Warner Bros. CEO Steps Down After Sex-for-Roles Scandal

The exit was announced by WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey less than just two weeks after the scandal broke which alleged 54-year-old Tsujihara had an affair with then aspiring British actress Charlotte Kirk, according to Los Angeles Times.

 

“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” Stankey wrote in the statement. “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years, and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the company’s leadership expectations and could impact the company’s ability to execute going forward.”

The scandal broke out after hundreds of text messages exchanged from both parties were leaked online. The Hollywood Reporter, in its lengthy article published on March 6, alleged that Tsujihara traded sex for movie roles with Kirk after their first meeting in 2013 through Brett Ratner and James Packer, whom she was involved romantically.

Initial investigations of the allegation, which WarnerMedia launched last year, revealed no evidence suggesting of any misconduct when they received an anonymous tip about a top Warner Bros. executive promising roles to an actress only known as “CK” at the time.

Days after the news broke out, Tsujihara, through a letter to his colleagues, apologized for his past actions and addressed the previous investigation that WarnerMedia launched adding, “Following these most recent news reports, the company will again work with a third-party law firm to review the situation, and I will cooperate fully with this investigation.”

Tsujihara’s exit marks the end of his 25-year career with the studio. He joined Warner Bros. in 1994 and was named CEO in 2013 after a two-year long battle to succeed Barry Meyer as the head of the company.

Feature Image screenshot via YouTube / CNBC International TV