Gayle King and Norah O"Donnell have sat alongside Charlie Rose for the past five years on CBS This Morning.
But the co-hosts greeted viewers today as a duo, as opposed to a threesome, as a result of Rose being suspended by network executives in light of a disturbing sexual harassment scandal.
According to The Washington Post, eight women have come forward and accused Rose of various inappropriate actions; from walking around naked in front of them to grabbing their buttocks and thighs.
Unprompted, of course.
It"s hard to believe the 75-year old will ever be on the small screen again.
In response to the scandal surrounding their colleague, King and O"Donnell delivered heartfelt speeches in support of Rose’s alleged victims, making it evident they won"t tolerate that sort of behavior moving forward.
"It takes a lot of courage for these women to come forward and I think that they should continue to do so,” O’Donnell said at the outset of the program.
She added:
“This is a moment that demands a frank and honest assessment about where we stand and more generally the safety of women. Let me be very clear: There is no excuse for this alleged behavior.
"It is systematic and pervasive and I’ve been doing a lot of listening and I’m going to continue to do that."
Clearly torn over a friend being accused of such heinous behavior, O"Donnell made her stance on the situation very clear:
"This will be investigated. This has to end. This behavior is wrong.”
King was no less harsh in her assessment of Rose.
"I am not okay," she told viewers.
"After reading that article in the Post, it was deeply disturbing, troubling and painful for me to read.”
Rose is merely the latest Hollywood male to be accused of sexual harassment or misconduct.
More and more alleged victims are feeling empowered to speak out in the wake of Harvey Weinstein being accused of assault and harassment.
“I think that we have to make this matter to woman — the woman that have spoken up, the women who have not spoken up because they are afraid, I’m hoping that now they will take the step to speak up too and that this becomes a moment of truth,” King continued.
Emphasizing that Rose "does not get a pass" of any kind, King added:
"I’ve enjoyed a friendship and a partnership with Charlie for the last 5 years. I’ve held him in such high regard.
"What do you say when someone that you deeply care about has done something that is so horrible? How do you wrap your brain around that?
"I’m really grappling with that."
Watch the emotional speeches by King and O"Donnell below:
