by three women who claim the former “CBS This Morning” co-host subjected them to “blatant and repeated sexual harassment.” Court papers filed Friday evening say the suit brought by Katherine Brooks Harris, Sydney McNeal and Yuqing “Chelsea” Wei “is wholly infirm as against CBS.”
“Specifically, one of the Plaintiffs never worked at CBS, and another was not a CBS employee at the time Rose allegedly engaged in harassment,” the motion says. “In any event, none of the three Plaintiffs state any cognizable claims against CBS.”
The women, all in their 20s, allege that Rose, 76, touched all of their arms, shoulders, waists and backs, boasted about his sexual conquests and urged Harris and McNeal to have sex with each other, “indicating that he was having sexual fantasies about them.”
They also say nothing was done after they complained to an executive producer and a personnel supervisor.
Rose has yet to respond to the suit, and last month his lawyers filed an emergency order asking for an extension through Thursday because he “fell ill” and “underwent major surgery on July 17.”
“The recovery period for the surgery is six weeks,” court papers said.
Charlie Rose couldn’t respond to the suit because of his “surgery,” and because he was too busy hobnobbing at the McCain memorial and plotting his next comeback attempt. I know this post won’t get many comments, I get that Charlie Rose doesn’t get the same kind of outrage and violent disgust as Harvey Weinstein or even Louis CK. But Charlie Rose hurt dozens of women for decades. He hurt their careers, he hurt them financially, he psychologically abused them and CBS tucked it all away because every media outlet is a Boys Club which will actively seek to normalize, minimize and ignore abusers in their midst, and they also seek to gaslight victims. This is all part of the same story: why Charlie Rose was able to prey on so many young women is the same reason why Donald Trump is in office.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Can’t even look at him anymore. Gross.
Just go away, Charlie. Your time is up. There are so many worthy people who can take your place. Time to just go away.
You have my comment. I’ve had my share of run-ins with ancient creeps like Rose and they most definitely are serial abusers. Of course CBS wants to cancel these complaints. So disgusted by it all. And a lot of opportunists seemed to have thought McCain’s funeral was a way to be seen. So much for respect.
For me the news about Rose was almost more of a surprise than Weinstein. I grew up watching him. It really hit home how people can have that trusted face in public and you can watch them for 30 years never suspecting what monsters they are. I cannot imagine having to see that face creep up on you at your loved one’s funeral while he tried to claw his way back to the top. He is gross and clueless. No concept of any wrongdoing at all.
This is how I feel. I grew up watching him. We loved his show. My mom and I were horrified to learn about his behaviors.
I felt betrayed by Brian Williams for the same reason.
Go the f*ck away and stay there, Charlie!!
Because we always put it on women that it’s their fault. You were dressed too sexy, or you should be flattered, it means you’re hot. Boys will be boys. We dont make men take accountability for their actions. Why are you dressed so sexy, do you want to be treated like a slut? I’ve seen comments about how women are dressed and they dont deserve respect. My mom’s husband’s brother said something about how women dress so sexy at work and then complain 20 years later that they were harrassed. I was appalled that he said that and it seemed like my mom agreed. Its bullshit! I keep my hands to myself no matter how a man is dressed. It’s just a way to make excuses for men. They’ve been running things for so long, they poison us with this b.s.
On a separate note, have you guys ever heard of the man being the head of the household? I was taught that as a kid in church but i can’t attend that idea. I feel it should be an equal partnership. My husband believes in that b.s. and i feel like that’s why we argue sometimes.
That’s definitely an argument worth having. Tell him he can be “head of the household ” when he earns a degree in domestic engineering. Until then you both have to figure it out equally together.
The audacity of people like Charlie and Louis CK and Matt Lauer to want to come back into the fold like nothing happened…it is astonishing. They are lucky they have not been arrested for their assaults. No. You are not invited back to society and the people (mostly men) who feel bad for them and want to make a path for them to be part of things again are a huge part of the problem.
These men have piles of money (PILES OF IT). They are not homeless living on the street. They are not in cages. They should be. No one should cry for them. Their careers should be extinguished and they should be made to pay.
This post should get as many comments as the ones about all the other predators, because touching someone against their will, however casual, is creepy and an act of transgression.
Men should have learned a long time ago that this kind of behavior is not acceptable, and employers should be held liable, especially in cases like Charlie Rose’s, where this behavior has been going on for decades, and was common knowledge.
I think Charlie Rose may disgust me even more than Weinstein and Louis CK — he persistently crafted that appearance of a discerning, decent, upstanding man who sucked us all in to whatever extent we tuned in to him and his work.
In that top photo, Rose looks faintly like The Joker to me, and now I can’t unsee it.
@Kaiser
Thanks for putting this up.
When I saw him walking out of the McCain memorial, I was angry.
Is this the one website that will mention that he is OK to be out publicly, but unable to appear in court?
Or will Page Six “borrow” this?
He is such a POS.
I just hate them all #metoo #toomanytimestocount
I want him to go away for good and take Matt Lauer and Louis with him.
He has no shame- the beauty of white male privilege and the old boys club. Under that tidy, pleasant facade is a calculating, entitled, slimy gargoyle.
This was the one I was not surprised by as Charlie always gave me the creeps. Whenever he “interviewed” anyone, he talked much more than the person he was supposed to be interviewing. Very full of himself.
I would go a step further, Kaiser, and say that Rose helped to damaged the Republic by getting Trump elected.
He’s one of MANY male figures in media (Chris Matthews, Matt Lauer, Les Moonves, Glen Thrush, Bill O’Reilly etc) who shaped the narrative that Clinton was a hawk, a rule breaker with her emails, etc., while simultaneously harassing women in their workplace. Certainly there’s a though line there. And it’s misogyny.
So, yes. It’s an important story.
Roxane Gay wrote an excellent opinion piece for the New York Times about all these predators trying to make a come back. These men think they are so vital to culture and public discourse that we should welcome them back. Lord grant me the confidence of a mediocre white man!
Somebody please fire the executive producer and personnel director who enabled the abuse. The executive suite needs to be held accountable. Perhaps a boycott of CBS shows and advertisers until the (ir)responsible parties are named and shamed?