Jeff Shell was fired as NBCUniversal’s chief govt after an anchor at one of many firm’s information networks lodged a sexual harassment grievance in opposition to him, a lawyer for the anchor stated on Monday.
The lawyer, Suzanne McKie, stated her shopper, Hadley Gamble, a senior worldwide correspondent at CNBC, had given investigators at NBCUniversal messages that documented cases of harassment by Mr. Shell.
The small print had been confirmed by one other particular person with information of the investigation, who additionally stated Mr. Shell was fired on Sunday for trigger and wouldn’t obtain severance pay. The particular person requested anonymity to debate a personnel matter. Comcast, the proprietor of NBCUniversal, stated in a securities submitting Monday afternoon that it had uncovered proof that corroborated the sexual harassment complaints.
Comcast stated Sunday, with out specifying particulars, that Mr. Shell was leaving the corporate after an investigation right into a grievance about an inappropriate office relationship.
A consultant for Mr. Shell didn’t touch upon the sexual harassment claims. In an announcement on Sunday, Mr. Shell stated he’d had “an inappropriate relationship with a girl within the firm, which I deeply remorse.”
“The investigation into Mr. Shell arose from a grievance by my shopper of sexual harassment and intercourse discrimination,” Ms. McKie, Ms. Gamble’s lawyer, stated in an announcement on Monday.
Mr. Shell’s ouster was an abrupt reversal for the media chief, who had risen steadily by means of the ranks on the firm for practically 20 years. He grew to become head of NBCUniversal’s studio enterprise shortly after Comcast acquired the media large from Common Electrical and succeeded Stephen B. Burke as chief govt in 2020. In that function, Mr. Shell sought to navigate the difficult transition from conventional tv to a rising however unprofitable streaming operation, however gained plaudits for the success of the corporate’s movie studio.
CNBC determined this yr that it might not renew Ms. Gamble’s contract, which expires in 2023, three folks aware of the matter stated on the situation of anonymity. Ms. Gamble lodged her grievance someday after that, in late March, the folks stated.
Mr. Shell’s firing prompted a flurry of follow-up conferences at NBCUniversal’s New York headquarters on Monday. Comcast’s president, Michael Cavanagh, who was put in efficient management of NBCUniversal, met with senior executives on the media division to debate subsequent steps after the turbulent weekend.
In Mr. Cavanagh, NBCUniversal will get a pacesetter with huge expertise overseeing massive firm divisions however little or no expertise working movie and TV studios. He’ll face the problem of overseeing leaders of the corporate’s information, movie and TV companies, who function with autonomy inside their divisions.
Mr. Cavanagh, who was appointed president of Comcast final yr, is the third particular person within the firm’s historical past to carry that place. Many insiders considered his promotion as an indication that Mr. Cavanagh is the likeliest inner candidate to succeed Brian Roberts as chief govt of Comcast.
Earlier than becoming a member of Comcast as chief monetary officer in 2015, Mr. Cavanagh held jobs together with co-chief govt of JPMorgan Chase’s funding financial institution and co-chief working officer of the Carlyle Group, a personal fairness large.