Michael Lynton, CEO of Sony Pictures Entertainment, said that he has never read the stolen Sony emails that were published on numerous websites and indexed on Wikileaks.
Appearing on a Vanity Fair-sponsored panel in San Francisco Tuesday, Lynton said that one year after a devastating cyberattack that nearly crippled the studio, people still come up to him to discuss his private correspondence.
“The part that was distressing was the extent to which people had decided to go through it,” he said. “You’d be sitting there at lunch — and it still happens — and they wander up to your table and say, ‘Oh, I just read through the correspondence you had with so-and-so. That was really interesting.’ And you’re sort of thinking to yourself, really? That seems an odd way to spend an afternoon.”
Also Read: Sony Reaches Settlement in Hacking Lawsuit
Lynton seemed to assign partial blame for the widespread publication of Sony’s leaked emails to Julian Assange, whose Wikileaks made the trove easy to search.
“I haven’t even been back through any of the Wikileaks stuff,” said Lynton, who previously condemned the publishing of Sony’s stolen emails on the basis that they weren’t newsworthy.
Asked why former Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal wasn’t “fired earlier” when sexist and racist emails between her and producer Scott Rudin were made public, Lynton said he believed that their private correspondence was “taken out of context” and that “Amy did not leave the company because of those e-mails.”
The Scene at TheGrill 2015: TheWrap's Media Leadership Conference (Photos)
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesTheWrap's editor in chief Sharon Waxman kicked off the sixth annual TheGrill Conference Day 1.
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Alison Buck/Getty Images"Empire" co-creator/writer Danny Strong (left) and producer Brian Grazer spoke onstage during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesProducer Brian Grazer spoke onstage during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty Images"Empire" co-creator/writer Danny Strong and producer Brian Grazer spoke onstage with Sharon Waxman during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty Images"Empire" co-creator/writer Danny Strong and producer Brian Grazer spoke onstage during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty Images"Empire" co-creator/writer Danny Strong and producer Brian Grazer spoke onstage with Sharon Waxman during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Getty ImagesMaker Studios CEO Ynon Kreiz spoke onstage during Day 1 of TheGrill 2015.
Also Read: Maker Studios CEO Addresses 13-Year-Old YouTube Star Caleb Logan Bratayley’s Death for First Time
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesMaker Studios CEO Ynon Kreiz (left) spoke onstage with AwesomenessTV founder and CEO Brian Robbins (right) during Day 1 of TheGrill 2015.
Also Read: AwesomenessTV, Endemol Sign Multi-Year Partnership to Expand Teen Presence Internationally
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesBrian Robbins, founder & CEO of AwesomenessTV, spoke onstage during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: TheGrill 2015: Tyler Oakley Doc Exclusive First Look Reveals Coming Out Story, Digital Rise
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesREDEF CEO Jason Hirschhorn spoke onstage with TheWrap's editor in chief Sharon Waxman on Day 1 of TheGrill 2015.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesEdelman president of strategic partnerships and global integration Gail Becker presented results of new consumer study on Day 1 of TheGrill 2015.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesEdelman president of strategic partnerships and global integration Gail Becker presented results of new consumer study on Day 1 of TheGrill 2015.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesRobert Kyncl, chief business officer at YouTube, spoke about the platform's growth rate during Day 1 of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: TheGrill 2015: YouTube’s Robert Kyncl Isn’t Sweating Competition, Touts Site’s ‘Astounding’ Growth
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesRobert Kyncl, chief business officer at YouTube, spoke about the platform's growth rate during Day 1 of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: TheGrill 2015: YouTube’s Robert Kyncl Isn’t Sweating Competition, Touts Site’s ‘Astounding’ Growth
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesJason Hirschhorn talked to Kyncl about YouTube's growth and challenges at the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: TheGrill 2015: YouTube’s Robert Kyncl Isn’t Sweating Competition, Touts Site’s ‘Astounding’ Growth
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesAndrew Glasgow, SVP at Viacom Scratch, spoke about the declining attention span of Americans during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill conference.
