Variety published an
exclusive this afternoon saying PBS host Tavis Smiley has been suspended by the
network in the wake of a sexual
misconduct investigation.
“Effective
today, PBS has indefinitely suspended distribution of ‘Tavis Smiley,’
produced by TS Media, an independent production company,” the public
broadcaster said. “PBS engaged an outside law firm to conduct an investigation
immediately after learning of troubling allegations regarding Mr. Smiley. This
investigation included interviews with witnesses as well as with Mr. Smiley.
The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is
inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this
information led to today’s decision.”…
The investigation found credible allegations that Smiley
had engaged in sexual relationships with multiple subordinates, sources said.
Some witnesses interviewed expressed concern that their employment status was
linked to the status of a sexual relationship with Smiley. In general, witnesses
described Smiley as creating a verbally abusive and threatening environment
that went beyond what could be expected in a typical high-pressure work
environment. Several expressed concerns about retaliation.
Earlier this year a
former producer for Tavis Smiley’s show wrote a piece for the Observer
attacking Smiley. The piece included
this detail about a trip to North Dakota to visit the anti-pipeline
camp which had
formed there:
I look back in the car and see Blanca, a young woman that
Tavis had picked up at the Orlando airport and brought along as a f**k buddy.
“Look at her, she’s so stupid,” he tells me, during our stop over from New York
to Bismarck at Chick-fil-A in the Minneapolis airport Delta terminal after
Blanca had left us at the counter and walked toward the gate. “How am I gonna
carry all this food and my bags now? I specifically told her to wait for us,”
he tells me angrily. Tavis’ misogyny is always creeping around, barely
camouflaged by Midwestern good manners in line with the most duplicitous guys
who always open doors, buy flowers and carry luggage until their girlfriends
end up scrambling for some hotline 800 number…
“If anyone back in L.A. mentions the name Blanca,” Tavis
tells me as soon as we are alone in the rented SUV once we arrived at the Oceti
camp, “just tell them she was your girlfriend, that you brought her along.
Don’t say anything about her to Kim in particular.” The question of my
relationship status and if saying I was with Blanca would put me in a very
difficult situation with people at the show who knew about my private life
never even crossed his mind.
The producer never says
or suggests the relationship between Smiley and Blanca was anything but
consensual but he definitely gives the impression Smiley didn’t have a lot of
respect for her.
Smiley is the second
major host at PBS to be involved in sexual harassment allegations. Host Charlie
Rose was fired by
PBS after a Washington Post story alleged several instances of sexual
harassment. PBS’s radio equivalent, NPR, has also fired two
senior executives over allegations of sexual harassment.
