CBS HEAD ACCUSED OF SEXUAL MISCONDUCT
His alleged behaviour stretches back decades in US television network
ABOMBSHELL article published in The New Yorker on Friday accused CBS chairman and chief executive Leslie Moonves of sexual misconduct stretching back decades and painted a broader picture of similar behaviour within the mostwatched United States television network.
The article makes Moonves, a distinguished executive who transformed CBS into a ratings winner, one of the most powerful American men implicated in the #MeToo era that ignited last year after the career implosion of film producer Harvey Weinstein.
CBS said it had launched a probe into the alleged misconduct. Reports about the story sent CBS shares tumbling more than six per cent, hours before it was even published.
Six women, who had professional dealings with Moonves, told the magazine that he sexually harassed them between the 1980s and late 2000s.
Moonves, 68, joined CBS in 1995 from Warner Bros Television, where his team developed hit shows, such as Friends and ER.
Four described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, and two said Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers, The New Yorker’s Ronan Farrow reported.
“I recognise that there were times decades ago when I may have made women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely,” Moonves said.
“But I always understood and respected — and abided by the principle — that ‘no’ means ‘no’, and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career.”
The New Yorker said 30 current or former employees complained that such behaviour extended from Moonves to other parts of the corporation, including CBS News and its flagship investigative programme 60 Minutes.
But his wife, Julie Chen, whom he married in 2004 and who is the host of Big Brother on CBS, said she supported her husband.
“Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being,” she said on Twitter.
Men at CBS News accused of sexual misconduct were promoted, even as the company paid settlements to women with complaints, The New Yorker also reported, suggesting a wider toxic environment at the network.
In a statement, CBS suggested the article did not accurately reflect a company that “does its best to treat its tens of thousands of employees with dignity and respect”.
The corporation’s board of directors had earlier issued a preemptive statement, saying that upon conclusion of its investigation, it would “promptly review the findings and take appropriate action”.
In November last year, CBS News sacked Charlie Rose, at the time one of the most respected TV journalists in the US, after eight women told The Washington Post he had made unwanted sexual advances.
Farrow shared a Pulitzer Prize with The New York Times for his reporting on Weinstein, which galvanised the #MeToo movement to quash sexual harassment in showbiz and other industries.
The son of actress Mia Farrow and film director Woody Allen said on Friday his latest article was the product of an eightmonth investigation.
Farrow’s exposé raised speculation that Moonves might also be forced to step aside. I was not clear what impact it would have on a legal battle for control of the television giant — between the Redstone family, which controls CBS, and the board, chaired by Moonves.
Shari Redstone, a major shareholder of CBS and Viacom, is seeking to merge the two firms. Moonves opposes the deal.
As chairman, Moonves oversees all operations of the company.
He has launched prime-time CBS hits, such as Everybody Loves Raymond, Survivor
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.
He was promoted to CBS Television president and chief executive officer in 1998, and became chairman in 2003. A one-time actor, he is father to four children. Chen is his second wife.