Chris Cuomo
Chris CuomoReuters

Former CNN host Chris Cuomo filed a request for arbitration on Wednesday, seeking $125 million in damages for alleged wrongful termination, Reuters reported.

The network fired Cuomo in December, following an inquiry into his efforts to help his brother, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who had been accused of sexual harassment.

That announcement came several days after the network suspended Cuomo him after documents were published indicating he was more involved than the company had known in advising his brother on how to respond to the allegations of harassment against him.

Following the termination from CNN, Cuomo said he was ending his SiriusXM radio show. A division of HarperCollins Publishers later announced that it has canceled plans to publish a book by Cuomo.

Cuomo maintains that he was transparent with CNN about his role as his brother’s confidant, and had “no reason to believe” that this violated the network’s policies.

The filing alleges the law firm CNN hired to investigate Cuomo’s role in advising his brother, and a subsequent allegation of sexual misconduct that surfaced in a December 1 letter, failed to give him an opportunity to explain what happened or address the woman’s allegations, which he claims are false.

Cuomo’s lawyers also argue that CNN was willing to bend its rules when it would benefit the network, citing the early days of the pandemic, in early 2020, when the network lifted its ban on Chris Cuomo interviewing his brother “to exploit the Cuomo family relationship for its own purposes.”

Representatives of CNN parent, AT&T’s WarnerMedia, declined comment.