Chris Cuomo is getting up close and personal about his battle with COVID-19 -- and the reason he's so intimate is because he wants folks to know they can fight and win.
The CNN anchor is still working and aired his x-ray Monday night during his show ... and Dr. Sanjay Gupta joined him to evaluate the state of Chris' lungs. Gupta says there's definite signs of inflammatory fluid build-up ... a tell-tale sign of coronavirus.
Chris passionately explained how he's doing everything he can at home to avoid going to the hospital and adding one more patient to an already-flooded and overworked healthcare system in crisis at the moment. Sounds like what he's doing -- on his doctor's advice -- might well be working.
He told viewers he's constantly moving -- getting up, laying on his side, stretching, talking, whatever -- to keep the virus on its toes, 'cause he says it's banking on people becoming sedentary and passive as it sets up shop in the body ... particularly in the chest.
Chris added that he truly feels this is happening to him for a reason -- namely, to help others.
10:32 AM PT -- Chris joined his brother, Andrew Cuomo's, press briefing Thursday morning to talk more about his experience with COVID-19, but of course ... they couldn't resist taking some good-natured brotherly shots at each other.
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The NY Governor was mostly on the receiving end of the CNN anchor's jokes -- about his hair and his fishing skills among other things -- but Chris also elaborated on his crazy hallucinations and dreams ... one of which involved Andrew in a ballet outfit.
Chris Cuomo says the effects of the coronavirus are no joke ... it's been so bad he says he chipped his tooth from violent shivers and hallucinated seeing his dead father.
The CNN anchor ended his show Wednesday night describing the horrors he's experienced from contracting COVID-19 ... and he says he now gets why hospitals are being flooded with scared patients.
Cuomo said he was up all night Tuesday with a 103-plus fever "that wouldn't quit" and tightness in his chest. He said, "I was shivering so much, that Sanjay's right, I chipped my tooth." And for good measure ... he let his audience know his chompers aren't cheap.
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Then, the hallucinations. Chris said, "I tell you, I was hallucinating. My dad was talking to me." Cuomo's dad is the former NY Gov. Mario Cuomo, who died in 2015.
In short ... Chris says the virus came at him like nothing he's ever seen or experienced. And he issued a warning to young, healthy and strong Americans ... nobody's safe from the virus.
But believe it or not ... what scares him the most is not knowing whether he may have spread the virus to his wife and kids. Chris said not being able to protect them has been difficult ... since he's now relegated to his basement.
As we reported ... Chris was diagnosed with the disease earlier this week. At the time, Chris said he was feeling well and would continue to broadcast his prime-time show from his home. But it seems the virus has really hit peak level.
Chris Cuomosays his initial coronavirus symptoms are very similar to the flu ... and now he's worried about passing the virus along to his family as they quarantine at home.
The CNN anchor just gave Anderson Cooper the lowdown on his diagnosis ... explaining he first thought he was dealing with flu-like symptoms -- fever, chills, shortness of breath -- until his doctor dropped some knowledge on him.
It is interesting -- maybe even ironic -- Chris mentioned it feeling flu-like. As you know, CNN and others have given President Trump loads of crap, rightfully so, for initially downplaying coronavirus as just another flu, and no reason for Americans to worry.
Sure, the symptoms can be similar, but these are still two vastly different health issues ... and Chris says it makes it a lot easier for the virus to sneak up on ya. Scary stuff.
It's pretty alarming ... Chris says he's terrified his wife and children could become infected because they're all living under the same roof.
Chris is a trooper, so he's still anchoring his CNN show from his basement as long as he feels up to it ... and we gotta say, his work-from-home setup looks pretty sweet. Not a bad basement to be stuck in for a few weeks.
While Chris remains confident he can beat this thing, he explains why everyone needs to feel a sense of urgency right now.
Chris Cuomo's spent plenty of time talking about coronavirus on CNN, and now he's got a first-person account of what it's really like ... because he has the virus.
Chris says he's tested positive for COVID-19 ... but so far CNN says he's feeling well and will continue to anchor his prime-time show from his home.
