Connie Chung says she was sexually harassed 'every day' of her career and applauds the firing of Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose while Maury Povich says David Letterman was in love with her

  • Connie Chung said she was sexually harassed 'every day' of her career, while talking with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday
  • Chung said she was proud of NBC, CBS for firing Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose
  • Her husband, Maury Povich, said he felt David Letterman was in love with Chung
  • Povich said he knew Letterman was jealous as he would never say his name right

By Stephanie Haney For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

Connie Chung revealed she was sexually harassed 'every day' of her career while talking with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday.

'Let me say for the record that anybody who sexually harassed me is now dead,' Chung said. 

She made the comment before answering a viewer question about NBC's and CBS' firing of Matt Lauer and Charlie Rose over sexual misconduct claims.

When pressed by Cohen if her comment was merely a joke or actually true, she said: 'Oh yeah, sure, every day. I mean, a lot, especially when I started out.' 

The celebrated news anchor appeared on the show with her husband, talk show host Maury Povich, 71, who told a fan that called in that David Letterman was in love with Chung, and for that reason, jealous of him.

Scroll down for video

Connie Chung said she had been sexually harassed 'every day' of her career, while talking with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday. Her husband, Maury Povich, joined her

Connie Chung said she had been sexually harassed 'every day' of her career, while talking with Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live on Thursday. Her husband, Maury Povich, joined her

'Very true,' Povich said, when the fan asked if the rumor that Letterman was in love with his wife was true. 'To this day, this guy has never uttered my name correctly.'

Chung smiled slightly and didn't comment on whether Letterman was 'in love' with her, but she confirmed what Povich said about the late night talk show host mispronouncing her husband's name.

Chung appeared on The Late Show often throughout the 1980s, when both she and Letterman worked at NBC.

'Let me say for the record that anybody who sexually harassed me is now dead,' Chung said

'Let me say for the record that anybody who sexually harassed me is now dead,' Chung said

Maury Povich, 71, told a fan that called in that David Letterman was in love with Chung, and for that reason, jealous of him

Maury Povich, 71, told a fan that called in that David Letterman was in love with Chung, and for that reason, jealous of him

She would show up in various skits to fill in when a guest would cancel at the last minute.

Chung, who has been an integral part of news programming for decades at each of ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS and CNN, said she was proud of the way NBC and CBS took quick, decisive action when accusers came to them with complaints about Lauer and Rose, respectively.

Cohen was the one who asked Chung if she really had ever been sexually harassed at work, after her seemingly joking statement that all of her harassers were no longer alive.

Chung, who has been an integral part of news programming for decades at each of ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS and CNN, said she was proud of the way NBC and CBS took quick, decisive action when accusers came to them with complaints about Lauer and Charlie Rose (pictured)

Chung, who has been an integral part of news programming for decades at each of ABC, NBC, MSNBC, CBS and CNN, said she was proud of the way NBC and CBS took quick, decisive action when accusers came to them with complaints about Lauer and Charlie Rose (pictured)

Matt Lauer, 60, was fired from NBC and The Today Show in November, after a junior staff member came forward about sexual interactions the two of them had, beginning in Sochi, Russia during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games

Matt Lauer, 60, was fired from NBC and The Today Show in November, after a junior staff member came forward about sexual interactions the two of them had, beginning in Sochi, Russia during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games

Andy Cohen (left) was the one who asked Chung (center) if she really had ever been sexually harassed at work as Povich (right) watched

Andy Cohen (left) was the one who asked Chung (center) if she really had ever been sexually harassed at work as Povich (right) watched

The news anchor confirmed that it did happen, and a lot, 'especially when I started out,' she said.

Chung touched on the argument made by some, during this time of reckoning with sexual assault and abuse of power, that executives have been too quick to believe, and then act upon, the accounts of women coming forward with allegations of sexual misconduct in the workplace.

'Some people might be victims of precipitous [meaning sudden, and without careful consideration] action but these two, the reports about them seemed excessive,' Chung said.

'I was thrilled for this moment, for women.'

'Some people might be victims of precipitous action but these two, the reports about them seemed excessive,' Chung said, of Lauer (pictured) and Rose
'Some people might be victims of precipitous action but these two, the reports about them seemed excessive,' Chung said, of Lauer and Rose (pictured)

'Some people might be victims of precipitous action but these two, the reports about them seemed excessive,' Chung said of Lauer (left) and Rose (right)

Chung confirmed that she experienced sexual harassment in the workplace 'alot' and 'especially when I started out,' she said.

Chung confirmed that she experienced sexual harassment in the workplace 'alot' and 'especially when I started out,' she said.

Lauer, 60, was fired from NBC and The Today Show in November, after a junior staff member came forward about sexual interactions the two of them had, beginning in Sochi, Russia during the 2014 Winter Olympic Games.

Other details emerged later, involving a story about a device the disgraced host used to lock his office door from his desk, before engaging in sexual intercourse with another NBC staff member, who said she passed out during the encounter and woke up on his office floor. 

Soon after Lauer was let go, Charlie Rose, 75, was fired from CBS, and then PBS, following allegations made by multiple women that he harassed them, in and around the workplace, with groping, nudity and inappropriate telephone calls.


Charlie RoseAndy Cohen

Most watched News videos