Topline
A CNBC anchor accused NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell of sexual harassment before the executive suddenly departed the company over the weekend, a lawyer for the anchor told multiple news outlets Monday, after Shell stepped down from the media company after a three-year stint as its leader due to an “inappropriate relationship.”
Jeff Shell poses for a picture at the 2014 LA’s Promise Gala, Tuesday, Sept. 30, 2014.
Key Facts
CNBC International anchor Hadley Gamble accused Shell of sexual harassment and sex discrimination, her attorney Suzanne McKie told the Wall Street Journal.
NBCUniversal’s parent company Comcast has not named Gamble, but said in a securities filing Monday the company received a complaint that Shell engaged in “inappropriate conduct with a female employee,” and following an investigation by outside counsel, “evidence was uncovered that corroborated the allegations.”
Comcast said Shell was fired with cause, and unnamed sources told the Wall Street Journal NBCUniversal does not plan to pay its former chief severance.
McKie told the Journal it was “disappointing” her client’s privacy was violated and her name was publicly released after media outlets began reporting her name Sunday night.
Shell’s lawyer did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Key Background
On Sunday, Shell and NBCUniversal parent Comcast announced he was leaving the company immediately after admitting to an “inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company.” The initial statement offered no details about the inappropriate relationship, but Shell said it was something he “deeply” regretted and apologized for letting “my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down.” Shell, who served as CEO for three years, was with NBCUniversal and Comcast for 20 years before his departure.
Tangent
Shell is not the first high-ranking NBC employee to be accused of sexual misconduct. In 2017, NBC fired former Today anchor Matt Lauer after he was accused of rape and sexual harassment, which he denied. NBCUniversal Vice Chair Ron Meyer left the company three years ago after his affair with a woman was disclosed in a settlement. And it’s not just NBC: Last year, CNN President Jeff Zucker resigned after an undisclosed relationship with a colleague was made public. Les Moonves, a longtime CBS CEO, left the network in 2018 after sexual harassment allegations against him surfaced, and Fox News founder and Chair Roger Ailes was fired in 2016 due to sexual harassment allegations.
Further Reading
NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell Steps Down Over ‘Inappropriate Relationship’ (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/04/24/cnbc-anchor-accused-fired-nbcuniversal-ceo-jeff-shell-of-sexual-harassment-reports-say/