Everybody was scratching their heads when L.A. Reid suddenly left Epic Records last week.
It seemed things were going great for Reid at the label. He'd been CEO since 2011 and had seen success with artists like Future, Fifth Harmony, Travis Scott, Meghan Trainor, and DJ Khaled. He had just signed 21 Savage to the label.
Now we have more insight into what went wrong.
“L.A.” Reid’s abrupt exit from the top job at Sony Music Entertainment's Epic Records followed a claim by a female assistant alleging “unlawful harassment of an employee,” sources tell Billboard. In a letter to Sony, the claimant’s attorney detailed alleged harassment his client had faced on a daily basis, which included alleged inappropriate remarks about her appearance and clothing and alleged propositions that caused her embarrassment and distress, making it impossible for her to continue working at the label. The letter -- the contents of which were relayed to Billboard -- threatened litigation if a settlement wasn’t reached. It wasn’t clear if Sony’s investigation had confirmed any of the letter’s allegations, and one person in Reid's camp said the letter contained inaccuracies.This is the second high-profile exit from the Sony music family involving accusations of sexual harassment.
Last month, Dr. Luke left his CEO role at its Kemosabe Records amid his nasty legal battle with Kesha, who's sued him for sexual abuse.