NBC News says it has terminated its contract with Mark Halperin, the political journalist who was accused of sexual harassment by several women when he worked at ABC News more than a decade ago.
Since the charges came to light last week, publisher Penguin Press canceled a planned book by Halperin and John Heilemann about the 2016 election and HBO pulled the plug on a miniseries that would have been based on the book.
Showtime also said Halperin would not be brought back with co-hosts Heilemann and Mark McKinnon should the political series “The Circus” be renewed.
At NBC News, Halperin was a contributor who was most visible as a regular panelist on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
The network, which had initially suspended Halperin last week, confirmed the firing on Monday.
The latest allegations bring the number of women accusing Halperin of sexual misconduct to about 12.
Halperin issued a lengthy apology on Twitter on Friday, saying he was “profoundly sorry for the pain and anguish I have caused by my past actions. I apologize sincerely to the women I mistreated.”
“The world is now publicly acknowledging what so many women have long known: Men harm women in the workplace. That new awareness is, of course, a positive development. For a long time at ABC News, I was part of the problem. I acknowledge that, and I deeply regret it,” he said in the post.