Julie Chen has vowed to stick by her disgraced husband Les Moonves — and says they are “closer than ever” as he threatens to sue the network for leaking damaging accusations against him.
Chen, 48, is believed to have been struggling with the latest overwhelming accusations against the former CBS chief — amid fears it could break their marriage.
Moonves was at CBS for decades until he resigned in September amid a dozen allegations that he had sexually abused numerous women.
A new report this week made horrifying claims including that Moonves, 69, kept a staff member on call for oral sex.
Moonves admitted to receiving oral sex from the woman but claimed it was ‘consensual’ and denies having any non-consensual sexual relationships.
The executive, worth $700 million, now stands to lose his $120 million severance package, as a source told Page Six: “Les managed to convince Julie that none of this was true, that he was being screwed over.”
Moonves is now threatening to sue CBS after the report over allegations of his sexual misconduct leaked.
The New York Times alleged that a report, prepared by the lawyers hired by CBS to investigate Moonves and the overall company, details multiple acts of alleged “nonconsensual” sexual misconduct and claims that he received oral sex from multiple CBS employees, which the report labeled “transactional and improper.”
Last month, actress Bobbie Phillips accused Moonves of harassing her, along with reports of the member of staff on call for sex with Moonves.
The 59-page report claims that he destroyed evidence and that other employees at CBS covered his tracks.
If so, it means that his $120 million severance package could get cut significantly or even wiped out.
Though the lawyers were not able to speak directly with all of the women, they determined that ‘such a pattern arguably constitutes willful misfeasance and violation of the company’s sexual harassment policy’.
According to the New York Post, Moonves’ attorneys will claim that the leaks break a confidentiality agreement and further tarnish his reputation.
Moonves is believed to have stopped his vile workplace behavior when he wed Chen in 2004, according to the New York Times.
Things are made more complicated by the fact that Moonves and Chen — who have a 9-year-old son called Charlie — met and developed a romance in the CBS workplace.
A spokesman for Chen told reporters: “Julie remains committed to her marriage and is focused on her family. In fact, this has drawn Julie and her husband as well as their entire family closer than ever.”
Chen will soon be back on air on “Big Brother: Celebrity Edition” on CBS on Jan. 21, having left her CBS show “The Talk” at the height of the scandal, telling viewers she needed to spend time with her husband and young son.
“Dancing With The Stars” judge Carrie Ann Inaba will take over from Chen full-time.
There is growing talk that Chen will leave CBS and head to another network, perhaps ABC.
Moonves has hired superstar attorney Daniel Petrocelli, a partner at O’Melveny & Myers in Los Angeles to help rehabilitate his image.