For days, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand has refused to reveal which male colleague called her “chubby,” an anecdote she’s used to demonstrate problems facing female politicians.
Now, the New York Times reports that it was the late Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii.
Inouye allegedly squeezed Gillibrand’s waist and said, “Don’t lose too much weight now. I like my women chubby!”
Gillibrand said in her latest memoir how many of her male coworkers commented on her weight post-baby, but refused to name names when pressured.
Inouye, a decorated veterans and civil rights hero, was accused of sexual misconduct by his hairdresser in 1992. Other women came forward with similar accusations — it was an election year — but no one went forward with claims.
A spokesman for Gillibrand would neither confirm nor deny that Inouye, who died in December 2012, was the unnamed senator.
In her book, Gillibrand described the specific senator as “one of my favorite older members of the Senate.”
