Andrew Cuomo’s ex Sandra Lee is worried in regards to the influence of his bombshell sexual harassment allegations on his three daughters.
The TV chef and writer, 55, was with the New York state governor for 14 years till their cut up in 2019.
Cuomo has three daughters, Michaela, 23, Cara and Mariah, each 26, from a earlier marriage to Kerry Kennedy, however Lee considers them to be her personal.
A supply informed The New York Post: ‘Sandra has spent her complete life advocating for girls, and her ideas are clearly with these ladies who’ve bravely introduced these points to mild.
‘She is a lady’s girl and a mom at the beginning and her love is with Andrew’s daughters, that is the factor that she actually is worried about.’
Andrew Cuomo’s ex Sandra Lee (pictured in Capri on Saturday) is worried in regards to the influence of his bombshell sexual harassment allegations on his three daughters
Cuomo has three daughters, Michaela (left), 23, Cara and Mariah (proper), each 26, from a earlier marriage to Kerry Kennedy, however Lee considers them to be her personal
Lee moved to California after her cut up with Cuomo in 2019 and is at the moment jetting over Europe, showing at a UNICEF gala in Capri on Saturday.
On Tuesday, she was seen in St Tropez together with her rumored new lover.
Cuomo, now 63, divorced Kerry Kennedy — Bobby Kennedy’s seventh little one — in 2005 two years after he found she was having an affair along with his shut buddy, polo participant Bruce Colley.
They’d been married for 15 years .
He met newly divorced Lee at a cocktail celebration within the Hamptons within the fall of 2005 and their relationship turned public the next yr when she left California and moved to New York.
Lee moved to California after her cut up with Cuomo in 2019 and is at the moment jetting over Europe (pictured in 2018 with Michaela, left, Maria, second proper, and Cara, proper)
Cara Kennedy-Cuomo was noticed arriving at their Albany house on Tuesday hours after the bombshell report dropped
Cara was noticed visiting her father’s Albany house yesterday within the wake of the allegations, whereas Michaela and Mariah have been most not too long ago spending time in Hyannis Port, Massachusetts.
She made headlines final October when it was revealed that she turned romantically concerned with a state trooper assigned to Gov. Cuomo’s safety element who was quickly transferred to a publish close to the Canadian border when their relationship was revealed.
In the meantime her twin sister Mariah has typically been the topic of jokes by Cuomo about her relationship with Tellef Lundevall, 29.
Final yr, he tweeted a photograph of him sitting across the dinner desk along with his three daughters saying: ‘Sunday dinner – Examine. Meatballs – Examine. The Boyfriend – ?’
Cuomo’s youngest daughter Michaela not too long ago declared herself to be ‘demisexual’ in a dialogue posted to Instagram, simply weeks after she got here out as ‘queer’.
WebMD defines Demisexual as ‘individuals who solely really feel sexually drawn to somebody once they have an emotional bond.’
Cuomo’s youngest daughter Michaela (pictured) not too long ago declared herself to be ‘demisexual’ in a dialogue posted to Instagram
All three younger ladies moved in with their father on the Governor’s Mansion in Albany final yr. Pictured: Mariah at a Covid announcement in Might final yr
The 23-year-old Brown College graduate opened up about her sexuality in honor of Pleasure month, sharing photographs of herself posing in a ‘homosexual for you’ baseball cap, with one picture that includes the rainbow Pleasure flag and the Pansexual flag within the background.
‘Michaela Kennedy-Cuomo is queer,’ she started the publish, including: ‘At this time I stand in my queer identification with delight.’
The school graduate – who majored in Training and Human Improvement with a deal with Social Inequality – additionally took on a way more public-facing function through the COVID-19 pandemic, when her father enlisted her assist with encouraging youthful folks to stick to security tips and social distancing.
Michaela joined her father at a number of press conferences, the place she spoke about her personal experiences through the pandemic and urged millennials and Gen-Z to cease being reckless whereas circumstances have been hovering within the state.
