Ousted CBS CEO Les Moonves' assistant reportedly had an office 'mood dial' that she turned bright red when he was angry as a warning to visitors
- Former CBS CEO Les Moonves, who left the company after new allegations of sexual misconduct emerged this week, had a "reputation for a hair-trigger temper," according to The Wall Street Journal.
- Moonves' former assistant had an office "mood dial" that turned bright red when he was angry as a warning to potential visitors to come back another day.
- His temper made him "most vengeful vindictive man in a vengeful vindictive town," according to a former CBS programming executive.
Former CBS CEO Les Moonves left the company this week after six new allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced against him in a second bombshell report from The New Yorker. Six women accused the executive of sexual assault or harassment, adding to the allegations that surfaced in a previous New Yorker story in July, which kickstarted a CBS investigation.
As Moonves' alleged sexual misconduct comes to light, more details about his past and temperament have also been uncovered. According to The Wall Street Journal, Moonves had "a reputation for a hair-trigger temper" and his longtime executive assistant, Suzanne Fickinger, made an office "mood dial" that turned bright red when Moonves was in a foul mood as a warning to potential visitors not to disturb him.
"If it was on bright red, you probably want to come back another day," an anonymous former CBS executive told the WSJ.
Moonves was also known for holding grudges. For instance, Moonves told former CBS programming executive Andy Hill that he "wouldn't work in Hollywood again" after the two had a falling out, Hill told WSJ. It wasn't an empty threat. According to Hill, Moonves told the head of a studio Hill was up for a job at that if he hired Hill, CBS wouldn't do business with that studio again.
"He is the most vengeful vindictive man in a vengeful vindictive town," Hill said.