Chris Cuomo Addresses Criticism for Laughing While Interviewing TikToker with Tourette's: 'She's Welcome Here'
The NewsNation anchor asserts that he didn't make fun of Baylen Dupree, whose expletive-filled tics elicited his laughter, saying he invited her on the show to fight stigmas around Tourette syndrome
Chris Cuomo is defending his recent interview with TikToker Baylen Dupree, who has Tourette syndrome, after his on-air reaction to her tics sparked criticism online.
On Tuesday night the NewsNation anchor welcomed Dupree, 21, as a guest on his primetime show CUOMO to discuss her rise to social media stardom since she began documenting her journey with Tourette's. Dupree, now boasting 9.1 million followers on TikTok, experiences tics that often include profanity, which occurs in only about 10% of people with the disorder.
During Cuomo's segment — in which he introduced Dupree's social media presence as "a beautiful demonstration of turning pain into purpose" — he laughed a couple of times in response to Dupree's more vulgar tics. A clip of their exchange quickly garnered negative attention, with critics accusing the journalist of poking fun at Dupree.
On Wednesday evening Cuomo, 53, took a moment on air to address the criticism he's received.
"Last night, we did a story. It was a little dicey, people weren't sure we could do it because there was going to be a lot of cursing, and [executive producer Alexandra Cohen] and I didn't give a damn," Cuomo said. "Why? Baylen Dupree has gone viral — and for good reason. We love giving a platform for her to fight the stigma of having Tourette syndrome."
Related: 20-Year-Old with Tourette Syndrome Raising Awareness After Being Bullied: 'Might as Well Embrace It'
The former CNN anchor then pulled up headlines about the segment that appeared on DailyMail.com and Mediaite, which seemed to imply hostility between Cuomo and Dupree. Cuomo accused the outlets of misrepresenting the context, saying, "No, the kid did not come on my show to curse at me. It's a tic, it's not a quote. It's not intentional."
He concluded his on-air comments by saying, "She's welcome here whenever she wants, and I can't wait to see what she does next."
Dupree posted a clip from her conversation with Cuomo — including the part where he laughs — on TikTok Wednesday with the caption, "Interview with Chris Cuomo last night :)))"
Cuomo linked out to Dupree's TikTok on X, writing, "This is about respecting and laughing with, not at people...tics from Tourette do not define someone...i love that she is popular and proving that she can do it all! Great things to come!"
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Speaking to PEOPLE about her Tourette's diagnosis in May, Dupree said, "I'm sick and tired of hiding from everyone when I can't do anything about the way I am. I can't change it so I might as well embrace it. And I've never looked back. I've never regretted it."
"There's not a person in this world that doesn't have something that they deal with," she continued. "I'm so fine living with this. I'm so happy. Tourette's doesn't define Baylen. Just because I struggle with it doesn't mean it defines who I am and who I will be."
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