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In a matter of a few days, CNN host Chris Cuomo and contributor April Ryan were involved in separate altercations, both captured on video. A third network figure, host Don Lemon, was accused in a civil suit of harassing behavior stemming from an encounter last summer.
There is no indication that the episodes are related, but CNN has repeatedly suggested that the Cuomo encounter was "orchestrated" to provoke the anchor-host. The network sees itself as subject to threats in the wake of relentless criticism and provocations from President Donald Trump.
Some CNN correspondents travel with security when reporting at Trump's rallies. The network has also reminded its employees about security concerns, but it hasn't said anything specific internally in the wake of the Cuomo, Ryan and Lemon episodes.
A CNN executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to speak frankly, called the Lemon suit "a shakedown" and pointed a finger at the president for giving people license to attack journalists.
"We are living in a time where journalists are being confronted with orchestrated provocations on Sunday afternoons while out with their families, and shakedowns from people looking to make a quick buck," the executive said. "All because of where they work and their commitment to holding those in power accountable. License to do so is being given from the highest levels of office in the country. It is dangerous, and it is wrong."
CNN has come in for frequent criticism from Trump as "fake news" and an "enemy of the people." In October, a Florida man, Cesar Sayoc, sent inoperative mail bombs to prominent Democrats and to CNN's office in New York, prompting evacuation of its building. Sayoc, whose attorneys described him as an obsessive Trump follower who is mentally ill, was sentenced last week to 20 years in prison.
Cuomo's profanity-laced reaction to a man who called him "Fredo" at a public event received widespread attention on social media earlier this week, especially after Trump retweeted video of it and started selling T-shirts mocking Cuomo about the incident on his campaign website. Cuomo said the man's reference to Fredo Corleone, the unimpressive middle brother in the crime family depicted in the "Godfather" films, was a slur against Italian Americans. A CNN spokesman said the network stood by Cuomo, saying he was "verbally attacked" in an "orchestrated setup."
The incident involving Ryan, a pundit who appears frequently the network, occurred on Aug. 3 at a hotel in New Brunswick, New Jersey. As Ryan began speaking to a parents group, her security guard signaled for her to stop, and a confrontation between the guard and a man recording the speech with a video camera ensued. The man, local reporter Charles Kratovil, continued to record the exchange.
The guard, who was later identified by police as Joel Morris, told Kratovil to turn off his camera and leave the hotel ballroom, according to a police report of the incident. When Kratovil refused, Morris told police he grabbed Kratovil's camera. Kratovil later complained that Morris had used a "compliance hold" on him, slightly injuring his wrist, the police report said. Kratovil eventually got his camera back.
Ryan, a veteran White House reporter for American Urban Radio Networks, travels with security as a result of a series of threats. Her speaking contracts ban video and audio recordings, a provision designed to ensure that her voice and image aren't used by rival networks. She declined to comment for this article.
Kratovil is the founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, a site covering community news. He said in an interview Wednesday that he had the organizer's approval to cover the event and had set up his camera in advance of Ryan's speech without complaint. He said he intends to file a criminal complaint against Morris later this week.
Kratovil also noted the irony of a journalist preventing another journalist from covering an event. "It's not something you expect," he said. "It does seem odd for a journalist to act that way."
On Tuesday, a lawsuit surfaced against Lemon, an opinionated host whose nightly program follows Cuomo's, alleging that he had assaulted a former bartender at a New York bar last year.
The plaintiff, Dustin Hice, sued Lemon for a "demeaning, unprovoked and offensive assault" that allegedly took place at the bar in the beach resort town of Sag Harbor, New York, in July 2018. A CNN representative said Lemon "categorically denied" the claims.
"The plaintiff in this lawsuit has previously displayed a pattern of contempt for CNN on his social media accounts," CNN said in a statement. "This claim follows his unsuccessful threats and demands for an exorbitant amount of money from Don Lemon." A person close to Lemon said Hice had asked for $1.5 million from Lemon and filed suit after Lemon turned him down.
The suit states that Hice offered to buy the TV host a vodka drink called a lemon drop, but Lemon declined. Hice alleged that Lemon approached him later, and "put his hand down the front of his own shorts, and vigorously rubbed his genitalia, removed his hand and shoved his index and middle fingers into [Hice's] mustache and under [Hice's] nose."
Cuomo tweeted on Tuesday that he appreciates the support he's gotten since his angry reaction was circulated on social media. But he acknowledged that he "should be better than the guys baiting me."
"This happens all the time these days," he wrote. "Often in front of my family. But there is a lesson: no need to add to the ugliness; I should be better than what I oppose."
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Previously:
• 01/21/19: BuzzFeed's stumble is highest-profile misstep at a time when press is under greatest scrutiny
• 12/20/18: Tucker Carlson is in BIG trouble, right? Not quite
• 08/29/18: A legend of Watergate fame faces new questions about a blockbuster Trump story
• 07/12/18: Once partners, 'Game Change' co-authors are at odds over their shattered franchise
• 06/01/18: MSNBC host Joy Reid faces new questions about her old blog
• 05/01/18: Cut the comedy? The White House Correspondents' Association is considering it
• 04/30/18: Prez's absence at White House correspondents' dinner turns it from schmooze-fest to snooze-fest
• 03/07/18: A chatty former Trump aide with a wild but wavering story raised some questions about live interviews
• 02/16/18: Reporting on tragedy: To explain or exploit?
• 01/04/18: The provocative, plugged-in author of new Trump book has previously been accused of playing fast and loose with facts
• 12/05/17: Blunderer Brian (Ross') staggering screw-ups
• 11/27/17: New news? Not on 'Morning Joe.' Hosts pass off a taped show as the live version
• 01/06/17: Why losing Megyn Kelly probably won't even dent Fox News' armor
• 05/09/16: Obama official 'fesses up: 'Narrative' created by administration sold Iran nuclear deal to clueless press
• 03/16/16: Despite the beatdown, reporters love the Trump beat
• 03/10/16: What really gets under Trump's skin?
• 03/04/16: Megyn Kelly leaves Trump sputtering to defend himself at debate
• 02/29/16: Think Trump's wrong? Fact checkers can tell you how often (hint: a lot)