CNN Airs Report On Domestic Assault Victim: She Acted “Sort Of Subservient”

Segment: “People Taking To Twitter” Say Nigella Lawson's Silence “Makes Her Look Weak”

CNN's morning program New Day aired a troubling report on allegations that celebrity chef Nigella Lawson was the victim of domestic abuse, describing her as “subservient” and quoting critics on Twitter saying her subsequent silence on the apparent assault “makes her look weak.”

British celebrity chef Nigella Lawson and her husband, Charles Saatchi, were photographed this week during what appeared to be a domestic assault. Multiple photographs show Saatchi's hand grasping Lawson's neck during an argument. He later admitted to assault.

Neil Sean, whom CNN identified as an “entertainment reporter,” appeared in New Day's packaged report saying the photos showed Lawson being “sort of subservient”:  

SEAN: She's always portrayed as a very powerful woman, a woman in control. So for her to be so sort of subservient, I think, is a rather telling story.

Later, CNN's Pamela Brown highlighted criticisms from unidentified people on Twitter who are charging Lawson's subsequent silence on the alleged attack “makes her look weak”:

BROWN: Of course, we still don't know the full story. But a lot of people waiting for Nigella to come out and say something. People are taking to Twitter saying she needs to come out and address this. That she's this powerful figure, and this makes her look weak, according to some people, that she's not - but this is all a matter of opinion.