AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster
- After five months of further investigation into Charlie Rose's alleged history of sexual harassment, The Washington Post got stories from 27 more women, dating as far back as 1976.
- A few women told the Post they'd reported Rose's behavior to managers, including at least three at CBS.
- The new allegations, similar to the first made by eight women, include groping, inappropriate sexual comments, and appearing nude without consent.
- The first allegations against Rose were published by the Post in November 2017.
27 more women have accused Charlie Rose of sexual harassment.
After months of further investigation into the alleged history of harassment by the news anchor (of CBS News, PBS, and "60 Minutes"), The Washington Post discovered over two dozen more stories dating as far back as 1976.
Eight women accused Rose of sexual harassment in a Post report published in November 2017. Business Insider also spoke to former interns who said Rose harassed them. After these reports came out, Rose's PBS show was canceled and he was fired from CBS News.
The allegations against Rose include groping, lewd phone calls, and appearing nude in front of women without their consent.
In the new Post story, several women said they reported Rose's behavior to managers, including three at CBS News. CBS News denied any knowledge of Rose's alleged behavior before the Post's report in November was published. In a statement on the new report, Rose told the Post, "Your story is unfair and inaccurate."
The Post spoke to 27 women who accused Rose of the same kind of harassment reported in November. 14 of the women worked for CBS News, while the other 13 worked with him elsewhere. One woman told the Post that while she was a research assistant at the NBC News Washington bureau, Rose exposed his penis to her and grabbed her breasts.
"This other personality would come through, and the groping would happen," Joana Matthias told the Post. A spokeswoman for NBC News declined to comment on the allegation.
The first time a woman allegedly harassed by Rose told a manager was at CBS Morning News in 1986, when he filling in as an anchor, according to the Post. Annmarie Perr, then a news clerk, said Rose asked her if she liked to have sex, how often, and if she enjoyed it. Perr said that when she reported it to her boss, who she did not name, the person laughed and said she didn't have to be alone with him anymore.
Corrina Collins, who interned for Rose's PBS show in 2003, went on a trip with Rose for "60 Minutes II." Collins, 20 at the time, told the Post that Rose insisted she drink wine. She said she threw up on the plane, and that Rose squeezed her breasts in the car from the airport, and suggested they work in his hotel room. In the hotel room, Rose allegedly said, "I want you to ride me." She quickly left.
When she got back to New York, Collins told the Post that she reported Rose's behavior to Yvette Vega, the executive producer of Rose's PBS show. Collins said that Vega said he was harmless. Vega did not respond to the Post's request for comment.
In April 2017, Brooks Harris, then 24, said that Rose took a liking to her. Rose took her out to lunch at expensive restaurants, and offered her jobs at "60 Minutes" and on his PBS show. She took a job on his PBS Show, and Rose's behavior started to make her more uncomfortable, she said. Chelsea Wei, the executive assistant of CBS News executive producer Ryan Kadro, told the Post that she warned Kadro about the unusual relationship.
"I'm telling you in case you have a lawsuit on your hands," Wei said she told Kadro. Wei told the Post that Kadro did not seem surprised.
"Ms. Wei did not tell me about inappropriate behavior by Charlie Rose towards Ms. Harris at any time," Kadro told the Post. "Regarding your question about a 'lawsuit' - I don't believe she used that word."
Harris told the Post that Rose said he'd hired her because he liked tall women. She also said that he once suggested she have sex with another female assistant, Sydney McNeal. McNeal confirmed Rose's remark to the Post, adding that working for Rose was "toxic."
"Since we terminated Charlie Rose, we've worked to strengthen existing systems to ensure a safe environment where everyone can do their best work," CBS News said in a statement to Business Insider. "Some of the actions we have taken have been reported publicly, some have not. We offer employees discretion and fairness, and we take swift action when we learn of unacceptable behavior. That said, we cannot corroborate or confirm many of the situations described. We continue to look for ways to improve our workplace and this period of reflection and action has been important to all of us. We are not done with this process."