Les Moonves will not receive his $120 million severance package from CBS

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CBS CEO Les Moonves was outed as a serial predator and serial sexual harasser over the summer. Ronan Farrow dropped the first exposé in July, and from there, the stories were coming out in a steady stream. Moonves not only assaulted, abused and harassed dozens of women throughout his tenure on CBS, he also oversaw a top-down management style in which women’s stories and women storytellers were denigrated and ignored, where “bros before hos” was company policy, where all women were seen as disposable. Moonves was terminated, only the terms of his exit were still being negotiated. Would he get a severance package? Well, over the past five months, CBS and Les Moonves have undergone a massive internal investigation into what happened. And the results of the investigation have been dropping in bits and pieces, and now it seems that Moonves isn’t going to get ANY of the “exit package” money.

Leslie Moonves will not be getting his $120 million severance, as CBS concluded after a months-long investigation that there is, indeed, merit to numerous claims that its former CEO sexually harassed several women over the course of decades. Word came of the decision Monday via a statement from CBS, and few were surprised. Only weeks earlier, several Wall Street analysts said they’d be shocked if the company paid Moonves the money it had set aside for him after he stepped down Sept. 9.

“With regard to Mr. Moonves, we have determined that there are grounds to terminate for cause, including his willful and material misfeasance, violation of Company policies and breach of his employment contract, as well as his willful failure to cooperate fully with the Company’s investigation. Mr. Moonves will not receive any severance payment from the Company,” the board announced.

CBS hired an investigative team that interviewed as many as 300 people, according to insiders, in order to get to the bottom of the allegations against Moonves after Ronan Farrow listed a half-dozen accusers in The New Yorker on July 27. Since he stepped down as CEO, Moonves has been an unpaid adviser to CBS, with the company supplying him an office and security detail. That arrangement was set to last until September 2020. While CBS did not address his status as an unpaid adviser on Monday, it may be terminating that deal, as well.

The separation agreement between Moonves and CBS stipulated he’d only get the $120 million if an investigation cleared him of egregious behavior. The company also said at the time it was earmarking $20 million to donate to a variety of organizations dedicated to stamping out sexual harassment.

[From The Hollywood Reporter]

So, they fired him for cause and he’s not getting the $120 million exit package… but it’s not clear if he’ll be able to retain his office, his “consultant” title or his CBS-paid security? Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, but that’s unacceptable. I’m glad CBS isn’t paying him the $120 million, but good God, cut the cord. There is no need to keep him around in any capacity.

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36 Responses to “Les Moonves will not receive his $120 million severance package from CBS”

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  1. Kitty says:

    Countdown to his wife leaving him…

    • meh says:

      *Julie Chen has left the chat*

    • Mia4s says:

      Eh. I think she has too much self-esteem wrapped up in this to quit. She’s part of an epic romance power couple in her nonsense mind, rather than what she actually is; a married pervert’s side piece made legit.

      I’m more interested to see if he fights this. He has enough money…,but pride and all that. If he’s smart he will walk away quietly. If he fights I hope it destroys him and his wife.

      • BrutalEthyl says:

        I was sitting here reading your comment when the 12:00 news started reporting this story. My husband said “damned if I wouldn’t challenge it. Well, if I was innocent. I told him I felt pretty sure he’s not innocent. Then he said, well, yeah, that’s true.

        If he pushes through with a lawsuit, I think his shenanigans would be looked at a lot closer and I don’t think he wants that. Of course, Julie might be pushing him to get that cash. I guess we’ll see. Meanwhile, I’m buying more popcorn.

      • Holly hobby says:

        Well if he fights this the discovery phase would be gold. No way he can survive discovery

    • Pandy says:

      Was just coming to say this. I would have waited to walk out with a chunk of that settlement as well. Would take away some of the embarrassment of being married to a douche.

    • LivBigs says:

      I was about to say the same thing.

  2. Tanguerita says:

    I wonder if Chen stays in the marriage.

