Can Keep His Job at CBS? ‘He’s No Longer Untouchable’ Moonves is accused of sexual harassment by six women

Trey Williams and Itay Hod | July 29, 2018

Les Moonves is trying to do what few men accused of sexual misconduct in the #MeToo era have managed to do: Hold onto his job. Men from to Kevin Spacey to to Lou- is CK have lost high-profile roles and largely left public life since they were accused of wrongdoing. But the CBS CEO will have to fight to hang on to the company he suc- cessfully shepherded for 15 years, earning more than $320 million in the last five years alone, experts tell TheWrap. “This definitely creates a trou- bling situation for Les, especially considering the precedent that’s CBS CEO Les Moonves speaks onstage during the Vanity Fair New Establishment been set and how these accusations Summit at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts on October 19, 2016 can often lead to a snowball effect,” said Tuna Amobi, a media analyst they feared retaliation if they spoke The accusations come as Moon- at CFRA Research. “Even if he out. ves is locked in a power struggle does survive it — and right now I Moonves, who has been an advo- with , who is trying would not that he will — his cate for the #MeToo and #TimesUp to reunite CBS and . Red- reputation will be significantly tar- movements, said in a statement, “I stone controls roughly 80 percent of nished.” recognize that there were times dec- both companies through her fami- In a New Yorker story Friday, ades ago when I may have made ly’s holding company, National detailed accusations some women uncomfortable by Amusements. from four women who said Moon- making advances. Those were mis- “There are people in high places ves forcibly touched or kissed them takes, and I regret them immense- who have taken a mighty fall,” said during business meetings, and two ly.” He stressed that he understood Lloyd Greif, founder and CEO of women who said he physically in- and respected that “no means no.” Greif & Co., an investment banking timidated them or threatened to de- A CBS insider told TheWrap Fri- firm specializing in media and enter- rail their careers. All six women, day that Moonves plans to stay on tainment mergers. “It doesn’t look including actress and writer Illeana the jobwhile CBS investigates the good for Les and, yes, this could Douglas and writer Janet Jones, said accusations in the story. very well take him down.” “If that’s the case, you can as- of his response. The agent said dispute. While that litigation sume he’ll get a helping hand from Moonves might benefit from the process continues, the CBS Viacom. They won’t be sad to see fact that the accusations are a dec- management team has the full him go,” Greif told TheWrap. “He’s ade old or more. support of the independent the traffic cop holding his hand up “The claims are from way long board members. Along with to stop the merger between the two ago, he owned up to making ad- that team, we will continue to companies, and the problem with vances but said he abided by ‘no focus on creating value for our traffic cops is that sometimes they means no,’ and there’s no accused shareowners. get hit by a truck.” sexual battery or rape,” said the Amobi said that if someone as agent, speaking on the condition of Redstone, through NAI, denied powerful as Weinstein could be anonymity. what she said was the “malicious forced out of his own company, Douglas said that her career suf- insinuation” that she was somehow Moonves should be worried, too. fered after she rejected Moonves. behind accusations against Moon- Farrow said 30 current and for- But the agent noted that Douglas ves. In his story, Farrow says he had mer CBS employees told him “that appeared on CBS and Showtime been speaking to the accusers since such behavior extended from (which is owned by CBS) after before the CBS and Viacom dispute Moonves to important parts of the 1997, when she says Moonves held began. corporation, including CBS News her down and kissed her. That could Here is Moonves’ complete state- and ’.'” Farrow reports help Moonves make the case that he ment: that 19 current and former employ- didn’t retaliate against her. ees said , the former “She said her pilot was rejected Throughout my time at CBS, chairman of CBS News and the cur- after she refused him, but she was we have promoted a culture of rent executive producer of “60 later cast on a show on the network, respect and opportunity for all Minutes,” allowed harassment with- which would legally appear as being employees, and have consist- in the network’s news arm. treated normally or fairly under ently found success elevating That creates another layer of those provisions,” the agent said. women to top executive posi- trouble for CBS, which has vowed The Independent Directors of tions across our company. I to investigate all of the accusations CBS said in a statement Friday that recognize that there were seriously. the “current CBS management times ago when I “CBS has to do a thorough in- team” had its full support during the may have made some women vestigation not just of Les Moon- CBS and Viacom litigation: uncomfortable by making ad- ves, but of the entire company,” vances. Those were mistakes, said Richard Levick, chairman of All allegations of personal mis- and I regret them immensely. crisis management firm Levick. conduct are to be taken seri- But I always understood and “There is no question that he’s ously. The Independent Direc- respected-and abided by the weakened. He’s no longer untouch- tors of CBS have committed to principle-that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ able.” investigating claims that vio- and I have never misused my “Some of the allegations are in- late the Company’s clear poli- position to harm or hinder any- credibly graphic, including some cies in that regard. Upon the one’s career. This is a time very graphic allegations of career conclusion of that investiga- when we all are appropriately ruination. That’s frightening,” tion, which involves recently focused on how we help im- Levick said. “I think that makes it reported allegations that go prove our society, and we at go beyond just a misunderstanding back several decades, the CBS are committed to being or single occurrence; it appears like Board will promptly review the part of the solution. perpetual activity.” findings and take appropriate One top talent agent, who also action. works with brands on shaping im- The timing of this report age, was confident Moonves will comes in the midst of the endure, and marveled at the nuance Company’s very public legal