Once upon a time, Charlie Rose was one of the most beloved broadcast journalists in America. Renowned for his southern charm and civility, he attracted the crème of the crop to his eponymous TV show. These days, Rose is one of the high profile casualties of the MeToo Movement and has been accused of sexual harassment by several women. Find out more about the embattled media personality here including details about his age, career, and what have you.
Who Is Charlie Rose and How Old Is He?
Charles Pete Rose Jr was born on the 5th of January 1942 in Henderson, North Carolina. His father’s name is Charles Pete Rose Sr. while his mother’s name is Margaret nee Frazier. Rose grew up in Henderson and spent much of his early years helping out in his parents’ store. By his own account, he never had any grand plan to become a broadcast journalist. He rather aspired to become a medical doctor and as such, on obtaining his high school diploma, enrolled in the pre-med program at Duke University.
Rose, however, changed career directions after interning at a senator’s office. The internship made him gain an unquenchable appetite for politics and he subsequently switched his major to history. He completed his undergraduate degree in 1964 and qualified as a lawyer four years later.
Career Journey
On leaving school, Charlie Rose headed off to New York and commenced his career on Wall Street. He, however, moonlighted as a freelance journalist in his spare time, and eventually landed a gig as a weekend reporter for a TV station. The Henderson native spent two years in this role before he was tapped by Bill Moyer to serve as an editor on his show, Bill Moyer’s International Report.
The working relationship between the two men blossomed and by 1975, Rose became the executive producer of Moyer’s new show titled Bill Moyers Journal. He produced several episodes of the show including the 1976 Peabody award-winning interview with the democratic presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter. Following his successful partnership with Moyer, Rose was hired as an anchor by CBS News as well as Fox.
He finally joined the big leagues when he landed his own eponymous show on PBS in 1991. The Charlie Rose Show ran from 1991 to 2017 during which Rose interviewed several high-profile guests such as Barack and Michelle Obama, Donald J. Trump, Bashir Al Assad, and Maria Sharapova. He received praise for his easy-flowing conversations but some people criticized the Henderson native for being too soft on his guests.
Charlie Rose’s Family Life
Charlie Rose has been married once. He tied the knot with his college girlfriend, and fellow broadcast journalist, Mary King, in 1968. The marriage lasted for 12 years and the couple divorced in 1980. Rose has since revealed that the marriage crashed as a result of his inordinate work demands. He has also described the divorce as the biggest regret of his life.
Following his divorce, Rose lived the life of a regular bachelor up until 1992 when he started going steady with Amanda Burden. Burden is the daughter of Babe Paley (renowned New York socialite) and Stanley Mortimer (heir to the Standard Oil Fortune). She is an accomplished urban planner and has served as the director of New York City Department of City Planning. She is also a consultant and is a principal at Bloomberg Consultant. The relationship between Rose and Burden lasted from 1992 to 2006.
Sexual Harassment Allegations
In August 2017, The Washington Post published a report in which several women alleged that Charlie Rose had sexually harassed them. They accused the TV personality of fondling them, groping them, making lewd phone calls, as well as being deliberately unclad in their presence.
Some months later, Gina Riggi, a lady who had done makeup for Rose for 22 years, accused him of misogynistic, abusive, and demeaning behavior. She alleged that he turned his studio into a sexual hunting ground, and also ridiculed her for her physical appearance.
Following this wave of allegations, Rose issued an apology for his “inappropriate behavior” but maintained that some of the allegations were not accurate. The apology was however not enough to stop his fall from grace. His show was canceled by CBS, PBS, and Bloomberg. His honorary doctorates were also rescinded by several institutions including Duke University, Montclair State University, and the State University of New York at Oswego.