Tavis Smiley is refusing to back down in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations, with the embattled host taking on his anonymous accusers and PBS.
In an interview with Paula Farris on Good Morning America, Smiley admitted to having sexual relationships with people who worked at his eponymous talk show and sending them ‘lewd messages’ but was animate that there was never any form of misconduct.
He also said those messages were sent not as a boss to his employee but as a man to another individual with whom he was having a consensual relationship.
‘I have never groped, I have never coerced, I have never exposed myself inappropriately,’ Smiley told Farris.
He also said that no favoritism or upward movement was provided to individuals who engaged in relationships with him over the years.
Not backing down: Tavis Smiley (above) gave his first interview since being accused of sexual misconduct by PBS following an internal investigation into claims made by his employees
Tavis Smiley pushes back against allegations of sexual misconduct: “I have never groped, I have never coerced, I have never exposed myself inappropriately…I celebrate and applaud these women who’ve had the courage to come out and tell their truth.” pic.twitter.com/VNuxgQczrS
— Good Morning America (@GMA) December 18, 2017
When asked if he had ever fired an employee he had a relationship with because they split, Smiley gave a carefully worded response.
‘First of all I own the company, and there is a team of people that run the company and I have never given anyone any employment instruction to do anything to anyone with whom I had a consensual relationship,’ he explained.
He then said one person he had a relationship with still works at the company
‘I understand people have a viewpoint that any consensual sexual relationship in the workplace is wrong. I hear that point of view and I respect it but there are other points of view on this,’ said Smiley.
‘My company – let me be clear, I own my company and PBS distributes it – in our employee handbook while we do not encourage office relationships we don’t forbid them either and don’t forbid them because I don’t know where your heart will lead you or who you will hang out with or date.’
Smiley then claimed that ‘millions’ of Americans are married to people they met in the workplace.
PBS announced they would no longer be distributing Smiley’s show after an investigation uncovered he had engaged in ‘multiple relationships with subordinates over many years’ while engaging in ‘conduct that is inconsistent with the values and standards of PBS.’
Smiley is livid over those claims, and was not shy about expressing how upset he was with the network.
‘They never informed me a complaint was alleged. I was never told there was an investigation. I found out about it from former staffers who were getting strange phone calls asking strange questions, so I was unaware of it to begin with,’ said Smiley.
‘But after finding out about it, my attorneys contacted the PBS investigators and offered to have me come talk to them. They did this for weeks and refused to talk to me.’
He then added: ‘They were prepared to close this investigation without talking to me only under the threat of lawsuit did they agree to sit down and talk to me.’