Cuomo says he's been exposed to people in recent days who have also been diagnosed with COVID-19, and he's worried about spreading it to his kids and wife, Cristina.
Chris says he's quarantining in his basement, where he'll continue anchoring his show. He already anchored from home Monday and interviewed his brother, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo.
Fox News
Gov. Cuomo just addressed his brother's diagnosis at Tuesday's coronavirus briefing ... saying the virus doesn't care how rich, powerful, young or old you are. Andrew says Chris is gonna be fine, but there's a lesson in it for everyone.
CNN says Chris was last at its NYC offices Friday and he's the third case of coronavirus at the network's Hudson Yards workspace. As you know, New York is considered the epicenter of the outbreak in the States.
Chris says he had symptoms associated with COVID-19 -- fever, chills and shortness of breath -- but he's staying positive, vowing the country will beat the virus by remaining smart, tough and united.
Pete Buttigieg is firing back at Rush Limbaugh's homophobic remarks with poise and class -- and interestingly enough ... he's got Steve Bannon supporting him here.
Mayor Pete went on CNN Sunday to talk about the campaign, Nevada, polls and attracting voters of color -- but he was also given the opportunity to respond to the conservative radio host's recent controversial POV ... that Trump would easily defeat a gay opponent.
The Rush Limbaugh Show
PB was pretty measured, but also firm. He says he loves his husband, Chasten, and doesn't care who knows it. More importantly, he won't take family advice from someone like Rush -- who says Pete seems to enjoy making a show out of kissing a man on stage.
Pete corrects the record there as well -- telling Dana Bash he usually just hugs Chasten.
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As we've reported ... DT himself has actually taken the opposite stance, saying he doesn't think Pete being gay would affect voters all that much -- and certainly shouldn't hurt his electability.
Welp, as it turns out ... Trump's old campaign pal, Steve Bannon, feels the exact same way. We got him out in NYC as he was leaving the FOX News studio and asked him about it. You gotta watch this for yourself because Steve is incredibly strong in his statement to us.
Long story short, Bannon doesn't think Pete's "sexual preference" (cringe) is a talking point whatsoever ... so move on, America.
An insanely violent movie scene parody video following a fake Donald Trump as he shoots, stabs and kills political rivals and media outlets is being condemned ... and The White House says the President agrees.
The video -- an edited version of the church massacre scene from the film "Kingsman: The Secret Service" -- was reportedly played at a pro-Trump conference by his supporters at his Trump National Doral Miami resort last week.
In the vid, the fake Trump begins a killing spree at the "Church of Fake News" of the major media outlets and news sites like Politico, NPR, Slate, The Hill, HuffPo and Vice News ... along with the activist movement Black Lives Matter.
Chris Cuomo became the target of some serious heat after jokingly assuming female pronouns during an LGBTQ town hall event ... and then offering up a quick apology.
Cuomo was one of several CNN personalities to take the stage Thursday with Democratic candidates to discuss issues facing the LGBTQ community. Kamala Harris joined Cuomo on the stage and announced, "My pronouns are she/her/hers."
The backlash on social media was immediate ... and Cuomo apologized, tweeting, "PLEASE READ: When Sen. Harris said her pronouns were she her and her's, I said mine too. I should not have. I apologize. I am an ally of the LGBTQ community, and I am sorry because I am committed to helping us achieve equality. Thank you for watching our townhall."
The town hall was a first of its kind ... with each candidate getting about 15 minutes to field questions from audience members.
Andrew Yang says folks should forgive Shane Gillis -- the newest cast member on 'SNL' -- over racist remarks he made about Asians ... and more importantly, ease up on seeking retribution.
The presidential hopeful -- who's Taiwanese-American -- went on CNN Sunday to elaborate on his thoughts from these past couple days ... calling for Shane to NOT lose his new job at "Saturday Night Live," but instead ... to be forgiven and used as a teachable moment.
