Charlie Rose's Longtime Makeup Artist Sues Over Sexual Harassment

Another woman has come forward accusing former television personality Charlie Rose of sexual harassment ― this time, a makeup artist who worked with the disgraced anchor for 22 years on two of his talk shows.

In a lawsuit filed Thursday and obtained by CNN, Gina Riggi claims she and her colleagues were targeted by Rose’s “explicit sexual overtures” during their time on PBS’ “Charlie Rose” show and “Charlie Rose: The Week.”

“Throughout the workday, and at work events, Mr. Rose routinely groped and pawed at his female staff, pressed himself against them, hugged them, kissed them, pulled them toward him, whispered in their ears, stared at their breasts, looked down their shirts, and otherwise subjected them to inappropriate and unwanted physical contact,” the suit says.

Continuing, it alleges that Rose “commented on their physical appearance, asked inappropriate questions about their personal and romantic lives, and barraged them with late-night phone calls.”

In a statement sent to HuffPost on Saturday, Jonathan Bach, Rose’s lawyer, said his client “vehemently denies and will vigorously contest these allegations.”

“This is not a lawsuit about any legal wrongs directed at the plaintiff as much as an opportunity to recycle second-and-third-hand, unproven allegations she and her lawyer have managed to scrounge together,” Bach said.

The attorney also claimed that the allegations “are completely inconsistent with written statements made by the plaintiff to Mr. Rose, including, ‘I love working for you at your show, and would love to be part of any show that you host.’”

Riggi’s lawsuit also names Bloomberg LP, as the programs on which she worked were filmed in the company’s studio, which she called a “sexual hunting ground.”

Bloomberg did not immediately respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

However, in a statement to CNN, a Bloomberg spokesperson emphasized that Rose was never an employee there, and noted that the company has no records of any complaints.

Rose, who was a co-host on “CBS This Morning,” was fired from the position in 2017 when similar sexual harassment allegations emerged from multiple women. The total number of women who claimed they had been harassed by him ballooned to dozens in the months after his ouster. PBS also cut ties with Rose.