She additionally used social media to advertise social distancing and face coverings, sharing a number of posts on her feed and her Tales in regards to the significance of following New York’s security tips.
Cuomo (pictured along with his daughters at Pleasure in 2019) divorced Kerry Kennedy — Bobby Kennedy’s seventh little one — in 2005
Her function was very effectively paid by Cuomo, who gave every of his three daughters $330,000 from the $5 million ebook deal he inked final yr, citing their ‘tireless’ work all through the pandemic.
All three younger ladies moved in with their father on the Governor’s Mansion in Albany final yr and took turns showing at press conferences, whereas additionally standing by their father as he rang the opening bell on the New York Inventory Change.
Cuomo refused to resign on Tuesday and is contesting a damning report from AG Letitia James which discovered he did sexually harass 11 ladies, claiming it omits info and is a political assault on him regardless of rising calls to step down and the growing probability of impeachment.
James launched her long-awaited report into the allegations towards embattled Cuomo on Tuesday morning. It says he sexually harassed 11 ladies together with some whose allegations weren’t beforehand identified, like two state troopers and an govt assistant who says he groped her breast on the Governor’s mansion in Albany in November 2020.
James mentioned the entire allegations are corroborated however she has not really useful any felony prices towards him, saying the scope of her work did not embody prosecution.
There has since been an onslaught of requires him to resign afterwards on either side of the aisle, together with from New York Metropolis Mayor Invoice de Blasio who went so far as to name for him to be impeached.
There was no remark from the White Home, regardless of President Biden saying in March that Cuomo ought to resign and be arrested if the report substantiates the ladies’s allegations.
In his deal with, Cuomo he mentioned he’s a ‘heat’ one who generally ‘slips’ and calls ladies who work for him ‘sweetheart and darling’, however insisting he has by no means been predatory or bodily in his interactions with staffers.
His legal professional has additionally launched an 85-page rebuttal to the report which she says she’s going to proceed to replace.
‘Even on a fast first overview, it’s clear that the report purposefully omits key proof,’ mentioned Cuomo’s legal professional Rita M. Glavin.
In his televised deal with, Cuomo used a slideshow of photographs of him hugging and kissing folks all through his life to show what he described as an affectionate and tactile character, that he says the ladies have confused for a sexual predator.
‘This has been an extended and painful interval for me and my household as others feed tales to the press. I by no means touched anybody inappropriately. The info are a lot completely different to what has been portrayed.
‘I’m 63 years previous. I’ve lived my total grownup life in public service. That’s simply not who I’m or who I ever have been,’ he mentioned.
He went on: ‘Trial by newspaper and biased critiques will not be the way in which to search out the info. I welcome the chance for a full and honest overview earlier than a choose and jury as a result of this simply didn’t occur.’
Cuomo, who has at all times denied the allegations, gave a televised deal with an hour after James’ report was launched throughout which he denied the entire claims and referred to as the report a political assault on his character. He says he welcomed the ‘alternative’ for a ‘full and honest overview’ of the info
The 168-report was launched on Tuesday after a 5 month investigation by the NY AG. It substantiated the allegations of 11 ladies who say Cuomo sexually harassed them both by groping them or making inappropriate feedback relationship again to 2013
New York Lawyer Common Letitia James saying her findings on Tuesday after a 5 month investigation. She mentioned she believes the entire ladies however she can not deliver felony prices, as a substitute saying her focus was on figuring out if the allegations have been true
President Biden – who mentioned in March that Cuomo ought to resign if the report finds the allegations true – is but to remark however whereas talking with Latino leaders within the State Eating Room of the White Home mentioned: ‘I’m going to be talking on COVID at 4 o’clock and can take questions on COVID and different points after that.’
He had been requested if Cuomo ought to resign.
In his rebuttal, Cuomo mentioned he’d by no means sexually harass anybody, a lot much less a sexual assault survivor like Charlotte Bennett – one of many accusers – claiming he has helped a feminine relative overcome sexual abuse himself.
