Chloe Melas, a reporter for CNN, broke a major story on Thursday: After an investigation that took six months, she reported that several women were accusing the actor Morgan Freeman of sexual harassment. The improper behavior ranged from unwanted touching to suggestive comments that made women feel uncomfortable.

But the initial tip did not come from a phone call, email or letter. It came from Ms. Melas herself.

She had been sent to cover a publicity event last year for “Going in Style,” a film starring Mr. Freeman, Michael Caine and Alan Arkin. Ms. Melas, who was pregnant at the time with her son Leo, said that Mr. Freeman looked her up and down and made several remarks along the lines of “I wish I was there,” one of which was captured on video. She reported the incident to CNN, which then informed Warner Bros., the studio behind the film. Warner Bros., which like CNN is a division of Time Warner, responded later that it could not corroborate the account because only the one comment was recorded and other Warner Bros. employees said they had not seen anything.

Before beginning her maternity leave, Ms. Melas, a 31-year-old Atlanta native who has covered entertainment for several years, heard rumblings about Mr. Freeman’s behavior with other women, she said. When she returned, she began pursuing leads on Mr. Freeman just as the #MeToo movement started taking off.