Charlie Rose was suspended from PBS, CBS and Bloomberg on Monday, after eight women came forward and accused him of sexual harassment.
The women, who range in age from 21 to 37, claim the longtime broadcast journalist used fear and intimidation to sexually harass them while they worked for him.
Some of the disturbing allegations include exposing himself, groping their breasts, buttocks and genitals, and making sexually suggestive phone calls.
The harassment allegedly occurred from 1990 to 2011.
Charlie Rose’s “CBS This Morning” co-hosts expressed their disappointment in the 75-year-old newsman.
“There is no excuse for this alleged behavior,” said an emotional Norah O’Donnell on Tuesday.
“I am not okay. It’s been difficult,” said co-host Gayle King, who added she barely slept for 2 hours on Monday night. She said her children and Oprah Winfrey called to see how she was taking the news.
“That said, Charlie does not get a pass here. We are all deeply affected. He doesn’t get a pass because I cannot stop thinking about the anguish of these women,” said King.
Rose, who covered sexual harassment news stories, apologized for his “inappropriate behavior” and said he had a “deeper recognition of the pain” he caused.
“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,” Rose said in a statement. “I always felt that I was pursuing shared feelings, even though I now realize I was mistaken.”
What Rose said there is important, because most red-blooded men don’t have a clue that their behavior falls under the category of sexual harassment.
The definition of sexual harassment is so broad that anything from complimenting a woman’s clothing to patting her on the back can be misconstrued as harassment.
Men are going to be men. It is in a man’s nature to be sexually attracted to women. It is the woman’s responsibility to speak up and inform men before they go too far — not decades later.
Most men like Rose assume the woman is down for whatever if she doesn’t speak up at the first hint of inappropriate behavior.
Some Hollywood moguls have taken proactive steps to protect themselves from allegations of harassment by women.
Daytime talk show host Steve Harvey famously banned all female employees from entering his dressing room.
And Vice President Mike Pence was ridiculed for refusing to dine alone with any woman other than his wife.
Most men would do well to learn from their example.
