Warner Bros. CEO Kevin Tsujihara sent a company-wide email Friday to apologize for the “mistakes” he made after news broke that he may have engaged in a relationship with actress Charlotte Kirk.
Tsujihara’s apology comes on the heels of a report by the Hollywood Reporter that hinted he might have initiated a sexual relationship with the actress as she sought his help to further her career.
Tsujihara’s email stated:
I also deeply regret that these personal actions have caused embarrassment to the company and to all of you. I realized some time ago you are right to expect more from me, and I set a course to do better. Following these most recent news reports, the company will again work with a third-party law firm to review the situation, and I will cooperate fully with this investigation.
“Please don’t let my mistakes become a distraction,” Tsujihara concluded.
Warner Bros. announced that it has launched an internal investigation to look into the text messages between the CEO and the actress that appeared in the Reporter story.
The report claimed that Tsujihara met Kirk in 2013 as she was struggling to get her acting career in gear. The Reporter added that since she met Tsujihara, Kirk has appeared in two Warners movies, Ocean’s 8 and How to Be Single.
The embarrassing story hit just as Tsujihara was set to assume a larger role at WarnerMedia following AT&T’s $85.4 billion takeover of Time Warner.
The full text of Tsujihara’s email:
Dear Colleagues,
By now, you’ve all seen the news reports from earlier this week.
I deeply regret that I have made mistakes in my personal life that have caused pain and embarrassment to the people I love the most. I also deeply regret that these personal actions have caused embarrassment to the company and to all of you. I realized some time ago you are right to expect more from me, and I set a course to do better. That journey continues.
I am so proud of the great work you do every day. Together, we have built a company that is the gold standard in our industry. Warner Bros.’ culture is as important to our success as our business model. We need to continue the hard work we’ve done over the years to create a workplace where everyone feels included and heard. To that end, I’ve asked HR to make additional accommodations if anyone needs to talk.
Since WarnerMedia’s leadership became aware of details surrounding this situation some time ago, it has carefully reviewed the matter and handled appropriately, including having engaged a third-party law firm to conduct a series of inquiries. Following these most recent news reports, the company will again work with a third-party law firm to review the situation, and I will cooperate fully with this investigation.
Please don’t let my mistakes become a distraction. It’s important that we all stay focused on our work–and part of that is creating a culture and company of which we can all be proud. Thank you all for everything you do to make that happen every day.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.
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