Some three days after Variety first reported that Epic Records chairman and CEO L.A. Reid was leaving Sony Music, the reason for his abrupt departure has come to light. According to the New York Post, Reid has been accused of sexual harassment by a female assistant at Epic Records.
In a letter submitted to Sony Music, the accuser, represented by an attorney, details instances during which inappropriate behavior was allegedly exhibited by the industry veteran. Elsewhere in the Sony universe, the company has recently seen several changes at the top, not the least of which was the promotion of Columbia Records chairman Rob Stringer to CEO of Sony Music, a position he officially stepped into in April, succeeding Doug Morris, who joined Sony from Universal in 2011. That leaves two chief executive vacancies at the company, in addition to a recent exit by international head Edgar Berger back in January after 12 years at Sony, a daunting task for any executive, never mind one that looks over the likes of Adele, Beyonce, Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake, and Harry Styles, whose debut album was released yesterday.
