05-03-2023
Hadley Gamble is a CNBC anchor and international correspondent stationed in Abu Dhabi. She lodged an internal complaint of sexual harassment and sex discrimination against NBCUniversal’s chief executive Jeff Shell. Gamble shared messages documenting the harassment with NBC's outside investigator. Gamble did not make her complaint public; a media outlet disclosed her name, and her attorney confirmed Gamble’s identity. CNBC had previously decided not to renew Gamble's contract.
NBC fired Shell "effective immediately" for cause and Shell will not receive severance pay. In a Securities and Exchange Commission filing, Comcast (NBCUniversal's owner) stated it investigated and found evidence corroborating the sexual harassment. Shell has not responded to the harassment allegations, but he did say he had "an inappropriate relationship with a woman in the company, which [he] deeply regret[s]." Shell also apologized to his colleagues at Comcast and NBCUniversal for letting them down. Shell had previously been involved in ousting another NBC executive from the company after that executive's brief affair. At the time, Shell said the former executive had acted in a manner inconsistent with the company's values.