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CBS CEO Leslie Moonves Accused of Sexual Misconduct

Goodstyle

Goodstyle

Banned
Nov 1, 2017
1,661
https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leslie-moonves-accused-sexual-misconduct-ronan-farrow-expo

The allegations are said in part to involve instances of unwanted kissing and touching that occurred more than twenty years ago, as well as numerous claims that occurred more recently.

Moonves, 68, has been married to CBS personality Julie Chen since 2004. (The two wed less than two weeks after Moonves finalized his divorce from Nancy Wiesenfeld, whom he had married in 1978.)

Farrow, the reporter who won a Pulitzer Prize for breaking news of Harvey Weinstein's alleged pattern of rape and sexual assault, is said to have investigated Moonves and the environment at CBS for months as rumors swirled through the industry that such an article was in the works.

It is unclear what impact The New Yorker report will have at a time when Moonves is locked in litigation with Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder in both CBS and Viacom. The feud erupted after CBS resisted Redstone's desire to merge the two companies, which she controls through voting shares in the Redstone family-controlled trust, National Amusements Inc.

CBS sued Redstone in May to prevent her from attempting to take control by ousting directors or changing bylaws. Redstone responded with her own lawsuit saying Moonves had no right to strip her of control of CBS.
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He's about to be hit with a Ronan Farrow expose publishing today. You may not know his name, but he's one of the most powerful people in Hollywood.

[mod edit: update, Farrow's article is up on The New Yorker] :

Les Moonves and CBS Face Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

The New Yorker article said:
Six women who had professional dealings with him told me that, between the nineteen-eighties and the late aughts, Moonves sexually harassed them. Four described forcible touching or kissing during business meetings, in what they said appeared to be a practiced routine. Two told me that Moonves physically intimidated them or threatened to derail their careers. All said that he became cold or hostile after they rejected his advances, and that they believed their careers suffered as a result. "What happened to me was a sexual assault, and then I was fired for not participating," the actress and writer Illeana Douglas told me. All the women said they still feared that speaking out would lead to retaliation from Moonves, who is known in the industry for his ability to make or break careers. "He has gotten away with it for decades," the writer Janet Jones, who alleges that she had to shove Moonves off her after he forcibly kissed her at a work meeting, told me. "And it's just not O.K."
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EDIT:

New accusations emerge as Moonves negotiates exit deal.

Ronan Farrow on this new article:

"6 women raise new, more serious claims of sexual assault or harassment against Les Moonves and say the CBS board failed to hold him to account. Some board members were aware of an LAPD investigation into one claim of violent, forced oral sex since January"

NEW:

Update: Three hours after the publication of this story, CNN reported that Moonves will step down from his position at CBS. A person familiar with the discussions said that Moonves will no longer receive any of his exit compensation, pending the results of the independent investigation into the allegations, and that a portion of the amount he would have received will be donated to organizations focussed on sexual harassment and assault.
 
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Buzzman

Buzzman

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,549
This might not be good for CBS, but it's damn good for everyone else.
 
TSSZNews

TSSZNews

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
663
And if he goes down, it means the Redstones likely regain control of CBS and they shack up with Viacom again.

Huge implications for media consolidation again if the Farrow story is accurate.

Buzzman said:
This might not be good for CBS, but it's damn good for everyone else.
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iunderstoodthatreference.gif
 
Strafer

Strafer

The Flagpole is Wider
Member
Oct 25, 2017
29,377
Sweden
KMfed8E.gif
 
Chaos Legion

Chaos Legion

The Wise Ones
Member
Oct 30, 2017
16,922
I wonder if National Amusement had anything to do with this being unearthed. If they get rid of Les, they can easily force CBS and Viacom to merge as National Amusement wants.

Stop the lawsuit to dilute their ownership in CBS as well.
 
berzeli

berzeli

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,384
Yeah, this is massive. Moonves is CBS, so if he goes down the already hilariously complex web of legal battles will get even murkier.
 
