Last Updated on August 2, 2021
In the midst of an investigation into possible actions of misconduct, Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara has announced that he is stepping down as Chairman of the legendary studio. Reports suggest that Tsujihara is cooperating fully with a third-party law firm to uncover the true nature of recent texts that were printed in a variety of publications focusing on the executive pushing for the casting of British actress Charlotte Kirk in films such as OCEAN'S 8 and HOW TO BE SINGLE. The texts also point to Tsujihara having an extramarital affair with Kirk, thereby muddying the situation even further. For more information regarding how this all began, as well as a look at Tsujihara's initial apology to his family, friends, and company, click here.
Before word broke about Tsujihara's alleged misconduct, the WB executive was poised to lead a new global kids and young adults arm as a byproduct of AT&T's AT&T $85 billion purchase and re-organization of Time Warner.
“It is in the best interest of WarnerMedia, Warner Bros., our employees and our partners for Kevin to step down as Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros.,” said WarnerMedia CEO John Stankey in a statement. “Kevin has contributed greatly to the studio’s success over the past 25 years and for that we thank him. Kevin acknowledges that his mistakes are inconsistent with the Company’s leadership expectations and could impact the Company’s ability to execute going forward.”
You can read Tsujihara memo to staff in-full below:
Dear Colleagues,
Over the past week and a half, I have been reflecting on how the attention on my past actions might impact the company’s future. After lengthy introspection, and discussions with John Stankey over the past week, we have decided that it is in Warner Bros.’ best interest that I step down as Chairman and CEO.
I love this company and the people that make it so great. I’ve been honored to head this organization and work alongside all of its talented employees over the past 25 years. Together we’ve built this studio into an unequivocal leader in the industry.
However, it has become clear that my continued leadership could be a distraction and an obstacle to the company’s continued success. The hard work of everyone within our organization is truly admirable, and I won’t let media attention on my past detract from all the great work the team is doing.
I am overwhelmed and grateful for the outpouring of support I have received from colleagues and industry partners during this difficult time.
Again, I am so proud of the great work that you do every day to make Warner Bros. the gold standard in our industry. It has been a pleasure to work alongside each and every one of you, and I wish you all the absolute best.
Sincerely,
Kevin Tsujihara
While Tsujihara's alleged actions would likely would be enough to get most people kicked to the curb without so much as a second thought, it's been said that Tsujihara was considered to be in good standing with members of the WB staff, and that some see this incident as a poor choice made by a good man.
In fact, two days before Tsujihara's texts were exposed to the public, a WB rep stated, “Through her spokesperson, the actress has publicly denied any impropriety in her casting, and our prior investigation did not find otherwise. Whenever we receive new allegations, it is our standard practice to conduct an appropriate investigation…And that is what we will do here.”
“Mr. Tsujihara did not have a direct role in the actress being cast in any movie,” added the WB CEO’s attorney Bert Deixler, in an attempt to clear the air about Kirk's hiring for select WB feature films.
Upon hearing the news, Kirk spoke with Deadline about her relationship with Tsujihara, and whether or not she'd received help with landing specific big-bill roles:
“Neil saw my audition and believed I was the best actor for the role, simple as that. The character of Alice was written as a 26 year old East End girl with strawberry blonde hair and an attitude – that’s me in a nutshell! Avi supported Neil’s choice because he believed in the director’s vision for the movie. Unfortunately, they were both overruled by Larry Gordon, because he controlled the rights. At the end of the day, that’s show business, and instead I went on to play the title role in the feature film Nicole and OJ.”
Kirk also said of a story printed in The Hollywood Reporter “I had nothing to do with the publication of this story. There are assumptions being made that somehow I was responsible for the release of the texts, and that is simply not true. When I heard that THR might publish it, I implored them not to, but obviously to no avail.
Secondly, these articles refer to events from six years ago, back in 2013. I was a different person then. I was 19 years old, newly arrived in LA, possibly a little arrogant and definitely very naive. I acknowledge I may have made some poor choices and I’m sorry for that, but I’ve learned from my mistakes since then and have grown a lot, as a person, as a woman, and as a professional actor.”
For the moment, WarnerMedia has yet to appoint a suitable replacement for Tsujihara, whose influence throughout the company was vast.
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