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THR, TVWeek

Warner Bros. Studio Chief Ousted

Mar 18, 2019  •  Post A Comment

The chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Entertainment has been handed his walking papers after becoming tainted by a sexual scandal. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Tsujihara is stepping down from the job he has held for six years.

WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey is quoted saying today: “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.” THR notes that he did not name a replacement for Tsujihara.

Stankey added: “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 move follows the publication of an article March 6 by The Hollywood Reporter detailing an apparent relationship between Tsujihara and a young British actress, Charlotte Kirk, which we reported on previously.

“In a Hollywood Reporter article on March 6, text messages between the executive and Charlotte Kirk revealed that Tsujihara said that he would push for auditions for the actress amid an apparent sexual relationship that he was having with her,” today’s THR article reports. “The actress appeared in two Warner Bros. films: 2016’s ‘How to Be Single’ and 2018’s ‘Ocean’s 8.'”

In a statement, Tsujihara’s personal attorney said: “Mr. Tsujihara had no direct role in the hiring of this actress.”

THR notes that the claims against Tsujihara continue to be investigated by an outside law firm.

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