Warner Bros. chair Kevin Tsujihara issues apology following misconduct probe

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Hot on the heels of a previous investigation by WarnerMedia into claims of improper conduct, Warner Bros. Entertainment chair Kevin Tsujihara has issued an apology letter to studio staff members.

“I deeply regret that I have made mistakes in my personal life that have caused pain and embarrassment to the people I love the most,” reads the memo that Tsujihara sent just before noon on Friday. The statement then continues, “I also deeply regret that these personal actions have caused embarrassment to the company and to all of you,” said Tsujihara. “I realized some time ago you are right to expect more from me and I set a course to do better,” the executive wrote, shamefully.

Tsujihara's admittance of his behavior stems from reports that he favored actress Charlotte Kirk for roles within the company as an extension of their extramarital relationship.

When asked for comment, a WarnerMedia  spokesperson said on March 6th, “Through her spokesperson, the actress has publicly denied any impropriety in her casting, and our prior investigation did not find otherwise.” However, salacious texts and other evidence of an affair between Tsujihara and Kirk had already been made public. “Whenever we receive new allegations, it is our standard practice to conduct an appropriate investigation,” the media giant added. “And that is what we will do here,” WB reps added.

“Mr. Tsujihara did not have a direct role in the actress being cast in any movie,” explained the WB CEO’s attorney Bert Deixler.

The allegations could not have come at a worse time for Warner Bros. or Tsujihara, who'd recently had his position expanded upon in light of AT&T’s $85 billion dollar purchase and reorganization of the Time Warner label. As per the arrangement, Tsujihara was poised to serve as a multi-tasking entity for the endeavor, including a lead role in the company's new global kids and young adults arm for WarnerMedia.

You can read Tsujihara's full statement below:

Dear Colleagues,

By now, you’ve all seen the news reports from earlier this week.

I deeply regret that I have made mistakes in my personal life that have caused pain and embarrassment to the people I love the most. I also deeply regret that these personal actions have caused embarrassment to the company and to all of you. I realized some time ago you are right to expect more from me and I set a course to do better. That journey continues.

I am so proud of the great work you do every day. Together, we have built a company that is the gold standard in our industry. Warner Bros.’ culture is as important to our success as our business model. We need to continue the hard work we’ve done over the years to create a workplace where everyone feels included and heard. To that end, I’ve asked HR to make additional accommodations if anyone needs to talk.

Since WarnerMedia’s leadership became aware of details surrounding this situation some time ago, it has carefully reviewed the matter and handled appropriately, including having engaged a third-party law firm to conduct a series of inquiries. Following these most recent news reports, the company will again work with a third-party law firm to review the situation, and I will cooperate fully with this investigation.

Please don’t let my mistakes become a distraction. It’s important that we all stay focused on our work—and part of that is creating a culture and company of which we can all be proud. Thank you all for everything you do to make that happen every day.

Sincerely,

Kevin