A judge has ordered ABC News anchor Liz Cho to hand over years of personal communications, including texts with potential extramarital partners, to her estranged husband, former CBS News anchor Josh Elliott, as their divorce battle intensifies.
The ruling, issued by Judge Steven Dembo during a remote hearing on July 24, mandates that Cho provide six years of cell phone records to Elliott and his legal team. Cho had initially resisted Elliott's demand for communications she may have shared with lovers, but later agreed to comply.
There is no suggestion of infidelity on the part of either Cho or Elliott. The specific reason for Elliott's request for six years of Cho's phone records remains unclear.
The couple, who married in 2015, have been engaged in a bitter legal dispute over assets and personal information, which has included arguments over the contents of their $4 million Connecticut mansion's refrigerator and the care of their dogs. Cho was also ordered to provide further details about a $500,000 transfer from their joint bank account to her daughter from a previous marriage.
Cho's legal setbacks also include a requirement to turn over any communications she or her representatives may have made with journalists regarding their divorce. Additionally, she must provide receipts for payments made in relation to her previous marriage over the past 11 years.
While Cho faced several unfavorable rulings, she did secure some victories. Judge Dembo ruled she did not have to comply with Elliott's request for a large volume of documentation her team plans to present at trial. The judge also agreed that Elliott's demand for records of any power of attorney Cho may have granted him was unnecessary, stating that such records could be obtained directly from the appropriate institutions.
The trial date for the divorce proceedings has been pushed back to October. Both parties have been given until the end of the week to comply with the latest court orders.
Cho, who has been with ABC since 2003, and Elliott, whose television career included stints at NBC, ABC, and CBS, met while working at ABC in the early 2010s. Elliott's tenure at CBS News ended in 2017. The couple jointly resided in their Connecticut home until Elliott moved out in January, citing a hostile environment marked by accusations of surveillance and conduct directed at his daughter. Cho had previously accused Elliott of stealing jewelry during the move.