As we reported ... as soon as Shane was announced as a member of the cast for the upcoming season, people dug up an old video of him making racist jokes about Asians. He has since apologized to those offended, saying he sometimes "pushes boundaries."
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There's been a mixed reaction to Yang's approach -- as he tells Jake Tapper -- but he defends his position, saying our society has become too punitive in these scenarios, and that we as a country should strive to be better ... opting for forgiveness when possible.
He makes another interesting point, arguing Asian epithets are often not taken as seriously as others made about other ethnic groups ... despite being just as hurtful.
Still, even with that said ... he says we should let this one go, especially considering that Shane is a comedian, and -- in Andrew's eyes -- their words should be taken in that context.
For the record, I do not think he should lose his job. We would benefit from being more forgiving rather than punitive. We are all human.
Of course, Yang has offered to sit down with Shane to discuss the issue further -- going on to say he doesn't support the guy losing his job, adding that in the big picture of Shane's past work ... he just doesn't find Shane to be "malignant or evil" in his intentions.
It doesn't sound like Shane has taken him up on the offer yet -- and NBC execs have been mum on what's gonna happen to Shane -- but at least the olive branch is out there.
3:50 PM PT -- Charlie Kratovil tells TMZ that April should blatantly condemn the alleged attack unleashed by her ex-bodyguard, although he says he welcomes the news that the guy is no longer in her employment.
April Ryan is going on TV this weekend to explain how and why a reporter was allegedly roughed up by her security this month, but we've learned she's denying responsibility.
Sources close to the White House correspondent and CNN contributor tell TMZ ... April insists that she did NOT give her security the go-ahead to remove, let alone get physical with, New Jersey reporter Charlie Kratovil a few weeks ago at an event she was speaking at.
Unfortunately, it appears that's exactly what went down ... and it got ugly fast.
On August 3, the New Brunswick Today journo told cops that April's bodyguard, Joel Morris, snatched his phone away from him while he was recording April's remarks at the Heldrich Hotel, and then twisted his wrist in an attempt to get him outta there.
April took to social media Saturday, teasing her appearance on CNN Sunday ... where she'll presumably tell her side of the story about the dust-up.
The whole thing was partially captured on Kratovil's smartphone camera, and you can hear what sounds like a physical confrontation. Before that though, you see Kratovil recording April come up to the podium -- where she's addressing some politicos -- but gets interrupted by Morris, whom we're told whispered to her, "Ms. Ryan, stop talking."
She does, giving him a head nod at the same time, and then stands up there silently while her guard walks over to the reporter. It's all downhill from there ... watch.
Our April sources tell us that the reason she stopped talking is because she and her team have a strict policy on people recording her speak in public, to avoid having her words taken out of context. We're told Kratovil was NOT pre-approved to film her here.
It should be noted -- in the police report filed by Kratovil, obtained by TMZ, he told cops he'd been invited to the event by a PR person who wasn't on hand to confirm or deny.
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As for why she even has security with her in the first place, well ... she gave us the rundown on that back in November, after she'd received multiple threats on her life.
Anyway, our sources tell us April is doubling down on the fact she didn't sign off on how Kratovil was handled, as she's a huge advocate for First Amendment rights. BTW, Kratovil has a history of filming confrontational encounters for NBT ... it's kinda his thing.
Morris was ultimately booked for assault, harassment and theft, and he'll reportedly be arraigned next month. Either way, we're told he no longer works for April.
We've reached out to Charlie Kratovil for comment ... so far, no word back.
5:40 PM PT -- A source who spoke with Shawn this afternoon says she was blindsided by the divorce ... she found out by getting a call from TMZ. As for Larry's allegations, the source says the last time Larry was in the hospital, doctors said he might only have 3 days to live. The source says their estate planning lawyer had told them they needed to update their docs -- something they had mutually agreed to do -- and that's what Shawn presented to Larry recently when he was ill. She strongly denies doing anything that would compromise the inheritance of their 2 sons. We're told Shawn is "devastated" ... the news comes 2 weeks before their 22nd wedding anniversary.
