The journalist who claims veteran MSNBC political anchor Chris Matthews made multiple inappropriate comments about her appearance said his departure from television has made worthwhile the criticism she faced in the wake of speaking out against his alleged behavior.
“All I gotta say is … it’s about time,” Laura Bassett tweeted Tuesday, following Matthews’ resignation during what would become the last episode of “Hardball with Chris Matthews.”
In an article for GQ Magazine, Bassett wrote that in 2016, Matthews “looked over at me in the make-up chair next to him and said, 'Why haven't I fallen in love with you yet?’”
Bassett wrote that during another incident, Matthews allegedly stood between her and the mirror and “complimented the red dress I was wearing for the segment. ‘You going out tonight?’ he asked.”
Matthews’ announcement that he was retiring came on the eve of Super Tuesday and marked the end of his 23 years as host of “Hardball.”
Matthews, 74, made it clear that the timing of his retirement was not entirely in his hands.
“Obviously, it isn’t for a lack of interest in politics,” he said.
He apologized for his past comments that have been labeled as insensitive, saying “Compliments on a woman’s appearance that some men, including me, might have once incorrectly thought were OK are never OK. Not then, and certainly not today.”
Some TV insiders are speculating that Matthews was pushed out. He's made a series of gaffs recently, including likening Bernie Sanders wins to the Nazi takeover of France and mixing up the names of two African American politicians.
“Chris Matthews is a friend of mine. He and I have flirted unabashedly for 20 years. This is an atrocious end to a noble, happy-warrior career,” Washington Post columnist Kathleen Parker tweeted.
After her initial tweet in response to Matthews’ resignation, Bassett took to Twitter again.
“No, I have more to say than that,” Bassett continued. “Since calling out Chris Matthews, this week has been really rough. The harassment [she's incurred from unknown individuals] has been invasive, cruel and personal. And it’s all worth it if he will never have the platform to demean and objectify us again.”
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