He mentioned that the ladies invariably misinterpreted his ‘heat’ gestures like hugs and kisses, or misunderstood compliments.
After he spoke, critics renewed requires him to resign and a few steered he needs to be impeached.
‘My first ideas are with the ladies who have been topic to this abhorrent habits, and their bravery in stepping ahead to share their tales.
‘The Lawyer Common’s detailed and thorough report substantiates many disturbing cases of extreme misconduct. Andrew Cuomo dedicated sexual assault and sexual harassment, and intimidated a whistleblower.
‘It’s disqualifying.
‘It’s past clear that Andrew Cuomo isn’t match to carry workplace and might now not function Governor.
‘He should resign, and if he continues to withstand and assault the investigators who did their jobs, he needs to be impeached instantly,’ NYC Mayor Invoice de Blasio mentioned in a press release.
New York Senate Minority and Majority Leaders each referred to as for him to resign.
‘The Lawyer Common’s report clearly and concisely paperwork that Governor Cuomo engaged in disturbing and unacceptable habits.
‘Andrew Cuomo lacks the integrity required to be the chief of our state and might now not function New York’s Governor.
‘He should heed the calls of so many New York leaders and resign,’ Senate Minority Chief Michael Gianaris mentioned.
Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart Cousins mentioned: ‘This report highlights unacceptable habits Cuomo and his administration. The Governor should resign for the great of the state.
‘Now that the investigation is full, and the allegations have been substantiated, it needs to be clear to everybody that he can now not function Governor.’
Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) launched a joint assertion calling for Cuomo’s resignation.
‘As we now have mentioned earlier than, the reported actions of the Governor have been profoundly disturbing, inappropriate and fully unacceptable. At this time’s report from the New York State Lawyer Common substantiated and corroborated the allegations of the courageous ladies who got here ahead to share their tales — and we commend the ladies for doing so.
‘The New York State Lawyer Common has performed an impartial, thorough {and professional} investigation that discovered the Governor violated state and federal regulation, had a sample of sexually harassing present and former staff, retaliated towards at the very least one of many accusers and created a hostile work atmosphere.
‘No elected official is above the regulation. The folks of New York deserve higher management within the governor’s workplace. We proceed to consider that the Governor ought to resign.’
The 168-page report by James’ workplace finds that Cuomo fostered a ‘poisonous work atmosphere’ the place ladies have been punished for reporting their allegations. It says that as a substitute of coping with the complaints correctly, the ladies have been merely moved out of his orbit, into completely different departments.
The report cites ‘related legal guidelines’ as Employer Legal responsibility and Government Chamber Coverage. The Governor, who has at all times denied the allegations, is but to answer the report’s findings.
Among the many allegations which the report says are true is that he sexually harassed a state trooper by working his ‘finger from her neck down her backbone’ whereas they have been sharing an elevator and saying ‘hey you’.
He’s additionally mentioned to have rubbed a state worker’s abdomen, ran his finger throughout the chest of one other girl, and engaged in ‘widespread sample’ of subjecting ladies to ‘undesirable hugs’.
Charlotte Bennett, who labored for Cuomo final yr, informed CBS Information she felt ‘vindicated’ by the report
The report concludes: ‘The Governor sexually harassed various State staff by unwelcome and undesirable touching, in addition to by making quite a few offensive and sexually suggestive feedback.
‘We discover that such conduct was a part of a sample of habits that prolonged to his interactions with others outdoors of State authorities.’
Non-consensual touching, repeatedly made feedback of a sexualized, gender based mostly nature. Cuomo was grilled for 11 hours as a part of the investigation.
Throughout questioning, the report says he ‘didn’t dispute that he generally commented on employees members’ look and apparel (though typically solely to go with), and acknowledged that, being “quaint,”.
He mentioned he makes use of phrases like ‘honey’, ‘sweetheart’ and ‘darling’ and that he recurrently gave ladies hugs and kisses – generally on the lips.
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