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2:25 PM PT -- Larry's divorce docs, obtained by TMZ, list the date of separation as June 6, 2019. That's interesting because we got video of Shawn, the very next day, at LAX. She talked about Larry's recovery from the heart attack, and didn't let on at all about any trouble in paradise.
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1:51 PM PT -- Sources connected to the couple tell TMZ ... they have been having marital trouble for several years now. Larry has accused Shawn of infidelity. We're told that has created tension for a while now, but the breaking point was when Larry was in the hospital a couple months ago.
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Sources say Shawn presented him with legal documents that would have given her certain rights to their property that would adversely affect the couple's 2 sons. We're told they felt she was trying to screw them out of their inheritance.
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We're told the boys went to Larry and told him they were outraged by their mother's conduct -- presenting the documents -- and pled with him to get out of the marriage. We're told he followed their advice.
Larry filed divorce docs Tuesday in L.A. Superior Court ... pulling the plug on his 22-year marriage to Shawn. The couple does not have any minor children -- their 2 sons, Cannon and Chance ... are 19 and 20 years old, respectively.
They've been down this road at least once before. In 2010, the former CNN host filed for divorce, and it was actually a race to the courthouse -- Shawn tried to file first, but Larry's legal team was faster on the draw. Didn't matter in the end ... he and Shawn eventually reconciled.
They dealt with more marital turmoil in 2016, when they publicly addressed cheating rumors.
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The breakup comes on the heels of Larry's medical crisis in April, where he suffered what doctors described to Shawn as a heart attack.
This will be 85-year-old Larry's 8th divorce ... assuming he goes through with it this time. He married one of his wives, Alene Akins, twice ... that was way back in the 1960s.
Chris Cuomo losing his s*** over being called Fredo deserves a Don Corleone slap in the face -- so says a guy who acted in "The Godfather," and thinks CC completely overreacted.
We got Gianni Russo -- who played the treacherous, wife-beating Carlo in the OG 'Godfather' -- and he tells us Chris made an ass out of himself, and his family, by flipping out over the insult ... not to mention suggesting it was an ethnic slur against Italians.
Gianni says that's nonsense ... all Fredo means is that someone's weak, there's nothing else to it. He also says Chris's dad, ex-Gov. Mario Cuomo, woulda smacked him over this.
Of course, Chris came out publicly and issued an apology of sorts after he was caught on camera in a profanity-laced tirade, threatening to beat up a guy who called him Fredo. He said he shouldn't allow himself to be baited like that, and had to be better.
As for why Chris responded the way he did -- Gianni says he has no clue ... as he doubts his family would ever use such a term in referring to him. But, as our camera guy suggests -- it's possible Chris might have heard it from others throughout his life.
His older brother, Andrew Cuomo, is the current New York governor, after all.
Whatever the case, Gianni seems to believe Chris hurt his career by doing what he did. In his eyes, not even a plea to the Godfather himself could make this one go away.
As Michael once said ... don't ever take sides against the family again. Capiche?
8:16 AM PT -- 8/13 -- Chris has finally spoken out about the incident, stating that, while he appreciates the support, "Truth is I should be better than the guys baiting me."
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He says there's a lesson to learn from this, "No need to add to the ugliness; I should be better than what I oppose."
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Appreciate all the support but - truth is I should be better than the guys baiting me. This happens all the time these days. 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.
6:00 AM PT -- 8/13 -- Donald Trump predictably weighed in, supported the guy who called Chris "Fredo," saying, "I thought Chris was Fredo also. The truth hurts. Totally lost it! Low ratings @CNN."
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8:43 PM PT -- A CNN spokesperson tells us, "Chris defended himself when he was verbally attacked with the use of an ethnic slur in an orchestrated setup. We completely support him."
CNN anchor Chris Cuomo went nuclear on a guy who called him a derogatory name, threatening to beat his ass.
Chris was in NY Sunday when a guy approached him and called him "Fredo" ... the insulting name of a character in "The Godfather" ... a name that connotes weakness.
Chris is from a proud Italian family and it set him off, challenging the man, threatening ... "I'll f***in' ruin your sh*t. I'll f***in' throw you down these stairs."
