• Reports say that Chris Cuomo has defended himself after being fired at CNN.
• According to the New York Post, Cuomo could be eligible for $18 million of his contract's remaining funds.
• Puck News reported that he hired the lawyer who oversaw Megyn Kelly’s lucrative exit from NBC.

According to several reports, Chris Cuomo hired an attorney to sue CNN over $18 million. This is the value of his old contract with the network.

CNN announced Saturday night that Cuomo had been fired as its top primetime anchor due to new information regarding how Cuomo helped his brother Andrew Cuomo fight allegations of sexual harassment.

New York Attorney General's Office documents showed that Chris Cuomo went far beyond what he initially claimed. Insider's Azmi Harou, Charles Davis and Jake Lahut reported that this included the use of media sources to find out more about his brother's accusers.

Unnamed sources claim that the New York Post and Matt Belloni, the tech- and media-focused outlets Puck News, reported Monday that Chris Cuomo had hired Bryan Freedman as a lawyer.

Insider reached out to Freedman's firm but they did not immediately reply.

According to the Post Cuomo wants to keep the remaining salary under his CNN contract. Variety reports that Cuomo signed his most recent contract with CNN in April 2020.

According to the Post, that contract was valued at $6 million per year. Cuomo will seek $18 million more if he sues CNN.

Bryan Freedman, an entertainment lawyer is well-known. Freedman + Taitelman has represented Megyn Kelly, Michael Jackson's estate and Kevin Spacey.

Kelly's case is somewhat similar to Cuomo’s. CNN reported that Kelly quit NBC in 2019 after she had completed her contract. However, her lawyer was able to secure the full $69 million value of her contract.

The Post reported that Cuomo could also seek damages. The Post also quoted an unnamed CNN source, who stated that Cuomo was not being paid a penny by the network.

According to the Post, CNN contracts include a morality clause that allows it to fire anyone who damages its reputation. Insider reached out to CNN representatives for comment but they did not respond immediately.

Puck News reports that CNN is working with Daniel Petrocelli. He was the one who successfully challenged a Department of Justice attempt in 2018 to stop a merger of Time Warner Inc. and CNN owner AT&T.

Petrocelli's company also failed to respond immediately to Insider's request.

Cuomo also posted on Instagram Monday that he would "take a back" from SiriusXM's weekday radio show.