Chris Cuomo found it difficult to contain his laughter on Tuesday during an interview with a popular TikToker with Tourette's Syndrome. The uncensored interview featured the TikToker repeatedly telling Cuomo to "f**k off" and mimicking a British accent, including referring to him as a "fat a–."
Baylen Dupree, a freshman at West Virginia University, shared her experience coping with Tourette's, a neurodevelopmental disorder marked by rapid and repetitive tics and sounds. In the interview broadcasted on NewsNation on Tuesday night, Dupree repeatedly told Cuomo to "f**k off" and gestured by raising her middle finger toward the 53-year-old news anchor. Cuomo couldn't control himself and broke into smiles several times.
Awkward Moment for Cuomo on Air
"F–k off, f–k off, f–k off ... F–k you, Chris," Baylen Dupree, 21, who uses her channel to raise awareness of the neurological disorder, continued to say during the entire course of the interview.
The usually composed host of NewsNation's "Cuomo" couldn't help but break into smiles multiple times during the four-minute conversation.
Despite the involuntary profanities from Dupree, who has 9 million followers, Chris Cuomo maintained a sense of professionalism as he listened to her describe her daily challenges with the relentless tics.
However, he eventually broke down into hysterics and had to conceal his laughter behind his hands when the social media star had a bout of heavy tics. During this period, she squinted her face and waved her hands while she continued cursing.
"Go f–k yourself, Chris! Little baby weiner, Banana up your a–! Butter your own biscuit, fat a–!" Dupree said.
Undeterred by the tics, Dupree promptly resumed the conversation and revealed the challenges she faces, including receiving comments from "evil people" who claim that her parents "deserved to die in a car accident because I'm faking my condition."
Cuomo struggled to compose himself and quickly regained his composure, adopting a serious expression as he listened to the college freshman discuss the hazards that have come with her online fame.
"I've had to have the police out my house because people gave out my location and said they're gonna come torch my house. It's crazy," Dupree said as Cuomo solemnly shook his head in disapproval.
Nothing to Laugh at
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Tourette's Syndrome affects as many as 1.4 million children and adults across the United States.
Dupree was officially diagnosed with Tourette's Syndrome in 2018, despite displaying signs of the disorder since childhood. Her symptoms reportedly intensified during the pandemic.
Tics, characteristic of Tourette's, can exacerbate in high-stress or high-anxiety situations, such as appearing on a national news program.
In a pre-interview segment, the anchor admitted to initially being among those who believed she was a "great comedic actor" faking her disorder for attention.
Cuomo claims that his initial opinion has since changed, and he deliberately aired the uncensored interview to showcase her "bravery."
"She says some pretty ugly stuff unintentionally," Cuomo said through laughing. "And I'm laughing because I get what it's about. And that's why I don't care. It's not curse words to be mean and the difference matters."
Maintaining a stronger sense of professionalism, Dupree overlooked the 53-year-old anchor's repeated laughter and used her limited time to express her aspirations of inspiring others not to feel shame or embarrassment about their uncontrollable tics.