Also Read: TheGrill 2015: Viacom Scratch SVP Andrew Glasgow on Navigating Consumers’ Short Attention Spans
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesNancy Dubuc, president & CEO of A+E Networks, spoke about the disruption of cable TV during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: 1 Day to TheGrill! 6 Ways to Be a Boss Like A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesNancy Dubuc, president & CEO of A+E Networks, spoke about the disruption of cable TV during the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: 1 Day to TheGrill! 6 Ways to Be a Boss Like A+E Networks CEO Nancy Dubuc
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesDawn Ostroff, president of Conde Nast Entertainment, attended the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
See video: TheGrill 2015: Conde Nast’s Dawn Ostroff on Making Digital ‘Frenemies,’ Chasing Ad Dollars
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesVan Toffler attended the first day of TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
Also Read: TheGrill Is Almost Here! 3 Questions With MTV’s Van Toffler
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesFrom left to right: TheWrap's executive editor Joseph Kapsch, "So You Think You Can Dance" executive producer Nigel Lythgoe, Electus founder and chairman Ben Silverman, PactUS president David Lyle, and "Big Brother" executive producer Allison Grodner.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesPactUS president David Lyle discussed the state of reality TV during Day 2 of TheGrill.
See video: TheGrill 2015: 4 Reality Titans Debate the ‘Death’ of Unscripted TV, Hits and Misses of the Genre
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Alison Buck/Getty Images"Big Brother" executive producer Allison Grodner discussed the state of reality TV during Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesNigel Lythgoe discussed the state of reality TV on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesElectus founder and chairman Ben Silverman talked the state of reality TV during Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesCNBC reporter Julia Boorstin attended TheWrap's sixth annual TheGrill conference at The Montage Beverly Hills.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesConde Nast Entertainment president Dawn Ostroff discussed content creation on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesBox founder and CEO Aaron Levie discussed content protection with TheWrap's editor in chief Sharon Waxman on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesGolden Globe nominee Maria Bello discusses her life and career during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesGolden Globe nominee Maria Bello discusses her life and career during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesFrom left to right: Movio co-founder and chief executive Will Palmer, Fandango president Paul Yanover, Skydance Media CCO Dana Goldberg, IMAX's head of international marketing Roger Pollock, Universal president of worldwide marketing Josh Goldstine, and TheWrap's Deputy Managing Editor Thom Geier discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesIMAX's head of international marketing Roger Pollock discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesFandango president Paul Yanover discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesSkydance Media CCO Dana Goldberg discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesMovio co-founder and chief executive Will Palmer discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesUniversal president of worldwide marketing Josh Goldstine discussed the moviegoing experience on Day 2 of TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesSteven Amato, CEO & chief content officer of Contend and Sharon Waxman, founder & CEO of TheWrap spoke onstage during the "Drones and Hollywood" panel at TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesCo-founder and chief executive of Movio Will Palmer held a discussion regarding "What Women Want: Unlocking Box Office Revenue" at TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesJoseph Atkinson, U.S. Advisory Leader for the Entertainment, Media & Communications Practice at PwC, spoke onstage at TheWrap's 6th Annual TheGrill.
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesTwitter and Uber investor Chris Sacca talks investing in the tech space during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesEvolution Media Group founder and co-managing partner Rick Hess talks about financing media during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesFormer MTV president Van Toffler talks about his new company during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesLloyd Braun, Founder & CEO of Whalerock Industries during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesMark Terbeek, Partner at Greycroft, Jesse Jacobs, President of The Chernin Group and Brian Weinstein, Head of Corporate Finance Group of CAA during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesSteven Haft, SVP Innovation of Time Inc., Sanjay Sharma, President & COO of All Def Digital, Christian Meinberger, SVP Content Programming & Production at Studio 71, and Tobias Bauckhage, CEO and co-founder of Moviepilot during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Alison Buck/Getty ImagesSteven Haft, SVP Innovation of Time Inc. and Adam Smith, Partner at United Entertainment Group during Day 2 of TheGrill
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Entertainment, media and technology converge at TheWrap’s sixth annual Grill Conference at the Montage Beverly Hills