    • Betsy says:

      She seems like a Camille Cosby to me. I think she’s in it for the long haul.

      • Tanguerita says:

        Not sure about that. Camille Cosby might have been active behind the scenes, but she had never had the visibility comparable to Chen’s exposure as a journalist (using this term very broadly). Her carrier is toast, unless she moves on from him.

    • Sayrah says:

      She’s all in. She’s Julie Chen Moonves now.

      • molly says:

        God, that was so gross when she said that. I hope she’s absolutely miserable, whatever she decided.

  3. Mabs A'Mabbin says:

    How do these men continue to get away with sexual harassment? It’s so angering. Our system doesn’t want anything to do with sexual content of any kind. The he said, she said mentality hobbles government. A case unfolds and everyone simply and quietly turns around. Wtf?

    • BrutalEthyl says:

      He’s not getting away with it. He lost his prestigious, lucrative job, his reputation and now his severance package.

      If you mean why didn’t his sorry ass go to jail, well I can’t answer that. We can only hope that, like Bill Cosby, somebody comes up with a case that’s recent enough to be taken to court.

      And hopefully some of his accusers get a good lawyer and sue him for big money.

  4. Betsy says:

    Has anyone prepared a list about all the women whose careers were torpedoed due to this emotionally and intellectually stunted individual, at least the names we know? I know Cybill Shepherd functionally lost her career because this guy is incapable of his job, who else? Sadly, we’ll never know all the women who didn’t even get a shot.

  5. Lucy2 says:

    In an ideal world, he belongs in jail, and that 120 million should go to the women whose careers he destroyed. But given the actual world we live in, I’ll take a small comfort that the monster didn’t get even more money.

    • Jess says:

      Amen, Lucy2.

    • molly says:

      I’m happy but shocked that they’re giving him nothing. Rich, white, powerful, old men always seem to find a way.

    • Katie says:

      Where is the other $100million going??? Seriously. I want to know! So CBS is profiting off of this debacle? I bet every cent of that $100m will land in the hands of someone who knew exactly what Les was up to and did nothing about it. Why isn’t the entire $120m being donated to related causes?

  6. Marjorie says:

    Ha Ha Les.

    Wonder how Mrs. Les is taking this…

  7. cannibell says:

    If there’s any justice, CBS divvies it up between entities that help survivors of sexual violence (as defined by the violated) and the women who came forward to take him down.

    • Tiffany says:

      I feel that number is too small. They need to go after him along with CBS.

    • lucy2 says:

      I had a similar thought, but now I’m wondering…CBS just set a precedent for a settlement for lost potential income for Eliza Dushku…could any of these other women sue them as well?

  8. Lisa says:

    Good. He didn’t deserve it at all.

  9. Tiffany says:

    Another plus, Janet Jackson’s induction into the RRHOF, which was looooonnngggg overdue.

    Dude is already worth about 800 mil. Let the civil cases begin……

  10. Reggie says:

    Good

    He is too rich and f6666, to ever see jail

    But loss of power, esteem and money will do just as well for a man like him

  11. Harryg says:

    The amount these people are paid in general is outrageous. No one needs $60 million/year.

  12. Nina Simone says:

    No mention of what he did to Janet Jackson’s career?

  13. Xtrology says:

    I’m still thinking about the wife and what part Julie Chen played in all this. Of course, I’m happy about the money. It sends a message.

    • Tiffany says:

      The same Julie Chen who went for Janet’s throat before Janet’s segment on The Talk by saying that Janet did not apologize enough for what happened well over a decade ago.

      That robot who programmed herself to made sure she would not only become the side piece to a married exec but the next wife.

  14. Chanteloup says:

    GOOD.
    It’s a start.

  15. JRenee says:

    No sympathy here..

  16. JanetFerber says:

    I don’t actually believe they’re not giving him the $120 mil. That’s what people want to hear, but I bet they’re giving it to him anyway. Remember, he’s a white man. No jail time, all the money and getting fired constitute justice for a rich, white man. Sorry it’s so.