Cuomo told the guy ... the name "Fredo" is as offensive to Italians as the n-word is to African Americans.
He's a popular anchor who's made a name for himself as a fair-minded guy, but everything dissolved into abject rage as he scoffed at the guy who claimed -- clearly falsely -- that he thought Chris' name was Fredo.
It escalated even further -- Chris was clearly looking for a fight ... challenging the guy to take a swing at him.
He did not anchor his show Monday night ... CNN says he was scheduled to be off.
CNN's Don Lemon says he wasn't shocked to see President Trump congratulate Nick Bosa on being the #2 pick in the draft -- while ignoring Kyler Murray -- in part because Bosa is white and Murray is black.
Lemon was leaving the CNN building after his show Monday night when we asked about Trump's congratulatory tweet to Bosa ... who had been very vocal about his support for #45.
"Bosa is a supporter of Trump," Lemon said ... "[Bosa] doesn't like Kaepernick. It's everything this President is about."
Lemon added, "I think we should be congratulating the #1 person [Kyler Murray] as the #1 person made history."
Of course, Murray became the first person to be selected in the first round of the NFL and the MLB draft ... an amazing accomplishment.
"Don't forget the #1 person [Murray] is also black," Lemon added.
When pressed about Kaepernick at his first press conference with the San Francisco 49ers, Bosa backtracked ... saying the name-calling was a bad decision.
Bosa also said he "respects what [Kaepernick] has done" and apologized for the initial tweet.
Donald Trump, on the other hand, has never backed down on his position regarding Kaepernick -- firmly saying any NFL player who doesn't stand for the national anthem should be fired.
Van Jones brought a murderer together with his victim's child for his new show about restorative justice -- and the meeting was so powerful ... he cried so hard his nose started bleeding!!!
Van was on "TMZ Live" Friday, giving us the lowdown on his new series, "The Redemption Project With Van Jones." It brings offenders face-to-face with the people most affected by their violent crimes.
He says the process offers victims and criminals a way to finally heal their wounds. He adds ... every word uttered during the series is an authentic expression of someone "trying to climb out of hell." Riveting stuff, for sure.
As you might imagine, Van says he and his team struggled with the ethics of bringing victims together with convicts ... and explains the steps they had to take to make sure things didn't spiral out of control.
'Redemption' premieres Sunday night on CNN.
Check out our clip ... Van explains why he went rogue to put a killer in the same room as the victim's kid, and why it made him cry like never before.
Van Jones is working hard to bring light to prison reform and start a national conversation about our criminal justice system ... but he says a few celebs are outshining him.
We got the CNN host at Chelsea Studios in NYC Tuesday and asked who he thinks is stepping up the most for the cause ... he points to Meek Mill, calling him a "massive hero" for using his own case as a launching pad to help others.
Van then praises Kim Kardashian West for ignoring the skeptics and proving her ambitions and involvement are no joke ... and he believes it's a sign people from all walks of life have realized we have way too many prisoners in the U.S.
T.I. also gets a major shout-out for working with a church in Georgia to raise $120k to bail out 23 nonviolent offenders for Easter. Van says the rapper's "doing good by the hood," and if more people followed his lead ... things would improve very quickly.
There's a reason Van's so impressed by this group -- and it has nothing to do with celebrity. It's because they're doing the kinds of things he plans to spotlight on his new show, 'The Redemption Project.'
Don Lemon IS GOOD at comebacks ... and it's never been clearer than with this video.
We got Don at LAX Friday and asked about the blackface scandals in Virginia ... specifically, whether people should be punished for what they do when they were much younger.
Don says there's a special carve-out for political leaders, which then leads to the hypothetical ... what should happen if the 2020 Democratic nominee for President is killing Trump in the polls, but 2 weeks before the election it comes out he/she wore blackface in his/her 20's? Don handles it deftly, for sure.
And, then there's this ... should we elect a woman if only because their pasts seem less sketchy? Don does not disappoint!