GameShrink

GameShrink

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
2,680
TSSZNews said:
And if he goes down, it means the Redstones likely regain control of CBS and they shack up with Viacom again.

Huge implications for media consolidation again if the Farrow story is accurate.
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Then investigative journalists will need to take a look at the Redstones as well. None of these ultra-rich families are clean.
 
SolidSnakex

SolidSnakex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,391
I'll be interested in hearing Howard Stern's comments on this. It seems like something he might've heard of at some point but didn't want to say anything since some would've just accused him of trying to get back as Moonves.
 
Volimar

Volimar

volunteer forum janitor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
38,515
I have a lot of faith in Ronan Farrow. Very interested in what Julie Chen says.
 
BrightLightLava

BrightLightLava

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,331
This in particular is also really gross.

Moonves, 68, has been married to CBS personality Julie Chen since 2004. (The two wed less than two weeks after Moonves finalized his divorce from Nancy Wiesenfeld, whom he had married in 1978.)
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I hope Nancy got all that alimony.
 
lunarworks

lunarworks

Member
Oct 25, 2017
22,169
Toronto
It is unclear what impact The New Yorker report will have at a time when Moonves is locked in litigation with Shari Redstone, the controlling shareholder in both CBS and Viacom. The feud erupted after CBS resisted Redstone's desire to merge the two companies, which she controls through voting shares in the Redstone family-controlled trust, National Amusements Inc.
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Didn't CBS and Viacom recently split up?
 
Leona Lewis

Leona Lewis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,916
Shameful.

And damn, Judge Judy doesn't need another excuse to retire. We need her to stay on television, damn it!
 
SolidSnakex

SolidSnakex

Member
Oct 25, 2017
23,391
Megasoum said:
Could someone explain the joke please
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Leslie Moonves can appreciate a Donald Trump candidacy.

Not that the CBS executive chairman and CEO might vote for the Republican presidential frontrunner, but he likes the ad money Trump and his competitors are bringing to the network.

"It may not be good for America, but it's damn good for CBS," he said of the presidential race.
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https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/leslie-moonves-donald-trump-may-871464
 
TSSZNews

TSSZNews

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
663
Stock got dinged 7% when the news broke (currently hovering at -5%+) - Redstone's revenge could get going really fast once the piece actually drops.
 
Lord Brady

Lord Brady

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
8,392
How is Trump good for CBS? Is he referring to late night?

edit. He wasn't referring to late night. Just in general.

"Man, who would have expected the ride we're all having right now? ... The money's rolling in and this is fun," he said.
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Fuck off, Leslie.
 
Kalor

Kalor

Resettlement Advisor
Member
Oct 25, 2017
19,629
The consequences of this report will be interesting considering their current legal battles.
 
Scuffed

Scuffed

Member
Oct 28, 2017
10,896
Read about Ronan working on something about Moonves months ago from the usual sources at Crazydaysandnights but then Farrow just came out with the Trump affair stuff instead. I guess he was working on a Moonves story. I hate hearing about more assaults but love reading about big shots getting caught.
 
Odesu

Odesu

Member
Oct 26, 2017
5,545
So, wait. Let me get this straight.

This is an article by Ronan Farrow he worked on for The New Yorker and Hollywood Reporter got knowledge that the article is going to be released during the day, only to then leak the article a few hours before, basically stealing all the investigative Work done by The New Yorker and Farrow (as Hollywood Reporter says themselves, "for months") to get the first, exclusive headline themselves instead? Seemingly without even having full knowledge of what exactly is in the piece?

What the fuck?
 
Kirblar

Kirblar

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
30,744
SilentRob said:
So, wait. Let me get this straight.

This is an article by Ronan Farrow he worked on for The New Yorker and Hollywood Reporter got knowledge that the article is going to be released during the day, only to then leak the article a few hours before, basically stealing all the investigative Work done by The New Yorker and Farrow (as Hollywood Reporter says themselves, "for months") to get the first, exclusive headline themselves instead? Seemingly without even having full knowledge of what exactly is in the piece?

What the fuck?
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Yeah that's quite the dick move.
 
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