The CEO of NBCUniversal was removed Sunday after a relationship with a company employee was revealed.
The action came after an outside investigation into a complaint against Jeff Shell, according to Deadline.
“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,” Shell, who is married, said in a statement.
“I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 10 years has been a privilege,” he said.
No successor was named on Sunday.
According to Deadline, the complaint against Shell was filed by CNBC anchor and senior international correspondent Hadley Gamble.
The outline said it sought comment from Gamble but had not received a reply.
NBCUniversal CEO ousted after admitting to an ‘inappropriate relationship’ with anchor Hadley Gamble https://t.co/SNGPCSRiwr pic.twitter.com/AUJhnimmCh
— Daily Mail US (@DailyMail) April 24, 2023
Deadline reported that Shell’s relationship with Gamble began 11 years ago and continued intermittently until what the site said was “a couple of years ago.”
Shell was chairman of NBCUniversal International from 2011 to 2013, around the time the alleged relationship began.
In a memo to employees, Comcast CEO Brian Roberts and Comcast President Mike Cavanagh indicated Shell broke company rules.
“You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take the appropriate action, as we have done here,” their memo to employees said, according to Deadline.
The outlet reported that communication between Shell and Gamble was found in the company’s email system.
According to The New York Times, a complaint from the woman in the relationship launched the investigation into Shell’s conduct.
Russia accuses CNBC’s Hadley Gamble of being a ‘sex object’ sent to distract Putin https://t.co/WC5AJY9XFK pic.twitter.com/zSncFvRnup
— New York Post (@nypost) October 20, 2021
In 2021, Gamble was criticized by some who said she flirted with President Vladimir Putin during an interview.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
