Comcast says NBCU head Shell fired for sexual harassment

By Lisa Richwine

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – Former NBCUniversal Chief Executive Jeff Shell (LON:) was fired for sexual harassment after an investigation found evidence that corroborated a female employee’s complaint, Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:) said on Monday.

On Sunday, Comcast had said that Shell was leaving the company because of “inappropriate conduct.” A two-decade veteran of the company, Shell acknowledged an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman who worked at Comcast, “which I deeply regret.”

In a regulatory filing on Monday, Comcast said it had hired an outside counsel to investigate a complaint against Shell and the probe uncovered evidence of sexual harassment.

Because he was fired for cause, Shell will not receive severance pay, said a source familiar with the matter.

Shell did not respond to a request for comment on Monday.

The complaint was filed by Hadley Gamble, an anchor for Comcast-owned news channel CNBC International, her attorney confirmed on Monday. Some media reports had identified her on Sunday.

“Given these circumstances, it is very disappointing that my client’s name has been released and her privacy violated,” attorney Suzanne McKie said in an email.

Shell took over as CEO of NBC Universal in 2020, replacing Steve Burke. He oversaw the media company’s broad portfolio of businesses, including the Universal film studio and television business, the Peacock streaming service and Universal’s theme parks.