NBCUniversal ousted longtime Common studio executive Ron Meyer on Tuesday soon after understanding he made hush-funds payments to a lady to protect up an previous affair — a secret that Meyer reported snowballed into an extortion plot.
“I recently disclosed to my household and the enterprise that I designed a settlement, under threat, with a female outside the company who had manufactured false accusations in opposition to me,” Meyer, vice chairman of NBCUniversal, claimed in a statement from the company. “Admittedly, this is a female I had a incredibly temporary and consensual affair with several years in the past.”
The lady at the heart of the scandal was British actress Charlotte Kirk, according to two men and women familiar with the issue who were being not approved to comment publicly. Meyer’s partnership with Kirk dated back approximately a 10 years, but the settlement, and threats by an associate of hers to make the affair public, came extra not too long ago, in accordance to other professional people.
Kirk, who had small roles in flicks “Ocean’s 8″ and “How to Be Solitary,” also experienced a transient romance with previous Warner Bros. studio head Kevin Tsujihara, who resigned final year soon after text messages that prompt he would discover acting work for her became general public. Kirk denied any wrongdoing by Tsujihara, who explained he did not have any immediate role in her casting for initiatives.
The Hollywood Reporter first noted Kirk’s involvement in Meyer’s departure. Kirk could not be reached for remark.
On Tuesday, Meyer, 75, acknowledged that he disclosed the settlement and threats to his bosses at NBCUniversal soon after some others became informed of the key payments. He feared the problem would turn into community and tarnish not only him but also NBCUniversal, which has been criticized for its handling of allegations from Harvey Weinstein and previous “Today” anchor Matt Lauer.
“I built this disclosure due to the fact other functions discovered of the settlement and have continuously attempted to extort me into having to pay them revenue or else they supposed to falsely implicate NBCUniversal, which experienced nothing to do with this matter, and to publish untrue allegations about me,” Meyer explained in the assertion.
NBCUniversal said Meyer’s resignation was a mutual conclusion. It marked a breathtaking close to a 50-12 months occupation for 1 of Hollywood’s most well-known moguls: a large college dropout and former Maritime whose road smarts and charm propelled him into starting to be a single of the industry’s most potent talent agents.
He grew to become main of Common Studios 25 yrs in the past, in charge of the topic parks and motion picture-studio operations. He relished the role, viewing himself as the de facto mayor of the sprawling Common whole lot in Los Angeles.
Following cable large Comcast acquired NBCUniversal, Meyer took on a senior part as NBCUniversal vice chairman. The 2013 go gave him much less managerial affect about the day-to-day businesses including film, Tv set and the company’s theme parks.
However, he worked collaboratively with other people, which include NBCUniversal’s now-Chief Government Jeff Shell when Shell stepped into the function of Universal movie chairman seven a long time in the past. Close to NBCUniversal, Meyer was recognised affectionately as “Ronnie,” a wool-sweater-carrying advisor who acted as Hollywood sage to his East Coastline bosses — the executive brought in to soothe frayed relations with actors, producers and talent brokers.
Around the decades, Meyer cultivated interactions with some of the biggest names in the enterprise, including Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Tom Cruise, Angelina Jolie and Jimmy Fallon, ensuring a longevity that few executives take pleasure in these times.
His defining talent — the capacity to wrangle talent— is a throwback to an era in Hollywood when marquee (and generally ill-tempered) actors, directors and producers dominated the sector. Now, the guiding forces of the movie business are not the A-listers, but alternatively the swift drive toward streaming and the sorts of mental assets that push box workplace returns and creates ongoing franchises.
Meyer’s departure will come amid a cultural shift in Hollywood. Much larger-than-lifetime personalities have fallen out of favor as traditional media providers have become much more corporate — business enterprise models within much larger firms instead than cost-free-standing, free-wheeling entities.
Earlier this month, NBCUniversal minimize ties with the gregarious NBC Enjoyment Chairman Paul Telegdy right after allegations that he condoned a hostile office.
Businesses like NBCUniversal also are chopping charges and personnel as they battle to maintain revenue amid the COVID-19 pandemic and to contend with tech titans Netflix and Amazon. Netflix has expended billions luring top rated producers to make shows for its streaming expert services. Earlier this thirty day period, WarnerMedia — which is owned by AT&T — tossed out two veteran programmers, Bob Greenblatt and Kevin Reilly, in a price tag-slicing reorganization.
NBCUniversal experimented with to swiftly deal with the scandal involving Meyer.
“Late very last week Ron Meyer educated NBCUniversal that he experienced acted in a method which we believe that is not consistent with our enterprise policies or values,” Shell explained in a assertion. “Based on Ron’s disclosure of these actions, we have mutually concluded that Ron need to depart the enterprise, helpful immediately. We thank Ron for his 25 decades of services, and for his considerable contributions to NBCUniversal.”
In 1975, Meyer and 4 other William Morris agents, which includes Michael Ovitz and Bill Haber, started Creative Artists Agency. As a person of the industry’s prime expertise reps, he labored with stars these types of as Sylvester Stallone, Michael Douglas, Tom Cruise and Whoopi Goldberg.
Seagram Co. in 1995 named him president of the studio’s dad or mum firm, MCA, succeeding Sid Sheinberg. His operate acquired off to a precarious begin with flops these kinds of as “Waterworld,” but the studio regained its footing with hits including “Erin Brockovich” and “Gladiator.”
His tenure survived multiple ownership adjustments for Universal, exactly where he answered to overlords which include Seagram, French conglomerate Vivendi, tough-charging mogul Barry Diller, Basic Electric and, right up until this week, Comcast Corp.
“I’ve spent 25 yrs assisting to increase and help an amazing firm in a occupation I really like,” Meyer said in the statement. “It is the people today at this enterprise that I will overlook the most. I regret what has transpired and I am sorry for all the people today in my lifetime I may possibly have allow down, primarily and most importantly, my loved ones.”