CNBC anchor and international correspondent Hadley Gamble has accused former NBCUniversal chief executive Jeff Shell of sexual harassment and sex discrimination in a complaint to the company, according to reports citing Gamble’s lawyer.
Comcast, NBCUniversal’s parent company, said Sunday that Shell would be stepping down immediately after an investigation by outside counsel into inappropriate conduct. Shell claimed he had “an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company.”
A follow-up statement from Comcast released Monday said the investigation found evidence Shell had sexually harassed a female employee, prompting his termination.
Reporting from The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times cite a statement from Gamble’s lawyer, Suzanne McKie, saying the complaint came from Gamble.
Comcast did not immediately respond to a request for comment from USA TODAY.
Hadley Gamble covers energy, geopolitics and financial markets and anchors “Capital Connection” from CNBC’s Middle East headquarters, according to her biography on CNBC’s website. NBCUniversal owns CNBC.
Shell, who joined Comcast in 2004 and was named CEO of NBCUniversal in 2020, apologized for his behavior in a statement Sunday.
“I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down,” he said. “They are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege.”
You can follow USA TODAY reporter Bailey Schulz on Twitter @bailey_schulz and subscribe to our free Daily Money newsletter here for personal finance tips and business news every Monday through Friday.