By Ryan Faughnder / Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES — Paramount Television President Amy Powell has been fired after making inappropriate comments, the movie and TV studio’s Chief Executive Jim Gianopulos told staff Thursday.
In a memo obtained by the Los Angeles Times, Gianopulos told staff multiple people raised concerns about Powell’s unspecified comments last week, sparking an internal investigation by the company. It was not immediately clear what Powell said that led to her ouster, but a person familiar with the matter said she made racially charged remarks in a meeting attended by multiple people.
“Having spent the past several days conducting a thorough investigation into this matter and speaking to those who were present, our Human Resources and Legal teams came to the same conclusion, and we have made the decision to terminate Amy’s employment, effective immediately,” Gianopulos said.
Powell has denied making the insensitive comments.
“There is no truth to the allegation that I made insensitive comments in a professional setting — or in any setting,” she said in a statement. “The facts will come out and I will be vindicated.”
The firing comes a month after Netflix ousted its chief communications officer for using a racial slur on at least two occasions in the workplace. Company CEO Reed Hastings said in a memo to employees he dismissed Jonathan Friedland after deciding that what he said wasn’t “in line with our values as a company.”
Powell was named president of the Viacom Inc.-owned Paramount Television in 2013, picked by then-CEO Brad Grey to ramp up the storied Los Angeles studio’s efforts for the small screen.
Powell, who began her career at CNN, joined Paramount in 2004 after working in interactive marketing at Sony Pictures.
Under her tenure, the studio’s TV division produced shows such as “13 Reasons Why” for Netflix, “School of Rock” for Viacom’s Nickelodeon network, and “The Alienist” on TNT. Its upcoming shows include “Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan” on Amazon.
“While it is incredibly difficult to part ways with a valued member of our community, it is imperative that we uphold our values and ensure that all employees feel safe and included in the workplace,” Gianopulos wrote to staff.
“Importantly, I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the type of company and culture we’re committed to building at Paramount,” Gianopulos added. “It’s one of inclusion, honesty and accountability — where diversity is critical to ensuring that all ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are embraced and respected.”
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