Already have an account?
Get back to the

Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell Address Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Cohost Charlie Rose

Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell addressed the sexual misconduct allegations against their CBS This Morning cohost Charlie Rose at the top of the show on Tuesday, November 21.

Related: Hollywood’s Sexual Misconduct Scandals

CBS News suspended Rose, 75, and PBS halted production on his self-titled talk show on Monday, November 20, after eight women claimed to The Washington Post that the TV host made unwanted sexual advances toward them between the late 1990s and 2011. In a statement to the newspaper, Rose apologized for his “inappropriate behavior,” but said he does “not believe that all of these allegations are accurate.”

Gayle King Norah O’Donnell Charlie Rose CBS This Morning
Gayle King and Norah O’Donnell address the allegations against Charlie Rose on ‘CBS This Morning.’

“This is a moment that demands a frank and honest assessment about where we stand and more generally the safety of women,” O’Donnell, 43, said on CBS This Morning in response to the news. “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. I am really proud to work at CBS News. There are so many incredible people here, especially on this show — all of you here. This will be investigated. This has to end. This behavior is wrong. Period.”

Related: Stars Who Were Fired From Jobs

King, 62, responded, “I really am still reeling. I got an hour and 42 minutes of sleep last night.”

Charlie Rose
Charlie Rose attends The Hollywood Reporter’s 5th Annual ’35 Most Powerful People in New York Media’ event in New York City on April 6, 2016.

“That said, I think we have to make this matter to women – the women that have spoken up, the women who have not spoken up because they’re afraid,” King continued. “I’m hoping that now they will take the step to speak out, too. This becomes a moment of truth. You know, I’ve enjoyed a friendship and a partnership with Charlie for the past five years. I’ve held him in such high regard and I’m really struggling because … what do you say when someone that you deeply care about has done something that is so horrible? How do you wrap your brain around that? I’m really grappling with that. That said, Charlie does not get a pass here. He doesn’t get a pass from anyone in this room. We are all deeply affected. We are all rocked by this. … I can’t stop thinking about the anguish of these women. What happened to their dignity, what happened to their bodies, what happened maybe to even their careers.”

Related: Stars at Court

King and O’Donnell both said they hadn’t spoken to Rose since the allegations were made.

In this article

Got a Tip form close button
Got a tip for US?
We're All Ears for Celebrity Buzz!