Mark Halperin has apologized again for his sexual misconduct.
A year and a half ago, in late Oct. 2017, NBC News and MSNBC suspended Mark Halperin following allegations by five women that he sexually harassed them in the 1990s and mid-2000s. Halperin apologized for having “mistreated” women but denied all the allegations were correct and claimed none of the women complained to human resources or to him about his actions. Within days, “at least one dozen” women accused him of misconduct and Halperin was fired from MSNBC and NBC, and lost gigs with HBO, Showtime, and a Penguin Press book deal.
The Daily Beast published a May 2 report claiming Halperin is working “on a quiet yet calculated professional rehabilitation campaign with the active help of MSNBC Morning Joe hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brezezinski.” As evidence, the Daily Beast pointed to his re-use of social media and new blog, anonymous sources saying he asked about a job at the Hill, and claims Scarborough and Brzezinski “have been offering moral support and more concrete assistance.” (iMediaEthics wrote to MSNBC to ask if it disputed the claims; MSNBC declined to comment.)
“I am deeply sorry and hope to have a chance to apologize directly to those I treated badly. It is the right and necessary thing to do,” Halperin told the Daily Beast. “I cannot imagine how difficult this experience has been for them. I hope this will be a further step in my continued efforts to fully comprehend and make amends for the pain that I have caused.”
On Twitter, Halperin responded to journalist Roland Martin’s calls for a personal apology to his victims by writing:
“I believe it is vitally important to protect the privacy of victims of sexual harassment. So let me just say this: I also believe it is vitally important for those victims to determine if, when, and how their harasser apologizes directly to them. If they decline to hear directly, that must be respected.”