Cybill Shepherd says refusing Les Moonves' advances led to her show's cancelation (original) (raw)
Published on December 13, 2018 03:37PM EST
Photo: Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Cybill Shepherd has joined the lengthy list of women accusing former CBS head Les Moonves of inappropriate conduct.
During an interview with SiriusXM’s The Michelle Collins Show, the actress revisited an uncomfortable encounter she had with the media mogul while she was starring on the hit series Cybill, which ran from 1995 to 1998.
“He was, well, he was telling me his wife didn’t turn him on, some mistress didn’t turn him on,” recalled Shepherd of a dinner she had with Moonves. “And … he says, ‘Well, you know, why don’t you let me take you home?’ I said, ‘No, I’ve got a ride.’ And I had my car outside with a good friend of mine who is an off-duty LAPD officer.”
Following the incident, her series came to an abrupt end. The 68-year-old actress believes the series would have continued for several more seasons had she not spurned his advances.
“It would have run another five years,” she said. “We had the best writers in the world, and directors and actors — everybody was brilliant.”
CBS has declined comment on Shepherd’s claims.
Moonves was married to Nancy Moonves from 1978 to 2003 and is currently married to Big Brother host Julie Chen.
In July, a dozen women came forward accusing Moonves of sexual misconduct. Their accounts were detailed in a piece written by Ronan Farrow for The New Yorker. Moonves was would be removed from his position as chairman and CEO of CBS in September after six additional women made similar claims.
In a response to the accusations, the former network head admitted to engaging in conduct that could have been perceived as inappropriate, but claimed he respected the wished of those who rejected his propositions.
“I recognize that there were times decades ago when I may have made some women uncomfortable by making advances,” he said in a statement. “Those were mistakes, and I regret them immensely. But I always understood and respected – and abided by the principle – that ‘no’ means ‘no,’ and I have never misused my position to harm or hinder anyone’s career.”
Listen to Shepherd’s interview below.
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