The star-studded TIME’S UP Foundation on Thursday joined the growing chorus calling for an official investigation into the sexual harassment charges against Governor Andrew Cuomo – marking a turnaround by two of its most famous members.
“Allegations of inappropriate behavior in any workplace are deeply worrying and must be addressed,” said the foundation’s president and CEO, Tina Tchen.
“We ask the Cuomo government to conduct a full and independent investigation into these claims immediately.”
TIME’S UP was founded amid the scandal that led to the conviction and imprisonment of the famous film producer Harvey Weinstein, accused of sexual assault.
Board members include actress Ashley Judd – a Weinstein accuser who in 2019 acclaimed Cuomo for signing an anti-harassment law – and actress Eva Longoria, who praised Cuomo’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic when he helped host last year’s Democratic National Convention.
Thursday’s announcement by the nonprofit group followed similar calls from actress Rose McGowan, a Weinstein accuser and #MeToo activist, and Mayor Bill de Blasio.
In December, Cuomo denied the initial non-specific allegations made against him by former aide Lindsey Boylan, now a Democratic candidate for the Manhattan district presidency, saying “they just aren’t true”.
The governor has not appeared in public since Boylan on Wednesday accused him of kissing her “on the mouth” without warning after a 2018 meeting in his Manhattan office, and of saying, “Let’s play strip poker” during a flight from October 2017 on its official state jet.
But on Wednesday, Cuomo’s press secretary, Caitlin Girouard, said in a prepared statement: “As we said earlier, Boylan’s allegations of inappropriate behavior are simply false.”
Girouard also released a joint statement from four current and past advisers – John Maggiore, Howard Zemsky, Dani Lever and Abbey Fashouer Collins – who she said joined with Cuomo for the October 2017 flights on which Boylan was also a passenger.
“We were on each of those flights in October and that conversation did not happen,” said the statement.
