March 21, 2019
WASHINGTON: Warner Bros chairman and studios division chief executive officer
Kevin Tsujihara has resigned over charges of misconduct of soliciting quid pro
quo from an actress for helping get roles in company's movies and TV shows.
“Over the past week and a half, I have been reflecting on how the attention
on my past actions might impact the company’s future. After lengthy introspection,
and discussions with John Stankey over the past week, we have decided that it
is in Warner Bros.’ best interest that I step down as chairman and C.E.O,” Tsujihara,
54 and married, and with the company for two decades, wrote in a memo to the
employees.
Hollywood Reporter had put out a report quoting messages a fortnight ago that
British actress Charlotte Kirk, in her 20s, had a meeting with Kevin in a hotel
where he promised to help her and subsequently tried to influence key people
in the company to get her some roles.
The investigation into the #METoo charges will continue despite his departure.
The scandal had been floating around for a year now.
The telecom giant AT&T had taken over the studio as part of the $85.4 b deal
acquiring Time Warner last June.
AT&T has been planning to use the studios for its future operations of video
streaming.
According to NPR, he was part of a clique with Brett Ratner, himself a filmmaker
removed from Warner Brothers because of sexual misconduct allegations, and James
Packer, an Australian billionaire. They were financing a Warner Brothers movies.
The had introduced Kirk to Kevin.
