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Sacked McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook’s brother-in-law calls him ‘naughty boy’ for dating employee

55-year-old Mark Baxter, who is married to Easterbrook’s sister Joanne, said: "Looks like Steve has been a naughty boy. We heard on Sunday that he had been fired. We don’t know any other details. My wife keeps in contact but we have not seen him for a while"

The brother-in-law of McDonald's CEO Steve Easterbrook, who was fired for dating an employee, has commented on the fast-food chain boss' romance, saying: "He's been a naughty boy." Easterbrook, 52, was sacked Friday last week for a consensual sexual relationship with a fellow employee.

55-year-old Mark Baxter, who is married to Easterbrook’s sister Joanne, while talking to the Daily Mail, said: "Looks like Steve has been a naughty boy. We heard on Sunday that he had been fired. We don’t know any other details. My wife keeps in contact but we have not seen him for a while."

Baxter said Easterbrook was divorced from his wife Susie at the same time he moved to America to become the CEO of the world's largest fast-food chain in 2015. The couple's three daughters remained with their mother in Buckinghamshire, U.K. Reports stated Susie is a part-time estate agent and former training boss at PwC.

Easterbrook, on Sunday night, admitted "it's time to move on" in a farewell email to his colleagues, which revealed that a relationship with a colleague got him sacked. Reports stated that he left the company's headquarters in Chicago immediately after reports of the illicit relationship surfaced.

Easterbrook, in his email, admitted making a grave error in violating the company's policy, which forbids managers from engaging in a romantic relationship with a subordinate. The former CEO, in his email, wrote: "This was a mistake. Given the values of the company, I agree with the board that it is time for me to move on."

After reports of Easterbrook's firing, McDonald's shares on Wall Street reportedly plunged. The 55-year-old, who began working in the firm 25 years ago, went from managing a branch to running the company.

Reports stated a review of Easterbrook's conduct concluded that he had "demonstrated poor judgment" and the firm's board of directors voted for Easterbrook's removal Friday. The company, however, has not disclosed the details of his relationship with his colleague.