Jeff Shell Exits as NBCUniversal CEO After Admitting to ‘Inappropriate Relationship’

NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell stepped down from his leadership position this weekend after admitting to an “inappropriate relationship” with a woman at the company.

“Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret. I’m truly sorry I let my Comcast and NBCUniversal colleagues down, they are the most talented people in the business and the opportunity to work with them the last 19 years has been a privilege,” Shell said in a statement.

Comcast, the parent company of NBCU, said that it hired an outside firm to investigate the complaint filed by the woman with whom Shell had a relationship. The woman has not been named for fear of reprisals. Comcast President Mike Cavanaugh and CEO Brian Roberts said in a separate statement that they were “disappointed” by the news.

“We are disappointed to share this news with you. We built this company on a culture of integrity. Nothing is more important than how we treat each other,” the statement said. “You should count on your leaders to create a safe and respectful workplace. When our principles and policies are violated, we will always move quickly to take appropriate action, as we have done here.”

Matt Perdie / Breitbart News

As noted by NBC News, Shell, who is married, became CEO of NBCU in 2020, during which he “oversaw the company’s theme parks, Peacock streaming service, sports production operations, television stations group, and entertainment and news television networks like NBC News.” It should be noted that during Shell’s tenure, Universal has been booming in its theme parks and animation department with the success of Super Nintendo World in Hollywood and the Super Mario Bros. Movie, an apolitical children’s film that broke box office records. While the company’s streaming service, Peacock, still has not generated booming revenue, its subscriber base did grow during Shell’s tenure. Per NBC News:

Shell, who succeeded Steve Burke, ushered in the launch of Peacock in mid-2020, NBCUniversal’s answer to the streaming wars. While Peacock was formulated under Burke, the streaming service grew and added more subscribers and content with Shell at the helm

Peacock’s losses have weighed on NBCUniversal’s overall business. During the company’s last earnings call, Cavanagh said Peacock’s 2022 losses were in line with its earlier outlook of $2.5 billion. Comcast has said it expects Peacock’s losses to be up to around $2 billion in 2023. Comcast is due to report earnings Thursday. Shares of Comcast are up about 8% so far this year.

Just months after taking the CEO post, Shell reshaped NBCUniversal’s business and broke down the fiefdoms in the TV segment, with the aim of streaming and traditional TV working more closely together.

NBCUniversal executive Ron Meyer also stepped down from the company after revealing he received an extortion threat for having an extramarital affair with a woman.

“Ron Meyer informed NBCUniversal that he had acted in a manner which we believe is not consistent with our company policies or values,” Shell said when announcing Meyer’s departure.

Paul Roland Bois joined Breitbart News in 2021. He also directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed on Google Play, YouTube Movies, or VIMEO On Demand. Follow him on Twitter   @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.