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NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell fired after CNBC anchor Hadley Gamble accuses him of sexual harassment

'I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret,' Jeff Shell said after his termination

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: CNBC International anchor Hadley Gamble has accused ex-NBCUniversal CEO Jeff Shell of sexual harassment that allegedly led to his dismissal from his position at the network, according to a lawyer's statement issued on Monday, April 24. After he stepped down, the married chief executive admitted he had "an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company."

According to NBCUniversal parent Comcast, Shell was ousted following a company investigation "led by outside counsel into a complaint of inappropriate conduct." The alleged victim who works at CNBC which is owned by NBCUniversal began a tryst with the accused man "11 years ago and [it] continued sporadically up until a couple of years ago when it ended," reported New York Post.

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Who is Hadley Gamble?

Gamble has been working at CNBC since 2010 as a senior international correspondent and anchor. As per her profile on the network's website, her areas of focus include geopolitics, energy, and financial markets. She is the host of 'Capital Connection' from CNBC's Middle East outpost.

Gamble's lawyer Suzanne McKie, a managing partner of Farore Law, a firm based in the United Kingdom responded to the issue through a statement obtained by the Wall Street Journal. "The investigation into Mr. Shell arose from a complaint by my client of sexual harassment and sex discrimination. Given these circumstances it is very disappointing that my client’s name has been released and her privacy violated," said the attorney. However, the lawyer did not include further details in the statement about the complainant.

Shell's statement after his termination

Shell was fired by NBCUniversal for cause and according to sources, the network does not have any plan in paying him severance. For nearly two decades he worked at the company and since 2020, he worked as chief executive until his termination on Sunday.

"Today is my last day as CEO of NBCUniversal. I had an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which I deeply regret," read Shell's statement on Sunday. "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 10 years has been a privilege," the statement added.