Insiders Claim MSNBC Host Chris Matthews Is Abusive at Work, and That's Not the Worst Part...
The latest accusations of workplace intimidation and misconduct against women involve veteran MSNBC host Chris Matthews.
Months after the beginning of a very public purge that has already led to the downfall of powerful men — and at least one woman — across prominent industries, 2017 ended with a Daily Caller exclusive report citing five women who said Matthews treated female staffers and guests abusively in various ways.
Two of the women are producers who formerly worked with Matthews and the other three were guests on his long-running program “Hardball.”
As The Daily Caller summarized its conversations with the women, Matthews is accused not only of persistently making sexually inappropriate comments in the workplace, but behaving “as a tyrant” quick to berate women for any perceived mistake.
The host routinely objectified female guests, the producers said, making crude comments about their physical characteristics and clothing.
“He would eye down a woman who walked on set or comment on their features or what they were wearing,” one of the women said.
The demeaning behavior extended to his conversations with women on set, the producer said.
“He would objectify them and interrupt them in a way that he would never do to his male guests,” she said. “He has a very outdated view of women.”
The other producer said he behaved more like a “teenage boy,” accusing him of behavior that included ranking his guests based on attractiveness and picking the “hottest of the week.”
She said Matthews spoke the same way about the women who worked for him, noting that she had been among the objects of his inappropriate comments.
The Daily Caller cited two sources who claimed Matthews paid a $40,000 settlement to a former assistant producer who accused him of harassment. A network source has since indicated that the woman actually received a severance payment far less than the reported figure.
In the latest report, both producers said Matthews acted so abusively that women on his staff regularly referred to themselves as battered women.
Neither wished to be identified, as they feared retaliation.
“Sadly, I know other women who won’t even be an anonymous source regarding Chris because they’re concerned about the door closing on career opportunities in media,” one source said.
Each of the five women interviewed for the article said Matthews regularly exploded into verbal tirades over minor provocations.
“I would describe it as verbal abuse,” one producer said. “The screaming is beyond the screaming you’ve ever heard. You just feel so under attack.”
Both producers described Matthews screaming at his staff, throwing items in rage and belittling those around him. Behind the scenes, they say his boorishness is on full display.
“He did it so openly,” one producer said. “It’s not just sexual harassment … what are you supposed to do when somebody is verbally abusing you and attacking you this way?”
The Daily Caller also compiled a few examples of his “alleged casual misogyny” in interviews, on-air comments and at least one comment caught on a hot mic. A common theme was his reference to prominent women in entertainment, politics and media according to their perceived physical attractiveness.
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