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Former ‘X Factor’ Judge L.A. Reid Out at Sony After Allegation of Sexual Harassment

May 15, 2017  •  Post A Comment

Influential music executive L.A. Reid, the former “X Factor” judge who was chairman of Sony Music’s Epic Records label, left the company abruptly last week after being hit with an accusation of sexual harassment, The New York Post reports.

“The 60-year-old music industry veteran allegedly made inappropriate physical advances toward an assistant at last December’s company holiday party, among other instances, according to a March 22 letter a lawyer for the woman sent to Julie Swidler, Sony Music’s General Counsel, said a source who provided details from the letter,” The Post reports.

“The female assistant, whose name The Post is withholding, also claims Reid, who has led Epic for nearly six years, also asked her to lie down in bed with him and give him a hug while the two were at a hotel while traveling on business, the letter alleges.”

Sony Music issued a one-sentence statement on Saturday, saying simply: “L.A. Reid will be leaving the company.” The company was not commenting about the harassment complaints.

“Sony Music CEO Rob Stringer, who took over the top spot at the company last month, appears to have taken decisive action in the first major crisis to come along,” The Post notes. The report quotes an inside source who’s familiar with Reid’s ouster saying: “We are not allowing a culture like that in this company, no matter how much a person brings to the bottom line.”

The report adds: “Reid, also known as Antonio Reid, has been telling friends since Thursday, when reports of his ouster started ricocheting around the music industry, that he is talking to Warner Music Group boss Len Blavatnik about a position running the company’s Warner Brothers label, sources said.”

One Comment

  1. Good for Sony. More companies should act this quickly and not worry about how these sleazes affect the bottom line.

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