The growing list of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct

Byby Juan Carlos Guerrero KGO logo
Wednesday, January 17, 2018
The growing list of powerful men accused of sexual misconduct
Here's a list of more prominent figures facingsome kind of repercussion for sexual misconduct accusations since November 2017.

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- A month and a half ago, ABC7 News published a list of powerful men who had faced some sort of repercussion after being accused of sexual harassment or assault since the Harvey Weinstein scandal began.

Here is a link to the original list.

Since then, more men have been accused of sexual misconduct.

This is a list of more prominent figures facing accusations since the end of November 2017:

Andrew Kreisberg

Executive Producer of Arrow, Supergirl, The Flash (Fired Nov. 29. 2017)

Fired by Warner Brothers following allegations that 15 women and four men accused Kreisberg of sexual harassment and creating a toxic work environment. Kreisberg is accused of asking for massages from female staffers, sexualizing comments about women's appearances and kissing women without asking.

Kreisberg has denied the allegations.

Israel Horovitz

Playwright (Resigned Nov. 30, 2017)

Massachusetts' Gloucester Stage Company cut ties with Horovitz after nine women accused the playwright and director of sexual misconduct. The accusations range from rape to unwanted kissing, and allegedly happened over a period from the late 1980s to 2016. Horovitz was also accused of sexual harassment in the early 1990s. Horovitz has apologized for making women uncomfortable, but said he has "a different memory of some of the events."

Geraldo Rivera

Political Commentator, Fox News (Accused Dec. 1, 2017)

Actress Bette Midler tweeted an interview she did with Barbara Walters in the 1970s in which she accused Rivera of drugging and groping her. Rivera said he remembered the incident differently but still apologized to Midler.

Danny Masterson

Actor, The Ranch (Released Dec. 6, 2017)

Netflix wrote Masterson out of future episodes of The Ranch after he was accused rape by four women. Although the incidents allegedly happened in the early 2000s, the Los Angeles Police Department began investigating the accusations against Masterson in March of 2017. The star of That 70s Show has denied the allegations and claimed the sexual encounters were consensual.

Trent Franks

Arizona Congressman (Resigned Dec. 7, 2017)

Franks announced he would resign from Congress after the House Ethics Committee began an investigation into sexual harassment. Franks is accused of offering $5 million to several female employees to be the surrogate mother of his children. The women said they were not sure whether Franks wanted to have sex with them or was referring to in vitro fertilization. Franks denied physically intimidating the women.

Larry Nassar

Doctor, USA Gymnastics (Sentenced Dec. 7, 2017)

Nassar was a team doctor for the USA Gymnastics national team. He has been accused by more than 140 female athletes of sexually abusing them under the pretense he was providing medical treatment. Many high profile gymnasts, including Olympic medal winners, have come forward to describe the abuse. Nassar has already been sentenced to 60 years in prison after pleading guilty for child pornography. In November of 2017, Nassar pleaded guilty to ten counts of sexual abuse. Three of the victims were under the age of 13 and three others were under 15.

Jon Heeley

Director of Music Publishing, Disney (Suspended Dec. 8, 2017)

Heeley was suspended without pay by Disney after being charged with three felony counts of child sex abuse. Heeley is accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old girl about a decade ago. Prosecutors say he also began abusing a second victim when she was 11. Heeley's attorney denied the allegations.

Mario Batali

Celebrity Chef (Stepped Down Dec. 11, 2017)

The well-known chef took a leave of absence from his restaurant empire after eight women accused him of inappropriate touching. Batali was also fired from ABC's The Chew and Food Network stopped the release of his television show Molto Mario. Batali apologized and said, "That behavior was wrong and there are no excuses."

Dan Johnson

Kentucky State Senator (Revelation Dec. 11, 2017)

The Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting reported that Johnson was accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in 2012 and that police were reopening the investigation. Johnson denied the allegations. Two days later, Johnson was found dead in his truck of a single gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.

Marshall Faulk

Analyst, NFL Network (Suspended Dec. 12, 2017)

Three on-air football analysts were suspended by NFL Network after a lawsuit accused them of sexually harassing a former wardrobe stylist. The lawsuit alleges Faulk, a former NFL running back, demanded oral sex and groped the stylist's breasts and buttocks. Two other analysts, Ike Taylor and Heath Evans, were also accused. The lawsuit claims Taylor sent the woman a video in which he fondles himself in the shower. Evans is accused of constantly propositioning the stylist for sex. Neither of the three analysts have commented on the lawsuit.

Morgan Spurlock

Director, Supersize Me (Resigns Dec. 13, 2017)

Spurlock stepped down from his production company after sharing a blog post in which he admitted to a long history of sexual harassment towards women. Spurlock settled a lawsuit by a former assistant who claimed he called her "hot pants" and "sex pants". In the blog post, Spurlock wrote "I am part of the problem," and added, "but I am also part of the solution."

Tavis Smiley

Broadcaster (Show Suspended Dec. 13, 2017)

PBS suspended distribution of Smiley's radio show while it investigated "credible allegations" of sexual misconduct. Variety reported that Smiley had sexual relationships with subordinates and created a verbally abusive and threatening environment. Smiley described the relationships as consensual.

Jerry Richardson

Owner, Carolina Panthers (Diminished Role Dec. 18, 2017)

NFL team owner Jerry Richardson announced he was stepping down from day-to-day operations of the Carolina Panthers while the NFL investigates the team for reportedly settling four complaints of workplace misconduct. The allegations include touching female employees and commenting on women's appearances. Richardson reportedly asked one female employee if he could shave her legs.

Richardson has since put the team up for sale. In a statement, the Carolina Panthers said the team was addressing any misconduct.

Andrew Creighton

President, Vice Media (Suspended Jan. 2, 2018)

Creighton and Chief Digital Officer Mike Germano were suspended by the media company while Vice investigates allegations of sexual misconduct, including groping and forced kissing. Vice Media apologized for a "boy's club" culture. Creighton denied the accusations. Vice is instituting sexual harassment training for all employees.

Donovan McNabb

Radio Show Host (Fired Jan. 6, 2018)

McNabb, a former NFL quarterback, and fellow football analyst Eric Davis were fired by ESPN following an investigation of sexual misconduct while the two radio hosts were at NFL Network. A former wardrobe stylist filed suit claiming she was groped by Davis and received sexually explicit text messages from McNabb. Neither McNabb or Davis have commented on the lawsuit.

Steven Seagal

Actor (Latest Accusation Jan. 11, 2018)

The Los Angeles Police Department is investigating several sexual assault claims against the star of the Under Siege films. The latest accusation comes from a British actress who claimed Seagal tore her top off and exposed her breasts and then pushed her onto a bed in 2002, but stopped any further action when the woman began to cry. Other well know actresses have accused Seagal of unzipping his pants during an audition. Seagal has denied the accusations.

James Franco

Actor (Accused Jan. 11, 2018)

After Franco wore a "Times Up" pin at the Golden Globes, the Los Angeles Times reported that five women accused Franco of inappropriate sexual behavior. Four of the women were former students in Franco's acting school. Franco maintains the allegations are "not accurate."

Mario Testino

Fashion Photographer (Released by Condé Nast Jan. 15, 2018)

Thirteen male models and assistants accused Testino of unwanted sexual advances, including groping. Following the allegations, Condé Nast, which publishes Vogue and Vanity Fair, announced it would not commission Testino for any more work. In October of last year, Condé Nast also cut ties with photographer Terry Richardson amid allegations of sexual harassment from models and others. Condé Nast has implemented a new code of conduct for outside contributors.

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