Gossip editor linked to lewd behavior
Dylan Howard quit, was later rehired
NEW YORK — The top editor for the National Enquirer, Us Weekly and other major gossip publications openly described his sexual partners in the newsroom, discussed female employees’ sex lives and forced women to watch or listen to pornographic material, former employees told The Associated Press.
The behavior by Dylan Howard, now chief content officer of American Media Inc., occurred while he was running the company’s Los Angeles office, according to men and women who worked there. Howard’s selfproclaimed nickname was “Dildo,” a phallus-shaped sex toy, the former employees said. His conduct led to an internal inquiry in 2012 by an outside consultant, and former employees said he stopped working in the L.A. office after the inquiry.
Howard quit soon after the report was completed, but the company rehired him a year later with a promotion in the company’s main office in New York. It was not clear whether Howard faced any discipline over the accusations.
The
A P spoke with 12 former employees who knew about the investigation into Howard’s behavior, though not all were aware of every detail.
In a brief phone interview with the AP, Howard characterized the ex-employees’ claims as “baseless.”
American Media said in a statement yesterday evening that Howard “has the full support of AMI and its executives.”
A lawyer for American Media confirmed yesterday that an outside investigator was hired to look into two employees’ claims about Howard’s behavior.
The lawyer, Cam Stracher, said the investigation did not show serious wrongdoing.
American Media publishes the National Enquirer, RadarOnline, Star and other gossip publications and websites. In March the company purchased the glossy Us Weekly magazine for a reported $100 million.