'I Intend To Fight Back': Tavis Smiley Responds To Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Source: YouTube
Source: YouTube
Tavis Smiley defends engaging in workplace relationships amidst sexual harassment probe in a new interview with FOX.
Former PBS host Tavis Smiley saw it fit to take a stand in support of employee dating amidst the slew of sexual misconduct accusations made against him recently, in an interview on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Monday.
READ: Maxine Waters Calls Out Fox News As A 'Sexual Harassment Enterprise'
"Let's face it, nobody is working 40-hour weeks anymore, we are working 40-, 50-, 70-, 80-hour weeks. Where else are you going to meet people in this business?" Smiley said in the interview. "Our business itself is full of people, producers and talk show hosts who met on the job," he continued, asserting that his workplace did not "forbid" nor "encourage interoffice relationships."
READ:'I Intend To Fight Back': Tavis Smiley Responds To Sexual Misconduct Allegations
Smiley admits to having engaged in several relationships with his employees throughout his career, but maintains that he is not guilty of sexual harassment.
Last week, PBS announced they would be suspending Smiley following the sexual harassment claims, while an outside law firm investigates the allegations.
“The inquiry uncovered multiple, credible allegations of conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS, and the totality of this information led to today’s decision,” PBS said in a statement last Wednesday.
Smiley, 53, is a longtime TV talk show host, author, and commentator whose interview show, "Tavis Smiley," aired for over a decade on PBS. He is one of the latest members of an ever-expanding list of male public figures facing sexual misconduct allegations.
