Chris Cuomo Plots Comeback, Says He “Will Never Be a Hater” of CNN in Debut Podcast

Former CNN anchor Chris Cuomo is planning his comeback — and it’s a podcast.

Cuomo on Thursday launched The Chris Cuomo Project, an interview podcast with plans to release two episodes per week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The podcast will see Cuomo give “his signature take on today’s pressing current events — and explores how these stories are being covered by all sides of the media,” according to a description on the podcast’s official YouTube page.

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It will also feature “in-depth interviews with newsmakers, tastemakers and other influential figures,” per the description.

The debut episode featured interviews with actor Sean Penn and Andriy Yermak, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s chief of staff, and included pieces from a recent trip Cuomo took to Ukraine.

But Cuomo also used the inaugural episode to address his exit from CNN and the circumstances surrounding it. Despite being terminated by CNN in December, Cuomo appeared ready to move on.

“As for CNN, I will never be a hater. CNN has great people, CNN has a great purpose, and I wish them all the best, and I miss so many of the people there,” Cuomo said. “But it is time for me to move on, and I believe I can be more than I was before.”

He did, however, apologize to his “amazing team” at the cable news channel.

“The people who made my show number one at CNN from the jump, and kept it there,” Cuomo said. “They never get the credit they deserve, it is always about the hair and the teeth, the people on TV. I didn’t get to say goodbye, and I am sorry about that. I am sorry that circumstances made it impossible to tell you face to face how each and all of you mean to me.”

Since being fired by CNN, Cuomo has rebranded himself as a “free agent,” going so far as to sell “Free Agent” merchandise on his website, with the slogan “are YOU free?” The podcast description emphasizes that he is “free from the constraints of a traditional media organization” and as such is for “those who don’t fit nicely on one side or the other.”

During the intro to his podcast, he doubled down on that thesis, suggesting that cable news channels “massage” coverage to fit what they think their audience wants to hear.

Cuomo, who worked for Fox News and ABC News before joining CNN, also said he was supported in his career by Roger Ailes and Jeff Zucker: “Two of the most impactful, powerful, talented and of course controversial media moguls.”

Cuomo is booked to appear on Dan Abrams’ show on NewsNation next Tuesday, where he is expected to further discuss the new project. Abrams’ show also emphasizes the host’s independence, and sees Abrams calling out media coverage from other outlets for their biases.

Cuomo was fired by CNN in December after “new information that came to light about his involvement with his brother’s defense.” His brother, Andrew Cuomo, was the governor of New York, but resigned after harassment allegations were made against him. The CNN host served as something of a strategist on his behalf, according to findings from the New York Attorney General.

On the podcast, Cuomo continued to defend his efforts to help his brother.

“For me, the past is the past, and there is no benefit to you if I relitigate what was said and done involving my brother,” he said. “And there are some outstanding legal fights that I have to respect, but let me be clear: I do regret how everything ended, but I will never regret helping my family. I promised my father that I always would be there for my brother, and I always will be, just like he has always been there for me, just like my sisters have been there for me, and have been there for him. That’s family.”

Following his CNN termination, Cuomo also pulled the plug on his SiriusXM show and had an upcoming book pulled from the calendar. The podcast, which will live on YouTube, Spotify and other podcast platforms, is his first project since leaving the cable news channel.

In March, Cuomo also served CNN with a $125 million arbitration claim. The arbitration is believed to be ongoing.

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