CBS executive Vinnie Favale, who was Les Moonves' liaison to The Late Show, placed on leave for allegedly using sexual and homophobic language in the workplace

CNN

An anonymous female former CBS executive tells CNN of Favale's alleged comments, "I'll never forget the day he told me he got four erections while watching Jennifer Hudson rehearse" for Colbert's Late Show in December 2015. The unnamed woman says she felt she faced retaliation after reporting Favale's remark and other comments she deemed offensive. Favale is famous for his Howard Stern appearances and for his David Letterman cameos. As CBS’ longtime East Coast late-night executive, he oversaw The Late Show with David Letterman, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and CBS' The Howard Stern Show, which aired on Saturdays from 1998 to 2001. Last year, Favale was promoted to CBS' senior vice president of talent development. CNN spoke with nine current and former CBS employees "These individuals described instances in Late Show meetings and rehearsals, between 2015 and 2018, where Favale used sexual innuendo, made homophobic comments and allegedly said derogatory remarks about the appearances of female guests," CNN reports. Favale, who was placed on administrative leave on Wednesday, said in a statement: "Allegations that I have ever retaliated against anyone in any fashion are 100% false. I have spent my entire career working at comedy shows, where there has always been a wide latitude to make transgressive jokes while preparing the program. While we make a lot of jokes, these jokes attributed to me, whether said in rehearsals or production meetings, are being taken out of context and were not said in the way being presented here."