Six women accuse CBS' Les Moonves of sexual harassment in New Yorker exposé

The New Yorker

“What happened to me was a sexual assault, and then I was fired for not participating,” said actress Illeana Douglas, one of six women to come forward accusing Moonves of sexual misconduct, including four on the record, to Pulitzer-winning writer Ronan Farrow. As Farrow pointed out, Moonves called the #MeToo movement a "watershed moment" last November. "I think it’s important that a company’s culture will not allow for this," he said. "And that’s the thing that’s far-reaching. There’s a lot we’re learning. There’s a lot we didn’t know.” But, writes Farrow, "Moonves’s private actions belie his public statements. 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." Aside from Douglas, the women who've spoken on the record with Farrow include writer Janet Jones, who alleges that Moonves tried to forcibly kiss her; producer Christine Peters, who alleges that Moonves put his hand up her skirt during a meeting; and Emmy-winning The Tracey Ullman Show writer Dinah Kingo, who says a potential deal fell through after she rejected a date with a then-married Moonves. In a statement to The New Yorker, Moonves said: “I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances. Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected—and abided by the principle—that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career. This is a time when we all are appropriately focused on how we help improve our society, and we at CBS are committed to being part of the solution.”

ALSO:

• Ronan Farrow's Moonves bombshell also tackled sexual misconduct accusations at CBS News and 60 Minutes: "19 current and former employees told @RonanFarrow that Jeff Fager, the former chairman of CBS News and the current executive producer of 60 Minutes, allowed harassment in the division."
• "Men at CBS News who were accused of sexual misconduct were promoted, even as the company paid settlements to women with complaints," Farrow writes, based on interviews with 30 current and former CBS employees.
• Julie Chen tweeted a statement in support of her husband: "I have known my husband, Leslie Moonves, since the late ’90s, and I have been married to him for almost 14 years. Leslie is a good man and a loving father, devoted husband and inspiring corporate leader. He has always been a kind, decent and moral human being. I fully support my husband and stand behind him and his statement.”