<img src =" https://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2018/ 06 / tv-summit.jpg? W = 700 & h = 393 & crop = 1 "alt ="] Powell categorically denies making inappropriate remarks and is expected to consider legal action. Paramount declined to comment beyond Gianopulos' memo
"There is no truth to the allegation that I made insensitive comments in a professional setting – or in n & nbsp; Any setting, "Powell said in a statement. A source close to the situation said that the Paramount investigation revealed that Powell made statements about angry black women for various reasons during a conference call on the "First Wives" series with producer Karen Rosenfelt and a handful of others. The group included an African-American assistant to another TV Paramount executive, who complained to studio heads about Powell's comments. The sources noted that Powell had appeared to have been irritated by a tweet sent June 28 by Tracy Oliver, the showrunner of First Wives, who is African-American, criticizing the casting process on the show. Oliver was not a participant in the call.
When confronted with the charge, Powell strongly denied making racist accusations remarks, said a source close to the situation. Based on the results of his discussions with other participants in the call, Paramount called for dismissing one of his most prominent leaders
Powell was hired in 2013 to lead the back of the studio in the television production sector. The studio had emerged from the television production industry since Viacom and CBS were split into separate entities in January 2006. Five years ago, Paramount's chief, Brad Gray, decided to revive the banner of production. She led Paramount's digital operations and her low-budget InSurge film banner for two years before being asked to relaunch television.
Powell ramped up with IP-based series in Paramount chests and new shows for Netflix. Why, "" Maniac "," F is for the family ") and Amazon (" Jack Ryan ") and the high-end drama for TNT (" The Alienist ") .For Hulu, Paramount makes a star remake of" Catch- 22, "topline by George Clooney.Other Paramount TV series include Nickelodeon's" School of Rock ", Freeform's" Girl Code ", Epix's" Berlin Station ", and" Condor ". Audience Network
Powell was considered a creative director by her colleagues and is also known to be very ambitious in terms of career.His name was mentioned for recent high profile job offers in the Peak TV boom: News of his dismissal was a shock for colleagues and in the creative community
In the absence of Powell, Paramount TV will be led by Andrew Gumpert, Chief Operating Officer at Paramount, Mireille Soria, Brian Robbins and Wyck Godfrey, respectively Paramo's managers unt Animation, Paramount Players and Paramount Motion Picture Group, will provide a "creative contribution" as needed, according to Gianopulos.
Here is Gianopulos' complete memo: [19659018] Last week, several people came to us to voice their concerns about Amy Powell's comments in a professional setting, which they believed to be inconsistent with the values of our company. Having spent the last few days conducting a thorough investigation of this case and speaking to those who were present, our human and legal resources teams came to the same conclusion and we made the decision to end the job. Amy immediately.
Amy has made lasting contributions to Paramount in her 14 years with the company, including building a world-class team at Paramount TV. While it is incredibly difficult to separate from an esteemed member of our community, it is imperative that we uphold our values and that all employees feel safe and included in the workplace.
We will immediately start looking for Amy's replacement. In the meantime, Andrew Gumpert, chief operating officer of Paramount, will provide operational support and Mireille Soria, Brian Robbins and Wyck Godfrey – respectively Presidents of Paramount Animation, Paramount Players and Paramount Motion Picture Group – will make a creative contribution, as needed, to the incredibly talented Paramount TV team, which is very well positioned to continue the incredible growth of this division.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the type of business and culture that we are committed to building in Paramount. It is a question of inclusion, honesty and responsibility – where diversity is essential to ensure that all ideas, backgrounds and perspectives are adopted and respected.
We will continue this conversation in small groups and at the company level in the coming months and, in the meantime, I want us to take stock of who we are and explore what we can do more to foster an inclusive workplace. Through direct engagement and open dialogue, I hope we can achieve this together, in an environment where every employee feels valued and valued.
Thank you for your hard work and continued contributions to this endeavor
Best,
Jim
