Kevin Tsujihara's downfall continues

Former  Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara

This shouldn't come as a surprise. Deadline reports that Kevin Tsujihara, who resigned as chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. last week, is being kicked off (dramatic pause) the Commission on Eliminating Sexual Harassment. 

Tsujihara’s was forced to resign it was revealed he’d engaged in sexual misconduct with actress Charlotte Kirk and then attempted to help her find roles in Warner Bros. films. 

The Hollywood-based Commission was formed in late 2017 in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal. Its commissioners include the heads of the major studios, networks, talent agencies, record labels, trade associations and industry unions. It is chaired by Anita Hill, whose accusations against U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas made sexual harassment part of America's lexicon.

The pending ouster of Tsujihara comes after actress Olivia Munn, whose mother is Chinese, lambasted the Japanese American CEO for being part of the misogynistic culture that pervades the entertainment industry.

Olivia Munn and Brett Ratner.

Munn, who has been one of the more outspoken actresses in the #MeToo movement,  accused Tsujihara of fostering a culture that did not take sexual misconduct seriously, as he had approved a deal with director/producer Brett Ratner despite him publicly lying about sleeping with her.

“Since #MeToo people often ask how the abuses were so prolific. It’s easy if the people at the top don’t care…” Munn tweeted. “In 2013, Tsujihara approved Brett Ratner’s very unorthodox $450m financing deal, just 2 yrs after he had to apologize for using homophobic slurs & lying about me.”

After Munn wrote a book about an unnamed director masturbating in front of her, which the Hollywood rumor mill speculated that it was Ratner, Ratner denied the inference and in an apparent reprisal against Munn, bragged that he allegedly had sex with Munn numerous times.

“I wrote a book where I discussed him anonymously. A year later, (Ratner) named himself and went on to lie about me. A few days after that, he was on the Howard Stern show publicly apologizing for lying, saying he was sorry. Yet, two years after that moment, he gets a $450 million licensing deal with Warner Bros,” she previously told Rogue magazine.

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Warner Bros CEO Kevin Tsujihara steps down after sexual misconduct allegations

Kevin Tsujihara:' It is in Warner Bros.’ best interest that I step down as Chairman and CEO.' 

ASAM NEWS

Warner Bros. Chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara has left Warner Bros. amid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Days after the Japanese American CEO was given new responsibilities at the company earlier this month, The Hollywood Reporter published a story detailing allegations of sexual misconduct. The article alleged that Tsujihara helped promote the career of actress Charlotte Kirk, with whom he was having a sexual relationship. According to CNBC, Tsujihara was being investigated for allegedly promising acting roles in exchange for sex.

WarnerMedia previously stated that a prior investigation found no evidence of misconduct.

“Through her spokesperson, the actress has publicly denied any impropriety in her casting, and our prior investigation did not find otherwise,” a WarnerMedia rep says in a statement. “Whenever we receive new allegations, it is our standard practice to conduct an appropriate investigation. And that is what we will do here.”

According to CNN, Tsujihara’s lawyer said he had no direct role in the hiring of Kirk. After the article was released, however, Tsujihara apologized for “mistakes in (his) personal life.”

The 54-year old has been with Warner Bros. for over 24 years. He became CEO in 2013 and the chairman a year later.

“Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him,” WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey said in a statement Monday. “Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the company’s leadership expectations and could impact the company’s ability to execute going forward.”

Tsujihara also sent his colleagues a memo on Monday telling them he planned to step down. His full letter follows:

Dear Colleagues,

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 CEO 

I love this company and the people that make it so great. I’ve been honored to head this organization and work alongside all of its talented employees over the past 25 years. Together we’ve built this studio into an unequivocal leader in the industry. 

However, it has become clear that my continued leadership could be a distraction and an obstacle to the company’s continued success. The hard work of everyone within our organization is truly admirable, and I won’t let media attention on my past detract from all the great work the team is doing. 

I am overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of support I have received from colleagues and industry partners during this difficult time. 

Again, I am so proud of the great work that you do every day to make Warner Bros. the gold standard in our industry. It has been a pleasure to work alongside each and every one of you, and I wish you all the absolute best.

Sincerely,
Kevin

Up until he resigned, Tsujihara was the highest ranking Asian American in charge of a major Hollywood studio. Under his leadership, Warner Bros. helped produce the groundbreaking Crazy Rich Asians motion picture, the first studio-backed film with an all-Asian cast since the Joy Luck Club 25 years ago.

It was Tsujihara's passion and advocacy for the Crazy Rich Asians project that tilted the filmmakers to choose Warner Bros. as its Hollywood partner in 2016. “It’s not coincidental that [Warner Bros. C.E.O.] Kevin Tsujihara is the first Asian American studio boss,” said CRA executive prodcuer Nina Jacobson.

Views From the Edge conributed to this report.

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Warner Bros. sued for being anti-Asian

ASAM NEWS

A former executive for the now shuttered digital site, DramaFever, is accusing parent company Warner Bros of discrimination, reports Forbes.

A lawsuit filed by Chung H. Chang alleges the Hollywood studio shut down the site to cover up discrimination against Asians. The site had 400,000 subscribers and was purchased by WB in 2016, only to be shut down this past October.

Drama Fever featured videos from Korea.

According to Huff Post, Chang alleged Warner Bros found jobs for all its White executives, but let go all the Asian executives including himself. The lawsuit states that in one early meeting after the purchase, a studio executive “expressed surprise that the Korean executives did not have accents,” and called their English skills “amazing.” Those Korean executives were all Americans.

“High-level White executives at Warner Bros. made offensive race-based comments and discriminated against and retaliated against Asian Americans even though they reported to an Asian American CEO,” the lawsuit stated.

This controversy comes on the heels of allegations of sexual misconduct of Warner Bros. CEO. WB CEO Kevin Tsujihara is Japanese American. He now faces accusations of an inappropriate sexual relationship with a young address who he supposedly tried to help get roles.

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