Another One Bites The Dust… and another one’s gone, and another one’s gone…
NBC Entertainment has ousted chairman Paul Telegdy following accusations that he engaged in racist, sexist, and homophobic behavior while overseeing a hostile work environment. His dismissal comes as NBCUniversal moves to enact sweeping layoffs this week, including cuts at the left-wing NBC News and the Spanish-language Telemundo.
The British-born Paul Telegdy oversaw a vast portfolio of shows at NBC, including the hit reality series America’s Got Talent, The Voice, and Ellen’s Game of Games.
But his tenure as one of Hollywood’s most powerful TV executives was derailed when The Hollywood Reporter ran an investigation last week alleging inappropriate behavior.
THR said it interviewed more than 30 producers, executives, and other current and former network insiders who claimed that Telegdy, 49, presided over a toxic environment, particularly in the reality division, which he ran from 2009 until he was promoted to chairman in 2018.
The NBC insiders have alleged that Telegdy mocked gay executives, sometimes to their faces; used homophobic and misogynistic slurs; and disparaged or made sexual comments about the physical appearance of network talent.