NewsNation anchor Chris Cuomo sparked outrage when he laughed during an interview with a woman diagnosed with Tourette syndrome. The respondent is known online for producing content to raise awareness of the neurological disease.
During the interview, Baylen Dupree unintentionally used several curse words to explain his daily struggles. Cuomo couldn't hide it and laughed, even laughed, at various moments in the interview.
“F### yourself, f### yourself, f### yourself… F### yourself, Chris,” said the Tiktoker in the live conversation.
The video of the interview was shared on social media last Wednesday the 13th and even Baylen's followers criticized the journalist's lack of professionalism.
“Man, he’s changed a lot. He used to be respectful, but this man is something different now,” wrote one of Baylen’s followers. Another person wrote: “This guy is an idiot. I’m so proud of you, babygirl, for doing this.”
On his official Instagram profile, Cuomo published an excerpt from the interview and congratulated the influencer on her courage to educate people about the syndrome.
“You are not your limitation, you are what you want to do with it. Baylen Dupree suffers from Tourette Syndrome and is working to destigmatize it on social media. Instead of trying to hide her illness, she documents her life and educates people about what it's like to live with Tourette syndrome,” Cuomo wrote.
At the end of the interview, Cuomo revealed that he initially thought the influencer was faking having Tourette's to get her followers' attention. However, he changed his mind and recognized her courage. Cuomo broadcast the interview unedited to highlight the girl's honesty.
Baylen Dupree was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome in 2018, although she has been showing signs since childhood. Symptoms worsened during the pandemic, particularly in stressful or anxious situations attending a news program is one example.