Vice Media Fires Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano After Sexual Misconduct Accusations (Exclusive)
Two women accused the executive of sexual misconduct
Jon Levine | January 30, 2018 @ 9:48 AM
Last Updated: January 30, 2018 @ 12:40 PM
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Vice Media has fired its chief digital officer, Mike Germano, after at least two women accused him of sexual misconduct, TheWrap has learned.
Ryan Mack, COO of Vice-owned creative agency Virtue, broke the news on Tuesday at an all-hands meeting of Vice’s in-house digital agency Carrot Creative, according to a company insider. Germano had founded Carrot Creative in 2004 and then sold it to Vice in 2013.
Vice Media and Germano did not immediately respond to request for comment. Vice Media COO and CFO Sarah Broderick broke the news to employees on Tuesday in an emailed memo that also announced a broader integration of Carrot with Virtue.
“As you are aware, Mike Germano has been on leave and I want to let you know that he will not be returning to the company,” she said.
In a statement to TheWrap, Germano denied being fired, though a person with knowledge of the situation told TheWrap that he was.
“I was not fired. Nor is there any info that states that,” Germano said. “I left the company I started after it merged with our parent company, something that was planned for six months.”
Germano had previously been suspended following a New York Times report in which two women accused of inappropriate behavior.
One woman, Amanda Rue, told the Times that Germano said during a 2012 holiday party that he wouldn’t hire her because he wanted to have sex with her. A second woman, Gabrielle Schaefer, told the paper that Germano made her feel uncomfortable when he pulled her onto his lap during a 2014 work event at a bar.
Germano founded and served as CEO of Carrot Creative. He told The Times: “Carrot has been repeatedly recognized as one of the industry’s best places to work, and I do not believe that these allegations reflect the company’s culture — or the way we treat each other. With regards to the incident with Ms. Schaefer, I agreed at that time it was inappropriate, I apologized, and it was resolved with the help of HR.”
Germano, along with Vice Media president Andrew Creighton, were suspended from Vice on Jan. 2, soon after the Times story. The Times reported that Creighton paid $135,000 to a former employee who said she was fired after she rejected an intimate relationship with him. His fate with the company remains unknown.
Vice co-founders Shane Smith and Suroosh Alvi apologized on behalf of the company in a public note to employees.
“We understand that this had an impact on current and former employees at Vice, and we want to express our deepest apologies to them, as well as our extreme regret for our role in perpetuating sexism in the media industry and society in general,” the wrote.
Vice also announced the creation of female-led advisory committee, which would include feminist icon Gloria Steinem.
7 Times Matt Lauer Came Under Fire, From Sexual Harassment Accusations to Ann Curry Ousting (Photos)
Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC News on Wednesday after the company received a complaint of sexual harassment against him. But that's not the first time the longtime "Today" host found himself in hot water.
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Rumors of extramarital affairs dogged Lauer during his tenure on "Today," with tabloid reports linking him to other members of the show, including Natalie Morales. In 2010, NBC News finally responded to the allegations, calling them "completely inaccurate and unfounded" and "reckless and harmful to the Lauer family."
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Ann Curry was ousted from "Today" in 2012 as the show was losing ground to ABC's "Good Morning America," and after she issued a tearful on-air goodbye Lauer was widely viewed as the reason for her departure. New York Magazine later reported that the two had a tense off-camera relationship, and though Curry took the fall, Lauer was more to blame for the show's declining viewership.
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In 2012, Lauer was criticized for asking Anne Hathaway about an upskirt photo taken at the premiere of "Les Miserables" and attempting to make a joke of the situation by saying he'd "seen a lot of you lately." Hathaway was praised for how she handled the situation, gently shutting down the line of questioning by saying it was unfortunate that the culture "commodifies sexuality of unwilling participants."
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In 2006, Lauer's wife Annette Roque filed for divorce, alleging that she suffered "cruel and inhumane" treatment at the hands of her controlling husband. The two eventually reconciled and Roque, who was pregnant at the time, withdrew the paperwork, but the documents were obtained and published by the National Enquirer in 2014.
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Lauer's former co-anchor Katie Couric joked about his behavior in a 2012 interview with Andy Cohen. "He pinches me on the ass a lot," she said, calling it Lauer's most annoying habit. Video of the interview, which was handled jokingly at the time, was recirculated following his termination for a sexual misconduct allegation.
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Lauer moderated a pair of NBC News town halls during the 2016 presidential election, which were widely slammed for the way he questioned the two candidates. Lauer repeatedly asked Hillary Clinton about her email server and rushed past other, more concrete policy issues. Meanwhile, he was perceived to have gone much softer on Donald Trump, failing to press the then-nominee on repeated falsehoods.
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Lauer was finally axed by NBC News and removed from "Today" in 2017, after the company received a "detailed complaint" from a colleague accusing him of inappropriate sexual behavior.
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Morning show host was axed following a sexual misconduct allegation by an NBC News colleague
Matt Lauer was terminated by NBC News on Wednesday after the company received a complaint of sexual harassment against him. But that's not the first time the longtime "Today" host found himself in hot water.