Time’s Up leader quits in Cuomo sex harassment fallout

LOS ANGELES: The head of the Time’s Up movement, created by Hollywood figures to defend women against sexual harassment in the workplace, resigned on Thursday after admitting connections to ex-New York governor Andrew Cuomo during his sexual harassment scandal.

Tina Tchen, who served as first lady Michelle Obama’s chief of staff, had been in charge of the group since 2019. US media reported this week that Time’s Up had extensive contact with advisers to Cuomo as he sought to frame a response to claims he had acted inappropriately toward female staff.

"Now is the time for Time’s Up to evolve and move forward as there is so much more work to do for women," Tchen said in a statement Thursday. "It is clear that I am not the leader who can accomplish that in this moment."

She added, "I am especially aware that my position at the helm of Time’s Up has become a painful and divisive focal point, where those very women and other activists who should be working together to fight for change are instead battling each other in harmful ways."